I found out from Yahoo that I have to break up my Adventures since I am having difficulty adding photos and saving data...So here we are!

The same excitement you experienced and have come to expect with Lips' Adventures (Pts.I-III), now in present tense!

June 29, 2014 

Passed a great big time last night at Mid-City Lanes Rock'n'Bowl with Deacon John and his FabBand (The Ivories) celebrating his birthday (which was June 23).  Me & Kathy Sebastian had a front row seat for all of the festivities:

Owner John Blancher danced with the Baby Dolls and announced that The Deac is a "treasure" and on behalf of The Deac invited Allen Toussaint to join him on stage for a special song, which of course, he did.

Also celebrating a birthday, his brother and bassist, Charles Moore.  Started celebrating my own birthday which is July Five!

Such a night!  Great music, great dancing, great big celebrities, great big fun! 

Yours Truly, The Deac, Allen Toussaint!!!

June 28, 2014 

Met Johnny Bee and his friend, "Sister," at The Historic New Orleans Collection's Williams Research Center to catch this month's installment of their Summer/Fall movie series, "KING CREOLE."  A super-classic with ELVIS! and the City of New Orleans. 

Apparently, they deferred the King's "enrollment" in the service for two months so he could film this.  Great stories of his visit, all on the internet...Love, love, love this movie and wanted to turn "Sister" on to it since running into her last Christmas-time at that French Quarter rummage sale held at the school where Elvis laid a big smoochie-boochie on Carolyn Jones... some great lines & of course, great music...

June 25, 2014 

Johnny Bee bought us dinner for his birthday.  What a nice surprise!  Thank you!!!  He got one, too:

Thank you, Ernest Hemingway!

June 21, 2014 

The Gemini Party

Wild night at The Batture with the Visionary Society's Gemini Party where it poured rain sideways right before we arrived and we watched a pretty good lightning storm there on the Mississippi River at Tony's pad. 

Been attending this Soiree for years thanks to Diane "Lady Di" Edwards (where it has been held at the former Deutches Haus).  This year she requested for us to play and Voila! 

With Sidney Snow & The Snowbirds (featuring Red Morgan) starting the night out: 

followed by Lips & The Trips (at the new stage down where the sandy beach was):

then The New Orleans Suspects (a Blind Faith type band of renowns), and ending with The Baby Boyz Brass Band.  Whew.  What a night! 

Seems so surreal there, there where it is neither here nor there:  not Jefferson or Orleans Parish; not the River, not the levee, where Tony has lived for 28 years and has graciously allowed the Partiers to invade his semi-nomadic space.

Thanks to Kristen for the sound and Jason Patterson for Roadie Duty!  [not able to upload this pic as of yet--picture is camera shy on Yahoo it seems!]

Loved Queen Cherise dancing to "Shakin' All Over" and of course Ms. Happy Dance herself, Lady Di, who ate Mexican Jumping Beans for breakfast!  Thanks for having us, Dear Heart! 

Loaned the famous and fabulous bassist Reggie Scanlan my bass amp for his performance with the N.O. Suspects (quite the band--check them out!) and got to ride home with him and his gal, all adding to the surreality of it all. 

Not to mention that on-fire Japanese Lantern someone set off right as we started playing, fire floating freely above our heads--will we die from fire, flood, electrocution, lightning, stage fright or embarassment?  All the variables were there!  Such a night!   Thanks to all for the warm reception!

June 20, 2014 

Had a beauty gig at the Fairgrinds Coffeehouse as we prepare the countdown for tomorrow's Gemini Party gig at The Batture.  Creature's with us and we are psyched! 

June 13, 2014 

Volunteered to "work" the Preservation Resource Center's "Ladies in Red" gala and awards ceremony honoring Dave Bartholomew, Wendell Brunious, Jazz & Heritage Fest Foundation, Ronnie Kole, New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra, Julius Kimbrough's Prime Example and Don Vappie.  Held at The Cannery with music by Sharon Martin and Shamarr Allen:

Lady Di

Beauty night with lots of celebrity sighting, dancing and overall merriment:  Diane "Lady Di" Edwards couldn't stop dancing, George Schmidt couldn't stop cracking ("let's replace the word 'awesome' with 'baseball cap'") and cracking us up, and we all couldn't stop doing our "Happy Dance" (as Shamarr encouraged us--he even got the security cop to get on the dance floor!  Nice!)

