Spencer Williams, Basin Street Blues

Mardi gras is upon us. Always the last day before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, this year it falls on February 16.

I will not be in New Orleans to celebrate this exercise in hedonism, some of which is harmless fun (and some of which isn’t). I lived in New Orleans for many years, and within easy reach of New Orleans for many more, and even so, missing Mardi gras became something of a habit. There was the year when it was bitterly cold, much to the surprise of tourists, and I was lucky enough to have an invitation to the hospitality suites set up in the main hotels by the media companies. It’s nice to watch the craziness on the streets through the window of a warm room with free refreshments.

Normal life in the city shuts down for several days leading up to Mardi gras, and the things I like about New Orleans, primarily its restaurants, become impossible to enjoy. But I give credence to traditions and a million tourists might not be wrong, so don’t let me spoil your fun.

Besides food, one big factor in New Orleans tradition involves jazz. Dixieland developed early in the 20th century from ragtime, gospel, military bands, and blues. The most authentic jazz could be heard at Preservation Hall, which for $1 would treat you to a hard bench to sit on and nothing in the way of refreshments. If you check out that link, notice the second picture from the top, the black-and-white one with Sweet Emma (seated), the Humphrey brothers (clarinet and trumpet), and Big Jim Robinson (trombone). That is the New Orleans I first encountered.

Dixieland, like other forms of jazz, found an enthusiastic audience in Europe, so it’s not too surprising to see something like the Belgrade Dixieland Orchestra.

Basin Street Blues was composed by Spencer Williams (1889-1965), a native of New Orleans, and important figure in early Dixieland. Like many black artists of his time, he spent much of his time in Europe where he found success writing for Josephine Baker and the Folies Bergère.