THE BIG EASY
Without doubt, New Orleans is one of the first cities* one thinks of when considering
music in general... and jazz in particular. Of course, the casinos in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Reno, Atlantic City, and
now Southeastern Connecticut also come to mind as well as the concert venues, stadiums... and of course places such as Branson.
However, these locations are different. They are staged events, which are programmed to operate by computers, that
are expected to operate flawlessly.
New Orleans' music is none of the above. It is raw and live... from Bourbon
Street to the Bayous. That's what I like about this tune. Besides appreciating Mary Chapin Carpenter's talent, I think
that it captures the spontaneous energy of the regional music.
"Saturday Night At The Twist & Shout" was recorded live, in the Super Dome,
in January 1997 during Super Bowl XXXI. And, accompanying Carpenter is the popular Beausoleil.
* Due respect is noted to other great cities of "natural" sounds such as
Nashville (country) Detroit (Motown), and Philadelphia & NYC (Doo-Op on
up). Regarding R'nR, Boston ranks among the top, as well.
Johnny