NEW ORLEANS- OCTOBER 14-15-16- 17, 2011

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home. all i ever see WHEN i get home is all the house and yard work that needs to be done. i should go on permanent vacation. thank you larry & steve and jimmy for all!
    jimmy and i drove back last night, after he indulged me by letting me run amok for a few hours in the quarter yesterday [see below]. could've stayed MUCH longer, had a few things i normally do, that i didn't get to; but as jimmy buffet once told me in the absinthe bar -circa late 70s-[my band, razin' cain, was working the graveyard shift there, he happened to pop in] i think i had mentioned something about leaving town, going back to hollywood, he said, "well, new orleans is always here..." OR as i always says "it's a great place to live but i wouldn't want to visit here" there's just too much to see and do in a few days time. you need years- or a lifetime.         i'm grateful i lived there in the 60s, 70s, 80s, & 90s. 
 i was exhausted when i got home. got my girls in [star baby was/is MIA] 
had some beans and rice, watched PBS and thumbed through some books i got, then had the brilliant idea of transferring fotos & audio off my phone. not my best idea. was up till 5 or 6AM despite exhaustion. got some interesting sound bites to use in musical works. everything from a crazy sousaphone player who tortured everyone at cafe du monde, to priests chanting in st louis cathedral. mm mm mm

i did have the good sense to put on a crock pot of beans, and make the coffee ready before bed; unplug the phone so as not to be awakened by any telemarketers, politicians, or anyone who obviously doesn't know me... and slept till 2:30 ish PM. yesterday was hot, woke up and it was cold. good thing i had kept the flannel sheets on the bed. anyway i am recapping this short trip, for my own memory bank as well as babbling/rattling on.

Friday October 14, 2011:
jimmy b and i drove down to new orleans for larry & steve's 20th anniversary, and larry's birthday party [the 15th] celebration, and stayed a few days extra.

got to town and immediately left to see "the amazing acrocats" at the shadowbox theatre which was unusual to say the least. although my cats DO semi know when i tell them to get off something or 'go over there' by pointing, they could use some of that training.

shadowbox theatre, new orleans- set for the amazing acro cats

we'd met up with casey for a drink, at his gawjuss home on burgundy in the bywater [which made me want to start looking for a shotgun in the area] before the show- walked there- then walked from the theatre to Wasabi and ate. i shot pix in the dark as we walked- well, the whole evening- and realized again, as i always do when i am in the city, just what a gold mine of inspiration it is. always something to photograph or record at every turn. got some great shots, and a lot of blur, but think i need to go back to REAL film cameras
got back to L&S's and helped L work a bit on the sound track for the impending yacht cruise. everything pertaining to boats and water etc. except for jeff beck's "nessun dorma" [for sunset] which i cannot get out of my head... [that and 'rock the boat' 'love is in the air' and the 'gilligan island theme'- duh]  1 blessing, 3 curses
Saturday October 15, 2011
woke to find Brian P had arrived in town-  everybody in a rush to go have lunch at Mr. B's- i opted out, since i dont move for two hours after i wake... and certainly dont eat as soon as i get up. so, took Larry's BIG book on Basquiat, my coffee & cigs, phone & journal out on the screened in back porch. read as much of the book as i could. [just now ordered it from amazon] although familiar with his work, i had never been exposed to so much of it. i was mesmerized; but got a minor case of  'stendahl' syndrome  [which i sometimes get in galleries] and had to begin drawing on my phone and making art notes in my journal. definitely inspirational, it gave me some ideas; and reinforced some ideas i'd had, but hadn't seen done. i will certainly use some of those ideas: "good artists borrow; great artists steal"- Picasso

   when the gang got back, & harvey & huey arrived, we began packing food, drink & ice chests out for the cruise. we got to the southern yacht club, onto the yacht, and cruised around Lake Pontchartrain for a few hours; having cocktails, eating, chatting- it was 'absolutely fabulous' [especially when i discovered the smoking section @ the back of the yacht]- Larry even drove the yacht a while. eeeeeeeeeeee- but seriously, incredible weather and beautiful water and sky- amazing sunset- great friends, food, drink all in all- a wonderful day

after the cruise we went back to larry & steve's and had more food, more drinks, and a incredible cake [to die for] from flour power in chalmette- OMG! re mm mm mm-  i was too comfortably numbed out to go out- so went to bed early- NOT normal for me in New Orleans!

