"I want you to know that your band was the highlight of my New Orleans visit!!" "I usually don't listen to Jazz music and I LOVE the DUKES!", "I haven't seen my dad smile so much in years...he is so happy listening to you guys!", "I could listen to you over and over again and never get tired".  "You probably hear it all the time but you guys are great and I had a fantastic evening listening to you!"

These are recent compliments that I have experienced.  My point is not to brag about how " bad-ass"  the band is but to say how much I appreciate a compliment.  To be honest, my favourite compliment is usually from someone in the arts i.e. musician, actor, singer/dancer, composer, producer, agent, manager. Their compliment seems to be more weighted because they probably realize and  appreciate the dedication involved. This does not mean that I just appreciate a peers compliment.   I value each one and look the person in the eye and thank them.   I think this might seem weird to some but I am as sincere as they are!  When I give someone a compliment I am moved to verbalize my feelings.  It is important that they know how they made me feel!

To most folks we are just hangin' out, jazzin and jammin' and having a ball.  Although the smile on your face is enough, a true heart-felt compliment is glorious... especially when you are on vacation.  You don't gotta do nothin' when you are on vacation, so it is a weighted compliment and moves to highest category of compliments.

So...Thank you and thank you to all that compliment.  Keep it up and know that it is appreciated!

AHHH!!  Finally the nice weather is here!  This is perfect weather for a New Orleans visit!  Everyone is as happy as a freshly washed dog!  The buskers are out and revelers are tumbling into the street from club to club.  Remember that you can have a to-go cup and wander anywhere you wanna in New Orleans. This alone makes for an interesting experience!  The DUKES are performing nightly on the Steamboat Natchez and perform for French Quarter Festival, April 11, 3:45-5 and New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, April 26, 6-7PM.  Come fly down, or drive down, to New Orleans!  

The DUKES finished up a fantastic  tour of Florida last week with a quick one-nighter to University of Georgia in Athens. It was wonderful to be out on the road before starting back on the Natchez riverboat for 2014.   The first stop was a two day stint in Naples, Florida and we had the opportunity to hang out at the Naples beach. It was a beautiful day and we decided to build a sandcastle.  We all started in on a replica of the Steamboat Natchez.  We drafted, gathered, projected, and built a masterpiece. Well... picture attached.
This made me think of the things I miss about New Orleans. You know, the things that movies, books and most folks overlook. These are a few of my favourite things.
Family owned local restaurants= R&O, Zydeco, Salvos, Mandina's, Da Wabbit, Cake, Toups, The Joint, and McKenzies Chicken in a box by Dillard University, Tout Sweet, Camelia Grill, K-Pauls, Commanders Palace.
Local bars and Joints= Old Point bar, Chick-e-wa-wa, The Always Lounge, The Columns, Snake and Jakes at 1AM, Cosimos, Dinos for a martini, Pirates Alley, Hotel Weston Lobby, Napoleon House.
Walking tour = ferryboat to Algiers, Magazine Street by Breaux Mart, the Algiers Point levee, Frenchmen Street at 11PM, Audubon Park, The Healing center, kite flying on the FLY.
But...nothing beats the Jazz Sunset cruise on the Mississippi River with New Orleans music ringing, the river breeze, great friends,  a drink in hand,  and southern hospitality!

A large part of a successful performance is being prepared.  As with anything of significance, the quality of preparedness is what keeps you coming back.  I recently ate at a new jamaican restaurant for me that was highly recommended for years but never make the journey to partake.  I realized that I was close to the restaurant a few days ago and my friend had also  raved about it in the past . So, we decided to go in.  I ordered the oxtail and peas and rice.  It was amazing!!  We could taste the passion of preparedness and the quality in every single bite!  I left totally full and content.  Two days later, I was back again for the jerk chicken!  It was equally fantastic.  This is the level of preparedness and compassion that propels the DUKES.  This is why folks love New Orleans music with it's haunting melodies and intoxicating rhythms.  We are well prepared and ready to entertain you!

The DUKES have completed our new tunes for the VOODOO show and are having a blast performing them for our Natchez River Cruise guests!  The tunes are being well received!  We have also added a Dr John medley, Meters medley,  and several traditional jazz  favourites too!  The Natchez will be in dry-dock from January 20- February 16, 2014 as it does annually for repairs, upgrades, and general maintenance.  During the layup the DUKES will be travelling to Florida with a quick one-nighter at University of Georgia in Athens. Check out our itinerary on the website for ticket purchase!  The band is excited to be touring the South in February!  Special thanks to the many guests that cruised with us this last year and joined our mailing list!  

Happy Mardi Gras, y'all!

ENGAGE.

The DUKES were on break discussing why, at times, we encounter a group that is less enthusiastic than our usual audience.  Is it demographics, attention, ignorance, complacency, what is currently trending?  Usually we can “read the crowd” so it is something that can be overcome but it still makes for interesting conversation.

Although improvisational, each DUKES performance is well thought out and great effort is put into how we present a song.  It is not unlike a chef preparing a gourmet meal, a coach selecting the proper play, a conductor studying the score and its subtleties, the director or producer outlining the scene, a choreographer staging the dance.  Get the picture? 

Much effort is involved and the details do not go unnoticed.  We put each tune together with enthusiasm with hopes that the listener will be entertained and appreciative.  It is exciting when the audience engages and experiences these details.  Experiencing the performance on multiple levels and realizing the depth of preparation involved are what makes the song entertaining and interesting.  This is JAZZ.

