Street Music by Courtney Kathleen Ralston

I always have a song in my head and nearly everything reminds me of some lyric to a song so, needless to say, walking around the French Quarter is heaven for me. The street musicians really make the Quarter my favorite part of town. I love strolling in and out of galleries boutiques and always having some music playing.

    Tuesday however, I took a different approach: less shopping, more listening. With that approach, I fell in love with the Quarter all over again.

   

    NoLa is known for jazz, and it can literally be found EVERYWHERE. I parked my car, walked one block, and there it was: the robust sound of a jazz band. 6 men sat on a pair of park benches and let it flow. With four horns and two drums, they seemed to serve as a welcome wagon to the city. It’s a great reminder of how American music was born, because jazz was the first music style born in America, and it happened right here in New Orleans.

    Then I moved to behind the St. Louis Cathedral and found an older gentleman with a young lady, with a really nice set-up. She had a head set and an amp, while he played the acoustic guitar. She had a beautiful voice. It was soft and high, but full of soul. The man was really skilled on the guitar and they complemented each other really well. I loved the juxtaposition of their ages; it was just proof that music is the tie that binds people.

    Two blocks down from that pair was what I can only describe as the musical equivalent to “American Gothic” by Grant Wood. They were simply dressed and kept straight faces, yet the music lacked no passion. Her voice was huskier, but still sounded very feminine. She played the guitar and he played the string. No really, a string attached to a pole stuck in an upside down wash bucket, and it sounded amazing.

    My next musical encounter was a cello player, seated on an egg crate. There was conviction in her face. I loved the simplicity of her set-up. I feel that simplicity tells you something about true talent. It’s why actors recite monologues; if you can find the emotion alone it can only be multiplied when you are in a group. If this girl were playing in a quartet, it would be worthy of any concert hall.

   

    Down from the cellist, was a one-man-band. These always remind me of Bert from Mary Poppins, and by association, make me very happy. He spent more time telling jokes than playing, not that it mattered to me. He was having a blast and if music isn’t fun, then is it really worth it? I agree, no, it’s not.

    Then, at the end of the musical leg of my adventure I stumbled upon my favorite musician of the day, and possibly ever. A young girl, playing the accordion, with a PHENOMENAL husky voice was just letting it rip across Jackson Square. I was instantly taken by her voice. It was captivating. Her spirit was just glowing from her skin. She just sang and played, so open and unashamed. I wish I had videoed her to capture her voice, because it’s nearly impossible to describe, yet it deserves all the recognition.

   

    I feel sometimes, just as we forget to stop and smell the roses, we forget to stop and listen to the sound of the city. Maybe we are in a hurry, maybe we just don’t know what we’re missing, but if you open your ears you will never want to miss it again.

Celebration in the Oaks

When it starts to get chilly in the City Park, you know Celebration in the Oaks is just around the corner.

This celebration is one of the largest displays of lights in the country, with rides, concerts, ice skating, and other displays included.

While everything this year was fantastic, the only disappointment was the "Ice Skating." It was actually a platform of white plastic. You "skate" with hockey skates, or at least attempt to.

Other than that, it was enjoyable. The lights were spectacular as always. Looking forward to next year's exhibition.

The Creole Creamery

The Creole Creamery is an old fashion ice cream shop nestled in the old McKenzie’s bake shop on Prytania Street.

With some old town charm and mod flavors, this is the place in uptown to get the favorite ice creams, sherbets, and sorbets any way you like. Whether it’s just a basic waffle cone of Blueberry Pie, or the mighty Tchoupitoulous, you are in for a scrumptious treat.

The menu features the old fountain favorites along with creamery specials. The recommended fountain favorite would be the Ice Cream Sampler which gives the indecisive person the way to try mini scopes of the four or six flavors that peaks their interest. For the Creamery Specials, try the Café au Lait Sundae. It’s a real taste of New Orleans because it features an ice cream that tastes just like the typical coffee the locals drink made into a tasty sundae.

When said, “mod flavors” means anything from Tomato-Basil to Cayenne Lime Butter. Their entire list of flavors contains every flavor they have ever had, and there are some very interesting ones.

Since all the flavor and menu items have been covered, it’s time to talk about The Tchoupitoulas Challenge. This “challenge” is to finish an old fashion eight scope sundae (flavors of customer’s choice) with wafers, cherries, and whipped cream in all of its glory. The challenger must finish it on their own in one sitting. The challenge also is only able to be performed at the Prytania Street location. Challenging winners will be forever remembered with their names engraved on the Hall of Fame’s plaque. Good luck to those who attempt and win the challenge.

