Irvin Mayfield performing at the French Quarter Jazz Festival in New Orleans on April 10, 2010 - Photo by: Norm Johnstone
I had a terrific time in New Orleans this year at the French Quarter Jazz Festival. The festival ran from April 9 – April 11, 2010. Some of the groups and musicians that I saw perform were: Leroy Jones and New Orleans Finest, Irvin Mayfield, Leon Kid Chocolate Brown, Lucien Barbarin, Pete Fountain, Magnolia Brass Band, Liberty Hall Stompers, Storyville Stompers (which included the great trombonist Craig Klein who performs with Harry Connick Jr.), Anais St. John & the Harry Mayronne Trio, Doreen Ketchens, and numerous others.
The French Quarter Jazz Festival is a great festival to check out as there are so many different groups to see and hear, as well as the very scenic Jackson Square, where the big-stage is.
The photo in this post is of the great, “Irvin Mayfield,” who I had the opportunity of meeting at his new club, “Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse,” which is located in the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street. When I spoke to Irving at the club, I told him how much I enjoyed his rendition of one of my favourite ballads, “My One And Only Love,” from the album, “Love Songs, Ballads and Standards,” and he said, “Well you can’t go wrong with Ellis (Marsalis).”
Click on the image of Irvin Mayfield to see the gallery.
Vocalist performing in the show, "Rock A Doo Wop," at Busch Gardens, Tampa, Florida
While on my trip to Orlando, Florida I went to a few of the different theme parks in and around Orlando. On March 21, 2010, I went to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida and really enjoyed this theme park. I had never been to Busch Gardens before and highly recommend checking it out. There is a lot to see and do there and there is a train called, Serengeti Express, that travels throughout the park that you can take a ride on and get off at the different stops to venture out and then get back on the train and continue your adventure.
There were a couple of shows that I went to called, “Rock A Doo Wop,” which is held in the Marrakesh Theatre (an outside theatre underneath a huge tent), and “Katonga” – Musical tales from the jungle, which is held in the Moroccan Palace Theatre (great air-conditioning to cool off in).
“Rock A Doo Wop,” features six singers backed up by a four-piece group and features music of the 50s and 60s. This show was very high-energy and totally worth checking out. The photo on this blog-post is of one of the vocalists in “Rock A Doo Wop.”
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