Winter / February 2014
| Yours Truly in a Swamp |
February 2014
Leonard Earl Johnson
of New Orleans and Lafayette
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| L. E. J. aboard Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Sea * * * |
Winter!
By Leonard Earl Johnson
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Pink Rabbit for New Orleans Poydras Street
Artists: Trisha Kyner and David Friedeim
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We heard from a sports writer in Chicago one Winter day during the long years after 2005. He had gone to a post-Katrina extravaganza of New Orleans musicians at the historic Chicago Theater on State Street. Midway through, the musicians started their white-hankies waving, leading a second line into the audience. My friend got up with a few others and followed them to the back of the theater. Thinking the show was short-and-over, my friend went out the door and drove home. The musicians, of course, marched back on stage and continued the second half of the show.
Second Line and Opening Day
We returned from the Bahamas in time to catch Kermit Ruffins sitting on a barstool on opening day at the Mother-In-Law Lounge, famed nightclub under the Claiborne overpass built by self-proclaimed, "Emperor of the World," the late Ernie K-Doe, a man who lived a life of fictional scope.
Among other things, he made "Mother-In-Law" a Billboard hit and a traditional number in the American songbook. And he and his personal savior, Antoinette, rode as Emperor/King/Queen of Krewe de Vieux, 2001.
"He was as New Orleans as they come," L. A. Norma said. "From money to living under the bridge to Emperor of the World, he lived more outrageously than a Canadian army of Justin Biebers.
"A New Orleans hero!
"Thank you, Kermit Ruffins, for saving the Mother-In-Law Lounge. Burn, baby, burn!"
We returned from the Bahamas in time to catch Kermit Ruffins sitting on a barstool on opening day at the Mother-In-Law Lounge, famed nightclub under the Claiborne overpass built by self-proclaimed, "Emperor of the World," the late Ernie K-Doe, a man who lived a life of fictional scope.
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| Emperor K-Doe Krewe de Vieux, 2001 |
Among other things, he made "Mother-In-Law" a Billboard hit and a traditional number in the American songbook. And he and his personal savior, Antoinette, rode as Emperor/King/Queen of Krewe de Vieux, 2001.
"He was as New Orleans as they come," L. A. Norma said. "From money to living under the bridge to Emperor of the World, he lived more outrageously than a Canadian army of Justin Biebers.
"A New Orleans hero!
"Thank you, Kermit Ruffins, for saving the Mother-In-Law Lounge. Burn, baby, burn!"
Not K-Doe's bravado - who else had that - but if there was a contest for heir to Louis Armstrong's horn, Kermit Ruffins would be in the final cut. And if it were a contest for his happy smile, he would win hands down.
A couple approached Ruffins with telephone cameras. Smiling, Ruffins repeated such photo-ops all day and night.
A couple approached Ruffins with telephone cameras. Smiling, Ruffins repeated such photo-ops all day and night.
"He blows like Gabriel and smiles better'n Satchmo," L. A. Norma told the couple. They told us they were studying music at "Tulane, Uptown", and felt being "way Downtown" was being at the heart of where it was happening.
"Then they teachin' you right, sugars," Norma said, buying beer for all.
"Then they teachin' you right, sugars," Norma said, buying beer for all.
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| New Orleans, Winter 2014 Photo credit: Leo Watermeier |
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| Sidney Poitier Bridge, seen from the Poop Deck Bahamas, Winter 2014 |
Home from the Sea
When our train pulled out of New Orleans we were in the observation car opening a cellophane-wrapped muffaletta from Central Grocery. We were gliding on rails oblivious to the melting ice as we made the great Back Town loop up to the mythic Huey P. Long Bridge.
"Strongest bridge on the Mississippi," L. A. Norma said. "Built by Long, who had the audacity to tax big oil.
"He built a lot'a big things with the money. Then he was assassinated, in 1935, inside the new skyscraper State House he had built in Baton Rouge."
From the bridge bearing Long's name we saw a children's pre-school closed for years, reopened with FEMA money and today flying colorful flags. The children waved at us. We waved back.
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Next day coastal Louisiana froze down hard. It lasted two and a half days.
During which, citizens fell from ladders and set fire to their homes.
"In the stores, before, it was like a Hurricane was coming," L. A. Norma told our cab driver. "And it is colder than Bobby Jindal's heart!"
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Copyright, 2014, Leonard Earl Johnson, all rights reserved
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posted by LEJ's Louisiana | 5:55 AM
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