Lady Di, George Schmidt & Anne

Ran into Nick Harris of Dillard University who got M. & I into the Zulu Ball and the Witch Doctor Ball when M. worked at Dillard.  Hadn't seen him in a long while--great running into him, Sherise and Mr. McKee. 

Nick Harris & Sherise

Placards describing the Honorees were on display throughout The Cannery:

 Wendell Brunious

They also projected pictures above & behind the band:

Dave Bartholomew 

June 5, 2014

Last concert for "Jazz in the Park" series at Armstrong Park featuring the Wild Magnolias.  They have a new wild man and flag boy -- I always enjoy their set(s).  Saw Aerica (Mrs. Bo Dollis, Jr.) afterwards and scored a hug from her.  Bo Dollis Sr. was not present, but Jr. thanked everyone for their prayers as he was doing alright.  Really nice weather and ran into Gail and snagged a bit of a visit with her.  Love that Tree of Life there and Congo Square.  Better place than Lafayette Square for a concert.

May 31 - June 1, 2014

Anniversary Celebrants Susan & Sean got tooled around for their very own Private Tour in The FurryMobile and we stopped off at La Boulangerie for a bite.  Claudia helped us out for a perfect snack.

That night, they bought us dinner at Domenica's:

Had my usual roasted carrot pizza and the vino flowed!   

O so lovely catching up with them--poolside visit as well.  Super Groovulating! 

While at Domenica's saw a wedding second-lining out of the beautiful church across the street and ran out for some photos:

Afterwards, went across the street where Jeremy Davenport was holding court at the Davenport Lounge!  Lots of dancing and merry-making.  Glad they enjoyed it as much as I always do over there, puttin' on The Ritz.

Sunday evening, we enjoyed the night air and a nice Rainbow omen at Bacchanal:

Really had a ball with the guy who is the Godfather of my band and the woman who gave us her apartment when we had to evacuate to Houstron in '05!

Thanks for sharing All That Love with us!!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, Y'ALL!!

May 30, 2014

Sean & Susan's Wedding Anniversary

Good folks Sean & Susan journeyed from Houston Town to celebrate their five-years!  Met them at the Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel for a toast

before their dinner and before our visit to see The Tenderloins Comedy Show at the Saenger Theatre.  Quite the night out!

 Five-Year Anniversary Celebrants Sean & Susan outside their digs for the weekend, The Roosevelt Hotel!

May 29, 2014

A very sad day as someone I know buried their son today, under tragic circumstances.  Our hearts go out to you today and every day in the coming months as you face this.  As you stated in your Eulogy, "God meant it for Good."  As you also stated, the outpouring of love and support has "restored my faith in mankind"... God Bless and keep you and your family!!! 

May 26, 2014

The Degas House

Had a coupon for breakfast and tour at the house where Edgar Degas lived for four and one-half months (Winter, 1872- Spring,1873), visiting his mother's brother and family, The Mussons, on Esplanade Avenue.  

Basically, he "got his mojo on," here, having painted "A Cotton Office in New Orleans" at Factor's Row--the only painting he sold to a museum during his lifetime--and went back to France, plunging into the Impressionist movement (which he never called himself, instead, he was a member of the "Anonymous Society").

A new Lips Recommendation even with the hefty price, the tour is given by the great-granddaughter of Michel Musson, Joanie, adding to its authencticity.  The two houses were once joined and are now bed-and-breakfast accomodations and an outdoor courtyard wedding setting. 

We began with breakfast at 9:00 a.m. in the back room at a large table that included a family celebrating a wedding and a couple on vacation from Houston.  This back room was from where Edgar had painted a view of the back gardens and in the distance, the home of the woman Edgar's brother eventually ran off with (named America Olivier who read to the blind Estelle), leaving his wife and children. [name of painting forthcoming].  I like the way Joanie held up the painting and you can see the spot--with the dog in the yard, the dog he named Vasco da Gama...

Following breakfast (which was large as was the sunlight in that room, very nice) we went next door and viewed the WYES-TV documentary with Sally Reeves and George Schmidt commenting with some great shots and info about Edgar's visit.  I remember seeing the Edgar Degas pencil drawings he did on the boat from France in 1872 exhibited by the New Orleans Museum of Art in 1999.  Such dynamic expression with only a pencil and paper! 

