Friday and All That Jazz

********************* I forgot to hit publish yesterday, Sorry *********************
Today we are going to do a little bit about the birthplace of Jazz, New Orleans, Louisiana. I don't know how many of you have been to New Orleans before, but I think it is probably America's most unique city.  Even from its early days it was more like a Mediterranean city in it's attitude. While segregation was alive and well in the city, the races mixed more than most other cities and it was not unusual for blacks, whites, and Creoles to live within just a block of each other.

Take a look at the late 1800's into the early 20th century. New Orleans was a melting pot of cultural diversity. You had the the plantation culture, slave culture, creole culture, cajun culture along with the Yugoslavian fishing community, the native American communities, and all the other temporary people from all over the globe working on the many ships that docked in the port. It was a relatively small geographic area housing thousands, with abundant  differences

Most of the South seemingly tried to keep the African American population on the fringes of the city, but New Orleans was a little different. Though it was technically a segregated city, each society had its own  area for music, and local recreation. The African American people had a place, just north of the French Quarter  called Congo Square for their gatherings, music, and other entertainment.  Many of the community were acquainted with or proficient in playing traditional European orchestral music,  Ragtime with was the craze at the time along with spirituals passed down from slavery days, marches, and traditional African rhythms  . I can't even say over time, because a new music genre developed quickly, fusing  all of these into a new sound and rhythm, unique to the music world.

In the late 1800's Buddy Boldon (AKA King Bolden), a coronet player, formed a dance band that played, taking their music to another level with a beat unheard of at the time. And that was the beginning of jass, which went on to become jazz.

Another of the early jazz artists was Jelly Roll Morton. When the music started to spread in the city, the venues for listening were not exactly where members of New Orleans' social elite cared to be seen, but the music aficionados were drawn to the new sound and wanted to hear it. Jelly Roll became a staple at private parties providing them with the jazz they craved. I am not sure they knew the man they hired to provide music for their lavish parties, was the same guy who was the house pianist at one of the brothels in Storyville, the city government sanctioned Red Light District of New Orleans.

And somewhat like the diaspora in ancient times, instead of people, this new music spread through the south into Chicago, Kansas City, New York, and to the west coast, with each region tweaking the sound a bit.

Louis Armstrong is probably the most recognizable name of jazz musicians who hail from New Orleans, but the list is substantial: Ellis Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Jason Marsalis,  Pete Fountain, Louis Prima, King Oliver, Sidney Becht, Professor Longhair, Trombone Shorty, and Jon Batiste (if you watch Stephen Colbert you see Jon regularly) and this is just the tip of the N.O.musical iceberg.

If you happen to be in or are going to New Orleans take a side trip outside of the French Quarter and make sure you plan an evening on Frenchmen Street. It is almost door to door bars and clubs featuring live music, most of it jazz.

For today's tune I chose Louie Armstrong's Basin Street Blues. Basin Street was a street just a block or two west of Congo Park (now Louis Armstrong Park) Though I don't know for sure I imagine this was written reflecting life on that street.

For the recipe today I am including a quick and easy gumbo recipe for the crock pot. Since it does not have a roux I will admit it is not a true and authentic gumbo, but I am living grain free right now and I am not making anything for dinner that I can't eat. Plus this is so darn easy to make! (No stirring for an hour to get the perfect roux)

1/2 lb shrimp , shelled and de-veined
1 boneless chicken thigh, chopped in bite size pieces
1/2 lb  smoked sausage, cut into coins
1/2 lb andouille sausage , cut into coins
1 bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup okra, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil or melted lard
15 ounces diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon file powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
2 cups broth

Put everything but the shrimp, the okra and oil or fat in the crock pot.
In a large skillet add the oil/lard and get it popping hot (lard has a higher smoking point than olive oil) , Toss in the okra and cook it quickly stirring until it quits making a slapping sound. I understand this is not a technical cooking term but it is truly accurate. I suppose you could just add the okra to the crock pot, but cut okra, heat plus liquid equals too much slime for me. Cooking in advance negates the slime. Now you can throw it into the crock pot  Cover and cook on low heat for about 4 hours. At the end of the cooking time turn the heat up to high, add the shrimp and cook until it is done. This will only take a few minutes. Serve over a bowl of rice.

I have this in the crockpot right now and do not have a finished photo. We are not eating it for a couple of days, because like a lot of one pot spicy foods, it improves with age.