New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, 2025 -- April 24, 2025

James Michalopoulos created this beautiful poster for the 2025 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. It shows Tank and the Bangas on the stage. Tarriona "Tank" Ball is the singer.

Mardi Gras 2025 -- March 4, 2025

Omaha Bee, 07-February-1925

Happy Mardi Gras, everyone. One hundred years ago, the Illinois Central Railroad invited people in Omaha to visit New Orleans for the Mardi Gras season.

The excursion train would be parked at the station, near Lee Circle "where all parades pass." Guests could spend each night in their sleeping car.

Attend Mardi Gras at New Orleans, Mobile or Pensacola -- March 3, 2025

Saint Louis Post-Dispatch, 06-February-1925

Take the Louisville and Nashville Railroad from Saint Louis to New Orleans, Mobile or Pensacola for Mardi Gras.

The Streamlined Sunset Limited -- March 2, 2025

Saint Louis Post-Dispatch, 27-April-1952

The Sunset Limited was the premiere passenger train from New Orleans to Los Angeles on the Southern Pacific Railroad's Sunset Route. Southern Pacific operated it from 1894 to 1971. Since 1971, Amtrak has run it.

Two Terror Attacks -- January 4, 2025

CBS News

Early in the morning of January 1st, a man drove a truck into the crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. He killed at least 14 and got out of the truck with a rifle, wounding two police officers before the police killed him. We later learned that he had set some bombs along the street. At first Republicans blamed President Biden's "open border policies," but we soon learned that the attacker was a born and bred Texan. Organizers delayed the Cotton Bowl until the next day. The police thought he had accomplices, but later said they believe he was working alone. He said he was inspired by ISIS.

CBS News

Later in the day, a Tesla Cybertruck exploded in the driveway of the T***p Hotel in Las Vegas. At first, no was sure whether this was terrorism, or just the way that Teslas catch fire and explode. It turned out to be terrorism. The coincidence made people assume that it was coordinated with the attack in New Orleans, but there has been no evidence discovered as I write this. I have seen people suggest that we may see car rammings and car bombs as acts of terror.

New Orleans Joys -- July 10, 2024

Indianapolis Star, 24-July-1924

Gennett Records' offerings included "Perfect Rag" and "New Orleans (Blues) Joys," by Jelly Roll Morton. Morton was a great composer and pianist. His name may have been Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe or LaMenthe or something else. He told many wonderful stories about himself and some were probably true.  He said that he invented jazz.  He didn't, but he had a lot to do with its growth and increasing sophistication.  He spent time in San Francisco, playing in the Barbary Coast, where he owned a club called the Jupiter. He said the cops drove him out of town.  I would like to write a story about that. 

Jelly Roll Morton - Perfect Rag


Jelly " Roll" Morton New Orleans Joys

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, 2024 -- April 25, 2024

Kellie Talbot created this poster for the 2024 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. It shows the Dixie Cups, New Orleans ladies who had a hit with "Chapel of Love" in 1964. During the same session they casually recorded the Mardi Gras song "Iko Iko." 

Canal Street During Mardi Gras -- February 26, 2024

Canal Street During Mardi Gras, New Orleans, La.

New Orleans Mardi Gras -- February 13, 2024

Paducah News-Democrat, 12-February-1924

Happy Mardi Gras, everyone. One hundred years ago, the Illinois Central Railroad invited people in Paducah, Kentucky to visit New Orleans for the Mardi Gras season.

"The Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a pageant of unrivaled beauty and splendor, the result of carefully organized artistic effort that begins many months before the event. There are several days of magnificent parades, brilliant balls and a final day when masked throngs frolic in the streets and give the carnival its cosmopolitan and democratic character."

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and Saint Valentine's Day, so we are celebrating Valentine's Day today. 

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, 1978 -- August 29, 2023

Charest and Brousseau created this beautiful poster for the 1978 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, 2023 -- June 28, 2023

James Michalopoulos created this beautiful poster for the 2023 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

The World's Gayest Frolic, Mardi Gras in New Orleans-- February 21, 2023

Washington Evening Star, 25-January-1923

Happy Mardi Gras, everyone. The Southern Pacific Railroad invited people to take their Sunset Limited to and from New Orleans for Mardi Gras season in 1923.

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, 2022 -- April 29, 2022

Artist Terrance Osborne created this lovely poster for the 2022 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. It features local band leader and musician Jon Batiste. The Festival is scheduled to start today. I hope they make it. 

Sunset Route -- March 29, 2022

San Francisco Examiner, 15-March-1922

The Sunset Limited was the premiere passenger train from New Orleans to Los Angeles on the Southern Pacific Railroad's Sunset Route. Southern Pacific operated it from 1894 to 1971. Since 1971, Amtrak has run it. This 1922 ad notes that passengers can connect with a Southern Pacific steamship from New Orleans to New York.

New Orleans -- Southern Pacific -- January 22, 2022

A Southern Pacific Railroad poster invites people to visit New Orleans.

Join in the Revels of Mardi Gras -- February 16, 2021

Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger, 17-January-1921

Happy Mardi Gras, everyone. The Southern Pacific Railroad invited people to take their Sunset Limited  to and from New Orleans for Mardi Gras season in 1921.

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, 2020 -- March 27, 2020

Artist Scott Guion created this beautiful poster, featuring Dr Jobn, for the 51st anniversary of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 festival has been moved from 23-April - 03-May to the Fall.

The Carnival City -- February 25, 2020

The St Martinsville Weekly Messenger, 17-February-1900

Happy Mardi Gras, everyone. The Southern Pacific Railroad invited people to take their special train  to and from New Orleans for Mardi Gras season in 1900.

What the High Cost of Living is Bringing Us To -- September 27, 2019

New York Evening Tribune, 14-September-1919

This cartoon complains about the high cost of living in New Orleans, which is a common problem after full employment during a war.  "Remember that our barbers have joined the procession of price-boosters."

Canal Street, New Orleans -- August 27, 2019

Canal Street in New Orleans once had four tracks for streetcars, like Market Street in San Francisco. Then Canal Street had none, except for one block used by the Saint Charles Avenue line. Now Canal Street has two tracks for most of its length.