Edgar had a vision problem and the bright light in New Orleans bothered him, so he painted inside, mostly portraits of the family.  We viewed the parlor with a piano in the corner: "It's a painting, not a photograph" when we asked Joanie about the placement of the door. 

Upstairs on the front balcony we were shown the view of where he painted a portrait of Matilde [name of painting forthcoming]. 

 The balcony also afforded a view of the nesting and rare Golden-Crested herons straight over to the trees on Esplanade Avenue (laid out in 1820 with the oaks and sycamores planted in 1840).

Golden Crested Herons 

The balcony belonged to the room where Edgar's brother Rene lived with his wife, Estelle, also suffering from vision loss: she was blind, and in the case of the painting of her arranging flowers, she was also pregnant, therefore a much better subject as she stood still.

The back upstairs room was the sick room and that is where Josephine was painted in "The Pedicure."  She died at age 19 of scarlet fever.  At the time of Edgar's visit, there were 16-18 family members residing in the four-bedroom house (then-joined).  They had made room for Edgar in a back corner storage corner which is the last stop on the tour and the best of it, to me.  Such a tiny spot for such big genius! 

Edgar's bedroom/studio

With "The Cotton Office in New Orleans" he finally found his American subject: cotton merchants.  They say that his brother Rene, seated in the painting, is reading the newspaper announcing the bankruptcy of the Musson firm.  Their offices were in the building, Factor's Row, across from One Shell Square building on Carondelet.

The Civil War had bankrupted everyone and they were in heavy debt, to be brought out of it eventually by Edgar, painting ballerinas (about 1,500) for the 10 years following his return to Paris.  When Rene deserts Estelle, Michel adopts the children.  The break between the families solidified, the house itself is actually split in two in 1917.  

chair is from original family furniture

Before Michel moved to Esplanade Avenue (where he rented from 1869-1879), the family lived down the street from where I live now at the corner of Third & Coliseum, a big pink house. 

In the late 1800s the Edgar Degas House became a finishing school, then a wing was moved to the back of the house, it was subdivided further into apartments in the 1920s, continued to slip into disrepair until it was bought in 1996 and turned into its present B&B/Museum. 

Another part of the tour is a short walk in the neighborhood:

nearby 1859 house with gate:

and magnolias:

We went on our own to see the house in the painting, of the homewrecker, America Olivier:

her window (like the painting only a different angle)

and America's front door

Check it out, it's historical!  It's cool!  It's Edgar Degas!  The only French Impressionist to visit the U.S!

May 23, 2014

The Greek Fest

Rode my bike to the Greek Fest to enjoy life a la Zorba The Greek.  I figured Friday night would be less crowded which it was, but this popular festival packs them in! 

Scored some Retsina, some olives and a spot by the dance floor.  Ran into my former next-door neighbor, Ann Heard who was enjoying the full dinner.  Got to catch up with her--miss her, her dog Chloie and her husband who passed a few years ago...

Spied Paul St. Raymond & Kim Meng and camped out with them and their pals 'til I remembered I had to ride across town in the dark... dug it though as I love to kick up my heels!  Made sure to score a dessert box--$20 worth of scrumptiousness and deelite for however long it lasts!  Oompah!

May 22, 2014

Made a pitch to play the Gemini Party tonight to some of the Visionaries who are making the decision.  Lady Di was kind enough to back us!  Met Jason Patterson who owns Snug Harbor who is the "details guy" (how much money they will pay us) and other nice folks who put on their Annual Bash at the Batture. 

May 20, 2014

Preservation Resource Center's 40th Anniversary, Saenger Theatre

With music by The New Leviathan Foxtrot Orchestra, catered food, mint juleps and a video about the 40-year progress made through the restoration efforts of the PRC at the beautifully-restored 1927 Saenger Theatre, the celebration was smashing! 

Love, love, love Patty Gay and all the folks that bring/brought you Julia Row, the saving of history, preservation of authenticity, the reuse of historic buildings instead of tear-down, the Garden District Home Tour, Renovators' Happy Hour, "Julia Jump" gala, "Ladies in Red" (honoring Jazz Greats & supporting our Cultural Heritage Programming) and a raising of our consciousness re living in a beautiful, liveable environment. 

The only comment I have is that the idea of preserving the natural landscape is not included in their master plan of preservation and promotion.  Will have to research this further.  As I observe the yards of my neighbors in the Garden District, I see more of a suburban "Metairie" look being preferred to actual flowering plants, especially those of previous generations...