So when in the mood for ice cream Uptown, check out The Creole Creamery.

The Rebirth Brass Band at the Maple Leaf Bar

The Maple Leaf Bar is very famous for its many regular acts it houses on a weekly basis. Every Tuesday night, they are the home of The Rebirth Brass Band. Now if you are looking for some real, down home, New Orleans second line brass band music, these guys are for you.


Here’s some background on the band. They were founded in 1983 by Philip and Keith Frazier, and Kermit Ruffins. There are currently nine members, and they travel the world. The band plays with many local artists like Kermit Ruffins, who is no longer a member, and Trombone Shorty.


Now their style is like nothing I’ve heard. It’s a combo of brass band, jazz, funk, and second line with a bit of hip hop and soul. It makes you want to sway back and forth with your hands in the air. If you ever catch them on the street, marching and playing, I suggest you jump in line with them and dance along because they do cause quiet a stir where ever they go.

Now I have seen them play before at The Varsity Theater in Baton Rouge, and also at Jazz Fest. They always make the atmosphere feel like you are right in the French Quarter. You can not help but snap, clap, tap, or dance along with them as they play. Just something about the music, it makes you move involuntarily. I find this amazing. So when I went to see them Tuesday night after a long and frustrating day, they seemed to have taken all the bad energy away and made me feel good all over.

Even though it gets really crowded and extremely loud, I suggest going all the way up to be right in front of the band to get a really good feel for the music. There’s just something about getting close to the band that makes your heart race in sync with the beat.

Famous fact about the Maple Leaf Bar and Rebirth Brass Band: They were featured together in the Kate Hudson film “The Skeleton Key.” So, if you ever want to break up the monotony of your week, or just get it off to a good start, go see the Rebirth Brass Band at the Maple Leaf Bar. You won’t be disappointed if you do.

New Orleans Museum of Art

When looking for free things to do in the city, Wednesdays at the New Orleans Museum of Art, fondly known as NOMA, are exceptional. I recently discovered that every Wednesday is free to the public. They are known for having a fabulous in-house collection of masterpieces along with touring exhibits.

I went there recently because I had heard about an exhibit featuring women artist from Louisiana. I was especially interested to see what Mignon Faget had put in to display. What I had discovered was a compellation of beautiful pieces displayed in unity representing the woman artist of Louisiana. I highly recommend this exhibit.

The next Louisiana exhibit I visited was a montage of photographs taken throughout the greater New Orleans area and Baton Rouge. The popping color is what really caught my eye besides the nostalgia that typically comes with photographs.

Overall, the museum is a lovely place to spend an afternoon getting lost in wonderful art that trigger imaginative thinking. With ever changing exhibits and all the typical stationary exhibits, this is a great way to spend no money learning about art.

Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden At The New Orleans Museum Of Art

The last time I had visited the sculpture garden was in my senior year of high school. I had always been mesmerized by the three-dimensional art form. This garden had captured my interest in art along with helping me to decide to become an art major when looking into colleges.

Since it had been three years, I decided to take a walk with my lunch into the recent re-opening of the garden. I had heard about the newly added art works, and was interested in photographing them all for my collection. Let’s say I was not disappointed in any way.

I had my all-time favorites to visit: The Blue Dog sculpture, The Horse, The Giant Spider, and The Four Men Walking. I was always a fan of the Blue Dog because of the reminder of home when I had moved away for Katrina and college. The Horse was always a favorite since I was younger because of my fascination with the actual animal. The Giant Spider was a fun one to take pictures underneath because of the massive daddy-long legs. And the Four Men Walking, oh they are a site to see and take pictures with.

Two of the new editions caught my eye the most. The Mardi Gras Beads were colossal in size and hanging from an oak tree’s branches as if they were left from a parade that rolled through the garden. They were very colorful and just dazzling. The other new edition was a set of latters that lead up to a hovering window. The illusion of this was just breath taking, in my opinion. It was a very playful piece, indeed.

All in all, I would have to say this garden is an excellent place to just enjoy an afternoon, enjoying thee plant life along with the art. It’s a place to immerse yourself in magnificent sculpture, and maybe to just eat your lunch. There are plenty of benches and trash receptacles throughout all the walking paths. You can also sit in the grass and just observe all that is going on. The pond areas provide lovely seating to the sculptures that are located in them.

I highly recommend this as a great, free attraction that almost everyone would enjoy.