lafayette square- new orleans 10.16.2011 [c]2011 doug duffey

Sunday October 16, 2011: after waking & coffee larry, jimmy & i headed to the crescent city blues & bar b que fest in lafayette square... for lunch!!!!  we ate [i had a great plate of plantains, rice & collard greens which kicked butt] and walked around looking at the crafts. L&J left after having 'lunch' to go home & watch the saints game [even though there were 'sport tents w/ tvs]- i stayed- i'd rather drink bleach than watch football- OR any sport

we'd gotten there during Luther Kent's set- he sounded as good as he did in the 70s. then went over to listen to Marcia Ball do an interview in Gallier Hall; spoke with her & got a hug. [she did my song "if it aint one thing its another" on her "so many rivers" cd] she's such a gracious/great & down to earth 'real' person. 

marcia ball- new orleans 10.16.2011 [c]2011 doug duffey

afterward i wandered around & made photos; thinking i would get an espresso at PJ's , which was closed! went down by the old [gone] hummingbird grill & hotel- which i used to frequent mainly to see all the characters. the kinkos @ st charles & julia used to be one of my after midnight haunts. i'd go there to make band [dougduffey/street level/ new orleans] fliers and art- i remember when they got their 1st color copier- lawd! i was amazed- started coloring in xerox copies w/pastels and crayons and would take them in and get them scanned and printed. big ole native American gal named Mia used to cut me a LOT of slack, give me huge discounts, because she thought i was so unusual. ah memories of the good old days.

wandered back down camp street- stopped in St Patrick's to light candles & pray. 

 then got back to the square in time to see marcia ball's set- she dedicated "louisiana" [the randy newman, not 'my' version] to me. which i thought was very kind. she's the ultimate professional- and the band was tight as ever. they're like a well oiled fine tuned machine. great guitar & sax player and sustuh can play the hell outa that peeannuh.

marcia ball- new orleans 10.16.2011 [c]2011 doug duffey

L&J came back- called my cell and we hooked back up to watch Bettye LaVette & [i believe]the Drive By Truckers- who were FUNK-KAY. the guitarist & bassist especially blew my proverbial s--t away. reminded me of the whole aretha/muscle shoals thang: southern white 'good ole boys' backing band [except for the drummer, in this case, who was black] backing a black soul singer. just proves my point that 'soul' knows no color.

bettye lavette- new orleans 10.16.2011 [c]2011 doug duffey

bettye lavette- new orleans 10.16.2011 [c]2011 doug duffey

she kept going on about how now, after 49 years in showbiz, she is "finally an overnight sensation." to the point of being redundant. i looked at jimmy and said "well, there's hope for me yet!" lmao. my favorite line was when she said, "i was the 1st of my family to be born in Michigan; all my people were from Louisiana; i lived here a while and used to work at the absinthe bar"[paraphrased] and everybody yelled YEAH, to which she said "y'all didn't say that back THEN!" - another good lines was that Lucinda Williams was the only woman she'd ever met who could drink more than she could!

i walked over to the Louisiana Music Factory* tent and spoke with Barry- LMF is THE only record store that carries ALL my physical cds. so, when in New Orleans stop in and buy some. Lol! they also sell them online, so yu can order them from their site.
i went back for more greens & plantains & rice- from Boswell's Jamaican Grill tent, but they were closing up. gave me a huge plate of greens & plantains anyway, for free, but i wouldnt accept that; so tipped them more than the original cost. lol. best greens i think i ever had. i highly recommend them; very nice folks and great food.
anyway... WE were still hungry, so went to Capdeville, which was a wash. nothing but burgers and frou frou fries; so went to Mother's which was nothing but meat or grease; so headed to Bambu in Harrah's for pan-asian; much better choice. 

harrah's casino- new orleans 10.17.2011 [c]2011 doug duffey

after being on my feet all day, except for an occasional sit down on the grass, i again, turned in early. L&S had to get up early for work. JB & i watched some tv then crashed.

