This is one of those "Happenings" that just occur sometimes in New Orleans, I happened to be passing Fritzells on Bourbon Street, on my way back from a Record Release Party of John "Kid" Simmons New Cd at the Music Factory, it was about 11.50pm as I looked into Fritzells from the Doorway, and saw Gregg Stafford Trumpet "Jamming" with Big Bill Bissonnette Trombone and Omer Sherif Trumpet (Formally Thompson). Omer is the Son of the Great Emery Thompson Trumpet Player In New Orleans.
It was one of those "Magic nights," as I was looking in Both Big Bill and Gregg yelled to me to come and join the session I TELL YOU, "MAN WE HAD A BALL THAT NIGHT", THE CLUB WAS PACKED OUT WITH FOLK LISTENING TO THE BAND, AND IT WAS A KNOCKOUT SESSION, I wish it had been recorded, but as these things go, it was not planned, and the only hope is someone revorded the session on a Micro tape recorder. (If anyone has, who was at that session that evening, I would like to listen to a copy of the session)
It''s real nice to see a picture with Dutch Gunther the Original Owner of Fritzells in the Photo, Dutch helped Many of us European Musicians visiting the City
Thanks to Bernie Attridge (Bass) we were able Peter Wright (tpt) John Crisp (tmb) Taff Lloyd (Dms) Hans Jorgenson (Bjo) and Myself (Clt) to play at this wonderful church.
I have been in this church many times before over the years, to listen to the "Wonderful Sermons" and Gospel Music Sung and Played here, Once when the Guy from the Caladonia Club died, and they had two Brass Bands playing the funeral, (I remember this funeral as though it was yesterday ) because Emanuel Paul Tenor Sax with the Eureka and Olympia Brass Bands, He played the most Moving LIVE FUNERAL "West Lawn Dirge" I have ever heard in my life.
I had and have heard it on Record, but I had never heard it live in the Streets Before, the service was at the Church which runs of St Philip Street in Treme. The Church is on the site of an Old Plantation, and its only when you know that, you realise how close some plantations were to the French Quarter .
The Church is "St Augustines Catholic Church" and is the only Black catholic church in New Orleans today.
This is the Grave of "Willie Bunk Johnson" its in New Iberia in a beautiful well kept graveyard, and its looked after by the Bunk Johnson Jazz Society in New Iberia.
I always go there to pay my Respects every time I go to New Orleans.
LISTEN TO BUNK AND GEORGE ON "Original Superior Orchestra" Sessions, recorded in Barronne Street, above the Music Store in the Warehouse
Unknown Guitar Player singing the Blues, this photo was taken in New Orleans about a year after Hurrican Katrina, so its nice to see a little of the life coming back to the quarter
The photo was taken on Decature Street beside Jackson Square.
Its Nightime on Bourbon Street Thirteen Months after Katrina, and we see people starting to come back to the "Big Easy" to have fun once again.
During the weekday''s it was quite ,but Friday and Saturday it was getting back to normal with the strip joints, bars and Music venue''s doing good business, and the Guy,s & Gal,s were strutting up and down Bourbon, and "Thank the Lord" Jazz has returned back to the city, from whence it came.
Another Nightime View on Bourbon Street
Soren Houlind with Big Jim Robinson and the Preservation Hall Band playing to a packed "As Normal Session" at Preservation Hall, 726 St. Peter Street, New Orleans in the 1970''s.
This photo I took at 10.45pm on a "Practika SLR" Camera, with a fast film.
I remember taking these photo''s early in 1973 when Soren "Doc" Houlind was asked by Cie Frazier if he would like to spell him for a while.
In this band photo you see Soren along with Dede Pierce (Trumpet) Willie Humphrey (Clarinet), Billie Pierce (Piano) Ed "Montudie" Garland (Bass) the rest of the band is Jim Robinson (trombone) see picture above and Emanuel Sayles (Banjo)
I saw this same picture blown up very large on the wall at the "Tivorleans Jazz club", Tivivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, "IT LOOKED GREAT"
This photo is with the Rev Sydney Joshuar of the "Zion Hill Baptist Church" on Robinson Street, Treme.
It was with THE GREAT HELP from Reverend Sydney Joshuar that we were allowed to play a full Black Service for the local folk of the area The ZION HILL BAPTIST CHURCH, and this is where we met up with Mrs Martha "Howard" Lampoon Avery Kid Howards daughter, and it was through Kid Howards daughter saying that her Father would have wanted that they allow this band to play their service, SO WE PLAYED AND ACTUALLY "The Church" RECORDED AND VIDEO''D THE SERVICE
I don''t know to this day what happened to Martha after Hurrican Katrina hit the city and breached the Levee''s.
