Mardi gras makes me think of New Orleans and all the good things I associate with The Crescent City. Among many other things, New Orleans makes me think of snapping turtle soup (bliss) which in turn makes me think of Edmund Wilson’s great short story “The Man Who Shot Snapping Turtles”.
Of course it obliges me think of New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, also known as Jazzfest.
It makes me think of Katrina, as well, but let’s not go there.
It reminds me of the second-half of that amazing, misunderstood movie Angel Heart (which was Mickey’s last gasp before going down the rabbit hole of self-imposed disintegration for the better part of two decades).
Most of all, it makes me think of the music. So I celebrate some the city’s native sons.
Fats.
Professor Longhair.
Aaron Neville.
Bonus: a young, beautiful Fats working it out live:
Finally, to tie it all together (The Big Easy, Angel Heart and music), let’s go deep with the man who is recognized as the first crooner, Gene Austin. Naturally, he plied his wares in the great state of Louisiana, and from 1928, does a version (the first with vocals?) of “Girl of My Dreams” covered by too many people to mention (my favorite version by Charles Mingus). Of course, it was the leitmotif of Angel Heart and featured some tremendous sax playing by Courtney Pine.
