Wish You Were In New Orleans?
Despite everything that has happened in New Orleans recently, Mardi Gras appears to still be going strong. Having spent four consecutive years a few years back attending the festivities, you understand that being out and about in Mardi Gras is the kind of thing that affects all five of your senses. Unlike San Diego, as mentioned in the previous post, New Orleans may hold the record for the most self referential, New Orleans glorifying songs. Thus, the day won't be complete until you've listened to a never ending loop of the following four songs that is playing everywhere you walk and in every restaurant, bar or place of business you enter:
1. Mardi Gras Mambo
2. Iko Iko
3. They All Ask'd For You
4. Mardi Gras in New Orleans
I sat at a blackjack table at the Harrah's New Orleans one time while they played some sort of "Now That's What I Call Music" hits package. I debated aloud asking the pit boss to switch it over to the Mardi Gras Mambo mix, since the Backstreet Boys weren't really capturing the spirit of the city, but the dealer pleaded with me not to. Evidently if you live and work in the city, the above four songs are pretty much the equivilent of having a never ending car alarm blaring wherever you go. But one day out of the year, they'll be the perfect background music for you Mardi Gras Party. I've put them in my Radio Blog, to the right, along with a few other choices, for your listening pleasure.
Those of you who might want some more diversity in your aural replication of New Orleans would do well to check out Doctors, Professors, Kings & Queens: The Big Ol' Box Of New Orleans. It's a four CD box assembled by Chuck Taggart, who runs the Gumbo Pages, a exhaustive source of New Orleans Culture, Music and Food. For our Mardi Gras party tonight, we're cooking up some of Chuck's recommended recipes from different restaurants and chefs around town, and our musical selections will draw largely from the above box set. So pretty much our evening is in one man's hands, and I really hope he knows what he's doing.
Lastly, I found this unique little live Tom Waits medley in my collection, and decided to post it today in honor of the city and the holiday. It's perfect for this years celebration of Mardi Gras: Booze soaked and raspy, a little somber to start out, but impossible to keep the good times down. Three songs, that all flow together, so get them all as a package deal.
Download MP3s below:
1. Tom Waits - I Wish I Was In New Orleans
2. Tom Waits - When The Saints Go Marching In
3. Tom Waits - Since I Fell For You / New Orleans Reprise
And after this, no Tom Waits for at least a week.
