Carnival and Mardi Gras Music

Posted by  mark

To help you pick some Carnival (or Mardi Gras) music from our catalogue, we’ve compiled the following list…

CDs:
Throwback CD by Kermit Ruffins w/ the Rebirth Brass Band
Vol.5: Carnival CD by Los Hombres Calientes: Irvin Mayfield & Bill Summers
Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen CD by Jon Cleary

SONGS:
These are some of the most Carnival themed tunes:
Kermit Ruffins w/ the Rebirth Brass Band – “All on a Mardi Gras Day” – Throwback
Los Hombres Calientes – “The Mardi Gras Second Line” – Vol 5. Carnival
Jon Cleary & the Absolute Gentlemen – “Zulu Strut” – Pin Your Spin
Los Hombres Calientes – “Mardi Gras Bayou” – Vol. 5 Carnival
Los Hombres Calientes – “Carnival Kongo” – Vol. 5 Carnival
Henry Butler – “Some Iko” – Homeland
Los Hombres Calientes – “ New Second Line” Vol. 3 New Congo Square
Kermit Ruffins – “Do the Fat Tuesday” – The Barbecue Swingers Live
Kermit Ruffins – “It’ Later Than You Think” – Throwback
Irvin Mayfield w/ the N.O. Jazz Orchestra and the Dillard U. Choir
“The Elder Negro Speaks” – Strange Fruit
Dr. Michael White – “King of the Second Line” – Blue Crescent
Los Hombres Calientes – “ Mardi Gras Bayou” & “Carnival de Phunk” -Vol.5 Carnival
Jeremy Davenport – “Mr. New Orleans” – We’ll Dance ‘Til Dawn
Kermit Ruffins – “Didn’t He Ramble” & “Treme Mardi Gras” – Livin’ a Treme Life
Jason Marsalis – “The Upper Second Line” – The Year of the Drummer
Kermit Ruffins – “A Saints Christmas” (This year, Carnival and the Saints more than double the fun!)

Sample and even buy any of our music at http://basinstreetrecords.downloadcentric.net

What a Cool Word!

Posted by  mark
January 28, 1965

I just started this new thing called blogging in my preschool class. In about 40 years I will actually be able to type this on the computer (I’ll explain that later) for everyone around the world to see using the web (I will explain that later too). But for now, let me just say that I just coined a real cool new word. Whodat, or some people may say Who Dat. I expect I will use it when New Orleans is given a football team to say something like “Whodat Say Dey are Gonna Beat Dem ____”, with the blank being whatever the name of the team is. I know it isn’t perfect grammar or even real words, but I don’t know all those words yet. And by the way, I sure hope they name the team the Saints! That’s my first choice. My second choice would be Barracudas. Those are cool too.

New Orleans Saints are Going to the Superbowl

Posted by  mark

Kermit Ruffins was recording “A Saints Christmas” in August, and I read in early September that Peter King of Sports Illustrated picked the Saints to finish 3rd in the NFC South at 7-9. I wrote on my Facebook page “what will Sports Illustrated say when the Saints go 16-0 with an average score of 81-17”. Yes, I was exaggerating the margin of victory, but really knew that this was a special team before the regular season began.
Now that we (and yes, we, as in all New Orleanians wherever we may be) have made it to the Superbowl, I am reflecting on what a fantastic season this has been, and what a road the Saints and our city took to get here. I have watched the footage of Garrett Hartley making the field goal with Jim Henderson’s play call 6 times so far, and each time my eyes tear up and I get chills. Thank you to Tom Benson, Micky Loomis, Sean Payton and the Saints. But thanks go also to all of the previous Saints teams as those helped make this one special.
Football is just a game. But last night’s game, the NFC Championship, was just the most important one in the 300 year history of New Orleans.
Yesterday, I chose to stay home and watch and cheer with my wife and children including 3 month old Conor, who told me the Saints have been this great as far back as he can remember. I sat there in my rebuilt home reflecting on not just this season, but on the previous seasons, and mostly on the past four years. High fives and screaming with the kids on big plays, text messages and phone calls with my college freshman who is away, and holding hands when Hartley made his kick, made this one of the top shared experiences with my family.
I also enjoyed sharing the experience with hundreds or thousands of other people as I tweeted over and over all day and night yesterday, in what was a virtual cheerleading “Chant it when you tweet it: ‘This Is Our Year! #Whodat #Saints.'” and encouraged others to do the same.
Let me hear you: THIS IS OUR YEAR! WHODAT. SAINTS.
2010: A Saints Odyssey.
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p.s.
Check out a wonderful video essay by Wright Thompson that first appeared on ESPN NFL Sunday Countdown entitled “The Soul of New Orleans”. It includes a soundtrack of music performed by Kermit Ruffins.