Mrs Martha "Howard" Lampoon (Avery Kid Howards Daughter) with Brian Carrick at the "Zion Hill Baptist Church" Robinson Street, Treme, New Orleans
Kid Shiek Cola & Sadie Goodson
You never know who you find sitting around on the stoop in New Orleans, Here I am with George "Kid Shiek" Cola and Sadie Goodson, ( Shiek Took Lessons from the Great Blues Trumpet Player "CHRIS KELLY" ).
Shiek and Sadie were living at 908 St. Peter Street in the French Quarter when this photo was taken in November 1991.
Anderson MInor along with Matthew Fats Huston were two of the finest Grand Marshalls to front the Great Olympia Brass Band.
This photo is at the start Spring Fiesta parade at City Hall, The festival which was to eventually become known as the "French Quarter Festival".
This is Fats Huston with Anderson MInor, they were a wonderful sight together parading. It seems so long ago now its almost 35years ago, and in those days their was a "Happening" just about every day in New Orleans.
For us Musicians it was a still a Magical time, with so many of our "Hero''s" still playing and working gigs in and around the Quarter.
It''s been a Hot day, and two Dude''s just sit chatting, and have some "Dixie Beers"
But they still had fun trying to keep a-Breast with the happenings in the French Quarter.
Notice The Police Camera "Just by Chance" huh !!!
This photo someone took and gave me, when I was in Preservation Hall in the 1970''s listening to the Kid Thomas Valentine Band.
Im standing at the door listening to trombone player Homer Eugene, Alonzo Stewart on Drums, Kid Thomas Trumpet, Paul "Polo" Barnes clarinet and not visable is Emanual Paul Tenor Sax.
You just had to feel the excitment run through your body, when these Great Brass Bands got to "Strut their Stuff".
Sometimes these Parade''s would run for five, six seven hours, and at time,s when the sun and booze got into the Second liners "Anything could and did Happen".
Three of my friends together, they are just coming off the Old Side paddle steamer "President".
Their has been a Jazz Cruise for the "Jazz and Heritage" Festival.
Left to Right John "Kid" Simmons-trumpet.
Gregg Stafford -trumpet and Herman Sherman Saxaphone Leader of the "Young Tuxedo Brass Band", this is the band that was formally run untill his death, by John Casimir Eb clarinet, Herman Sherman took over as leader after John Casimir passed away
Its not often that you really get to fulfill Dreams, but sometimes it does happen.
This old dance hall out in the Garden District was for many years a Mecca for old time jazz, and many of the "All Time Greats" from New Orleans played their.
Our chance to play a session and record their came about through many ways and means, and a lot of luck.
It so happened that Chas Hudson, Derek Winters, Malc Hurrell, Bernie Attridge, Malc Murphy and Myself "Brian Carrick" had been booked to play for a party coming into the city by my Dear Friends Vernon and Veronica Ashley, who run Jazz Tours from England to New Orleans, and I new of the "Maple Leaf Bar".
I arranged with the owner of the Hall that we play an "Old Time Session" in this Naibourhood Bar and Dance Hall.
WOW THIS WAS SOME SESSION " BELIEVE ME"
This photo is at the home of Paul "Polo" Barnes, its on North Roman in the Treme, and Polo is pointing to where I come from on the globe.
I was lucky to have got to know Pual Barnes at the many visits I made to Preservation hall and Heritage Hall on Bourbon Street.
I got up enough courage one night to go up to Polo and talk to him about clarinets, he asked where I came from, and did I play clarinet. I told Polo that I was practicing as much and as hard as I could, and it was wanting to listen to and learn from the Masters that brough me back to New Orleans so many times.
He invited me back to his home, where I met his lovely wife "Alma", she ever so kind to me, and fussed over me when I was with Polo and taking Lessons, Every time I was in New Orleans I spent as much time as possible with Paul Barnes, learning from him and blowing clarinet together.
He kept a diary just about every day of his life, and to listen to Polol read you some of the passages from his diary when he was out on tour with the Great Joe "King" Oliver and also with Jelly Roll Morton, was something else, however many times"It was sad " to listening to what he had noted in his diary, things like the gig, the pay and the times when their was no pay or any place to sleep, It makes ME realise every time I am playing "how lucky I am".
Sweet Emma Barrett "The Bell Gal"
This video is the first original footage of Burgundy Street with the backing of the Original first recording of "George Lewis" playing his inspired clarinet with that incredible sweet tone on his own composition "Burgundy Street Blues".