Monday October 17, 2011:
Larry was up and getting ready for work, so jimmy and i had coffee and started packing. i had a semi 'to do' list, although  there were a million things i wanted to do; we had to hit the road. we could have stayed a few ore days, but i needed to get home & take care of the cats. [Many thanks to Debo who fed them while i was gone]- i kept craving macaroni & cheese/wop salad from rocky & carlos in chalmette, which i have been going to forever- BUT... no time... also didn't do my ritual visit to st. roch cemetery/shrine.  

f&f candle shop- new orleans 10.17.2011 [c]2011 doug duffey

1st stop was F&F  Candle Shop on Broad [which used to be F&S Botanica] for candles and oils. jimmy had gone for me, when my mama was ill, and brought me a box full of saint michael candles, as well as went to st louis cathedral to buy me some st michael medals- but i needed some high john the conqueror [house blessing], st. anthony, who ALWAYS helps me find lost objects, and st. expedite [money] - and some 'come to me' oil [which has a lot of purposes & ritualistic rules]- amazed to find the same man working there as when i lived there last- and that it is in fact still there. 
   we parked and went to Louisiana Music Factory* to restock my cds- since i hadn't placed a lot of my newer cds with them- and get a tee shirt [thank you, Barry] since my old one which i have had since the early 90s, which was black, is now grey, worse for wear & tear; minor holes & cigarette burns. i've just about worn it out. it's my favorite. they did not have one of my other favorites "it's not the heat its the stupidity- new orleans" so i maybe have to sew it, since it is almost in shreds.   LMF* is one of the last great record stores in the world! they religiously promote louisiana music- and have live performances in the store.
  Next door is Beckham's- one of my favorite book stores in the world- i thought they had closed after katrina- there was a lot of construction going on in the block- plywood walkways and such. but i saw the door & the lights on- shouted  a "hallelujah" and went in. not only did i find some great photography books, but Moleskine journals which i snapped up. i used to spend major parts of days there. Beckhams in NOLA, the strand & academy in nyc, are my favorite book stores. 

cafe du monde- new orleans 10.17.2011 [c]2011 doug duffey

    JB & i HAD to have beignets & cafe au lait @ Cafe Du Monde. i dont care if it's a tourist trap; nobody makes better beignets. i've been going there [and back in the day "morning call"] since the 1960s. all the way, as we walked, i photographed 'collages'& graffiti on lamp posts or walls. @ CDM some crazy old black man in full saints and fleur di lis brass band drag, w/a sousaphone, was hustling for tips RIGHT at our table. talking to whoever would put up w/him, singing a bit, honking a bit [sousaphone is NOT really a solo instrument] now and then between babbling. finally the manager ran him off. i'd turned the recorder on, on my phone, and recorded the majority of his mess. i figured i could either leave it as is, [make a cd of new orleans noises/sounds] or record stuff over it, sample bits- what EV uh. 

st. louis cathedral- new orleans 10.17.2011 [c]2011 doug duffey

Went to St Louis cathedral, to light candles/pray; the 6th month of my Mother's passing was October 14th; it is still so hard to comprehend; hard to imagine; she was my heart. i think of and miss her every waking moment. losing daddy in january and then her in april. too hard. priests were singing, chanting; i again, recorded. so beautiful. want to use a part of it at the end of a song i wrote/recorded in Switzerland  called 'living again'. as is i have some pre-fab Acid vocal loop on the recording [which i planned to replace with gregorian chants= but this is the real thing.
   i went in the gift shop and bought some prayer cards & a candle to bring home. there seemed to be a run on st michael and st. anthony- both were out of stock.

st. louis cathedral- new orleans 10.17.2011 [c]2011 doug duffey

     
walking back to the car -parked in the "sugar lot"- i photographed every lamp posts again, because the casio camera did not work so well, earlier.. everything was blurred and washed out looking. 

collage/digital photo- new orleans 10.17.2011 [c]2011 doug duffey

 again... i think its time to use film. i love my Vignette, Retro Camera Plus, & HDR cam 'apps' on my phone, BUT... considering i have real GREAT film cameras that do all that, i should be using them. i just hate wagging them and all the accoutrement around. but now that its cool, and i wont sweat to death hauling it all around... wtf? 
   so jb and i got a late start leaving- would've been later had i done more of what i'd wanted, but kept thinking of the kitties, as i had told deb i'd be home sunday. just didnt know it would be 8PM ish when we got here. drove straight through except for a gas/smoke stop in LaPlace, a Taco Bell 7 layer burrito in Brookhaven or McComb, and a Starbucks/smoke stop in Clinton. 
   all in all, it was a very good [and much needed] trip. great to see and spend time with L&S and celebrate with them; and as always i came home with new ideas for art & music & photo [oh my] projects- and new inspirations. 
   as marcia ball sings "i got my red beans cookin'- and when they done i'm gonna get me some" well... they done... and i'm famished- so gonna put on some rice, make some jalapeno cornbread  & "gonna get me some"... ooo baby, its cold outside.

[C]2011 DOUG DUFFEY