Krewe du Vieux Carré puts on the most satirical and scatalogical of New Orlean's pre-Mari Gras parades, says photo-journalist Marc PoKempner, whose images © here provide convincing evidence. PoKempner writes: "Our dysfunctional evil-clown-in-chief figured prominently in this years’ Krewe du Vieux parade and the immediately following krewedelusion -- an annual outpouring of satirical, political, scatological and outrageous imagery that can always be counted on to top the charts of the crude, lewd and rude. At once the most topical and most … [Read more...]
Great new jazz photography: Marc PoKempner portfolio from New Orleans
Photos of musicians making music -- visualizations stirred in the photographers by watching sounds manifest -- are exciting, and as different in style as the photographers and musicians themselves. Marc PoKempner 's portfolio from New Orleans of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band with Cuban drummers at the Music Box Village, a non-profit community arts garden, is the first of a series of great new jazz photos I'll post over the next few days. Check back … [Read more...]
Hurray for Treme
"Do Watcha Wanna," the season finale of Treme, had everything I watch the series for: Compelling characters embodied by terrific actors; plausible and suspenseful quick-cutting across and interweaving of plot strands; confident command of realities afflicting post-Katrina/pre-Gulf oil spill New Orleans, and the extraordinary depiction of living, breathing, hugely enjoyable music as a central factor in peoples' lives, whether or not they're professionally involved. … [Read more...]
Tremé, the musical
Lovers of jazz, jazz beyond jazz, jazz before jazz are all watching Treme, right? The HBO series about New Orleans three months after Katrina sets a new standard for celebrating America's roots music where this should happen -- on tv. … [Read more...]