“Orléans Embrace” with “The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré”

by Willy Volk on
Orléans Embrace is set to be published April 1, along with the currently out-of-print The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré: The Historic French Quarter of New Orleans. Created by documentarists TJ Fisher and Roy F. Guste, Jr., and featuring many of the images of Louis Sahuc Photo Works, the books feature 49 black-and-white and 329 color images that complement the text. Orléans Embrace is a tribute to New Orleans generally, while The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carré explores the beauty of the French Quarter and its gardens through photos — both before and after Hurricane Katrina roared through the region.

Available on April 1, the set retails for $50 through Morgana Press, or $31.50 through Amazon. Seeing the gardens for yourself may be more rewarding viscerally, but for the armchair traveler or the civic-minded — amazingly, 100% of publisher profits will be donated to French Quarter preservation groups — this book may be the next best thing.

Inteview With Mark Samuels, President/Co-Founder of Basin Street Records

by Willy Volk on

I visited New Orleans during Mardi Gras in the mid-90s. It was awesome, if not a little overwhelming. Since then, I’ve promised myself I’d return. I love the architecture in the city. My head spins at all the wonderful smells wafting from the restaurants. And, of course, I love walking around the street with a beer.

As a music lover, I’d really like to visit the Big Easy during Jazz Fest, an annual event preparing to celebrate its 1037th Anniversary over the weekends of April 27-29 AND May 4-6. With artists like Harry Connick Jr., Rod Stewart, Norah Jones, ZZ Top, Van Morrison, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Lee Lewis, Counting Crows, Allman Brothers Band, Allen Toussaint, George Thorogood, Better Than Ezra, Taj Mahal, Lucinda Williams, Galactic, Buckwheat Zydeco, and many, many more, the event is going to kick major butt! I wonder if I have vacation days left at work…

Over at Blogging New Orleans, Mike Schleifstein recently interviewed Mark Samuels, president and co-founder of Basin Street Records (which has many artists performing at Jazz Fest). Together, Samuels and Schleifstein discuss the record industry; the current state of New Orleans; the beauty and joy of Jazz Fest; the recovery efforts currently underway in the city; and a whole bunch more. If you love music, New Orleans, or politics, this is a podcast you should check out. It’s really well done.

New Orleans Makes Jokes To Draw Tourists

by Jonathon Morgan on

17 months after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, officials are trying bring tourists back to the city with a new advertising campaign focused on humor.

In the run up to Mardi Gras next month — the time of year when the city generally sees the highest influx of visitors — Big Easy advertisers will run campaigns like one featuring an image of the city’s Aquarium of the Americas with the caption: “This is the only part of New Orleans that is still underwater.”

Before Katrina, tourism was a booming industry, generating $5.5 billion annually, and funding one-third of the city’s operating budget. Bringing back visitors is seen as essential in rejuvenating the battered city’s fledgling economy.

Have you been to New Orleans post-Katrina? If not, would a humorous ad campaign convince you to give it a shot?

Motoring the Deep South

by Iva Skoch on

Sticking with my recent motorcycling theme, I wanted to plug another ride-of-a-lifetime. You’re not limited to exotic, foreign locales for motorcycling adventures. Fantastic times can be had right in the ole U.S.of A., by renting a bike from Eaglerider.

Obviously, I don’t recommend this for those with no motorcycling experience (especially not a 88+ cubic inch H-D), but Eaglerider is a franchise of Harley-Davidson rental shops around the U.S. (and two locations in Europe and one in Mexico too) with one central reservation facility online. You can rent for as little as one day, for approximately $130/day.

One of my all-time favorite trips was a 4-day excursion, starting out in New Orleans. Covering most of southern Louisiana, and tooling all the way up to beautiful, antebellum Natchez, MS, (stay at the Dunleith!) was awesome on a beautiful, black, H-D Heritage Softail Classic that was a mere month old. (Unfortunately, Al Gomez’s Eaglerider shop in N.O. was wiped out by the hurricane, but we’re hoping he reopens soon!)

Interestingly, Al told us that people came from all around the world to rent motorcycles and tour the South. Even folks from Germany booked months in advance. Their bike of choice? Not a Beemer, but the dream bike for the big, straight, flat American road: the Harley-Davidson.

Jazz in Nawlins for the Katrina Anniversary

by Adrienne Wilson on

Jazz Times Magazine has an article on some of the Katrina anniversary events taking place today and tomorrow. Should tickets still be available for the event tomorrow evening it looks as though trumpeter Wynton Marsalis will be performing live. Having joined forces with Mayor C. Ray Nagin, Marsalis, a United Nations Messenger of Peace organized the three day event and concert aims to build and promote a stronger and more beautiful New Orleans. You can show your support by either purchasing a ticket to the show or donating separately. I’d go for the music, but I like all that jazz and New Orleans too.