I was thinking, “Instead of being judgmental, what situations might I disengage?”  Do I participate when asked to “raise your hands in the air and dance like you just don’t care”, or “Everybody SCREAM!”   Do I listen and appreciate the nuances of an Opera, Theatre, or Symphony performance?  Do I engage in sporting events that I normally would have little interest in? Do I try new and exotic foods?  Are there films and books that I would love if I just put forth the effort to engage?  What if I actively participated…for the moment…and tried to experience a glimpse of what makes these of interest?  So, I guess this might be my New Year’s resolution? Engage?

How much effort does it take to engage?  We should all agree that it is just a simple matter of awareness.

As the song goes, "  I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow. They'll learn much more than I'll ever know, and I think to myself...what a wonderful world.  The DUKES have two new babies.  Scott's baby, Rex, at  just a year old and Paul's baby, Sebastion following closely.  It is an exciting time hearing of the adventures of both of them.  They are lucky to have such talented and loving parents and there is constant music in their households.  In New Orleans we see music families grow and prosper and carry on the tradition.  Music is such a vital part of living and even if DUKES' offspring don't aspire to be musicians, the artistic environment that they grow up in will define them.  

Many times we have a guest say, "I am not a musician, but I love the music and can feel it!" or they speak of how music was so important in their home growing up. Music in the schools has been proven to heighten achievement in academic courses and is used to improve concentration and comprehension.  

Music can be enjoyed on many levels and the more you listen the more you appreciate it.  New Orleans musician Craig Klein recently said, "There are two types of music, good and bad, and I like them both!"


 

The Holiday season is upon us in New Orleans. The city re-defines the 'big easy" as guests to the city decrease in numbers.  This is a lovely time to be in the city.  No crowds mean it's easy to book a reservation at your favorite restaurant. There is a very large tree at Jackson Square and Holiday decorations in the quarter and CBD.  Celebration in the Oaks is kicking off and this is the very best time to go.  Algiers Point has the bonfire this weekend.  www.algiersbonfire.com  There is great music, food, and drink and a huge bonfire on the levee overlooking the River and the Cityscape.  It kicks off at 5PM and you can ride the free ferry from the Aquarium landing.  Algiers is a safe, quaint bedroom community across the river from the Quarter. They are lighting a ferry likeness and burnin' it up.  It's huge, you can see it from space...

Happy Holidays!!

THE REAL DEAL!

It is 100+ years since the advent of New Orleans Jazz.  Gone by the wayside are the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, The Rhythm Kings, and later revivalist Firehouse Five, Basin Street Six and The World’s Greatest Jazz Band.   The only Traditional Jazz Bands still steadily performing nightly in New Orleans are the DUKES of Dixieland and Preservation Hall Jazz Band.  There are pop up bands that perform on Frenchmen Street, The Palm Court, the daily cruise on the Riverboat Natchez, and the Bourbon Street clubs Maison Bourbon and Fritzels’ Jazz Club.  What does it take to perpetuate New Orleans traditional jazz these days?  It is a combination of talented musicians and the management involved.

In today’s music marketplace there are many options and immediate access to current and previously recorded music.  Anyone can research and experience new music options.

Bringing New Orleans music to the larger audience and touring takes much preparation and intelligent marketing.  DUKES producer/manager, John Shoup, has dedicated his life to propping up the DUKES.  Without his attention and drive it would have fallen by the wayside as the aforementioned.  What drives John to keep this music alive?  That is a good question.  It certainly isn’t for the money.  “FUN…  Have fun!” is his quote.  People enjoy it when a band is enjoying the music and interacting with the audience.  This is what perpetuates live music.  There is nothing like it!

The DUKES present live music nightly in New Orleans on the Steamboat Natchez to many ecstatic guests that have been looking for New Orleans jazz their entire visit.  They want “the Real Deal”.  Real music performed by real musicians.  It is the preeminent experience to hear the DUKES while floatin’ down the river, right down in New Orleans.  It brings delight to the lucky guests that seek out and experience the DUKES in a live setting.  For the rest, I guess they will just have to keep sorting through the myriad of options, until they click on “the Real Deal!”

The Saints are having a winning season this year and eyes are on the Super Bowl. Coach Payton says that each game is different. Every game has a different approach and the focus is not on past or future games.  Each performance is unique.  

My father asked me recently, "How do you play When the Saints go marching in every night and keep it fresh?" I responded, "The guests have traveled to New Orleans to hear the DUKES on a real steamboat perform Saints.  This is possibly the highlight of their trip.  I want the band to deliver that experience and excede their expectations. That is what memories are made of and is my motivation." 

 

New Orleans' weather is as unpredictable at the city itself! Lately, we have 20+mph wind gusts, low 50's to mid 80's temperatures, rain, fog and sunshine.  All of this in one day!  Our latest DUKES outing was yesterday and we had a photo shoot around the city.  My favorite location was St Louis Cemetery and Marie Laveau's gravesite. It was early in the morning and rainy.  A perfect setting for the shot!  The DUKES are presenting a VOODOO show for 2014 and the cemetery shot was necessary. VOODOO has a negative connetation but is actually a healing experience. The XXX on the gravesite are from early days when Laveau's disciples would sign their name but not know how to read and write.  Current guests to her grave ask favors and sign their XXX.

The new show will present tunes from Skeleton in the Closet and Marie Laveau to remakes of AC/DC, Creedence and Hendrix. The traditonalist needn't worry as we will be putting the DUKES trademark New Orlean's spin on everything.