Vale, carne! Carnival!
Say bye-bye to meat, my pal.
Next forty days, they call it Lent.
I’ll celebrate by getting bent,
And (tho’ I’m Jewish) wish a hearty
Gras to tack on to your Mardi.
My return flight to Atlanta this evening skirted the northern reaches of N’Awlins, this very day of Mardi Gras, and it put me in mind of the ghost of Professor Longhair.
Fess was a local legend, an inspiration to other New Orleans musicians like Allen Toussaint and Mac “Dr. John” Rebennack. Tipitina’s, the old Cajun dance-hall, is heavily festooned with his icon. Three years ago, She Who Must Be Obeyed and I were two-stepping our way around the floor of that hallowed shrine.
Professor Longhair.
Fess’s song “Tipitina” - the inspiration for the dance-hall’s name - is the perfect Mardi Gras music. Take a listen and see if you don’t get a jones on for andouille gumbo, King Cake, and a Sazerac.
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