Preservation Hall

New Orleans-the City of Dixieland Bands. Famous for its jazz. One of the most memorable things to do was to go to Preservation Hall. Here for a contribution you could hear the people that really knew jazz.

Pete Fountain and Al Hurt had their places on Bourbon Street and I had heard both of them and visited their places. But it was not the same.

At Preservation you would sit on the floor and hear jazz that reached back through the years. Many nights I visited Preservation Hall. To link to the Preservation Hall Website go here.

My father tells the story that one night one of members of the band who was playing the trumpet died. After he played his trumpet solo, he said "Man, that really takes it out of me" and fell over dead. I often thought that that was a good way to die-doing what you love.

A number of times, I watched Sweet Emma, the old black pianist. She could not see but she sure could play the piano. You could not name a jazz selection that she could not play. She cut a number of records, and her music was sweet. For more on Sweet Emma go to this link.

New Orleans jazz was from the heart. There is not much like it. I guess the blues are a cousin.

Above I have posted a few pictures of Preservation Hall.

My Million Year High School Reunion is coming up. Like most reunions and graduations I will not be able to attend. However, it causes my heart to drift backwards towards the romance that is New Orleans and to old, good friends who were bright with the cutting wonderful edges of expectation that only the "brightest and best" can have when they are young.

HarleyDad