So here's my first report from this years Mardis Gras. The first nights parade, Morpheus, was a horror show as it was rained out and then rescheduled to roll after the next nights parades. That meant that there we 4, count 'em 4, whole parades that lined up at 6pm.
To accomodate our commitments to both Krewes, the Panorama band broke into two 6 member band, with your truly on a borrowed tuba. We didn't get to the parade end until nearly 1 am, and the last parade rolled in much later. Absolute chaos reigned, which was ironic as the Krewe of Chaos actually canceled their parade, wussies....
It was night time and a camera was out of the question, which is fine as the Morpheus folks were a supreme let down. Last year, Morpheus had the kickingess floats and best throws and had me wishing we were rolling with them rather than just watching them go by. But this year we rolled just behind the "King" who couldn't be bothered to toss the band a throw, so we had to contend ourselves with Krewe D'Etat throws from the previous roll. The floats were mighty weak, the throws kinda lame and the Krewe members less than neighborly, but that's just one tuba players opinion and as usual he could be completely full of shit.
The next morning brought on a much more happening Carnival experience with my 3rd time rolling with the Krewe of Tucks. Its the whole 12 piece brass orchestra this time and these musicians are among the finest I've ever worked with.
Here's some candid shots from the parade:
A pre-roll jam out, on an Ornette Coleman composition I believe...
The view from behind float #21. Nice folks these Tucks.
The very welcome trumpet of 1st time Carnival marcher Ben Holmes of Brooklyn NY.
Fat man got him a new hat.
The band really wishes he put down the damn tambourine though....
Band leader Ben Schenk and the mid-horn section: yours truly and Don Godwin on tenor, Patty Farrel on alto.
Ben is a characteristically uplifting pose.
Tucks float #22 right behind us broke down and slowed the whole thing down a bit, and the local paper had a moment by moment coverage of that very float.
Dig it here.
Tomorrow we roll Babylon in the AM and then Box of Wine Marching Club around 4pm-sh. It's a technical impossibility to play bothy, but we plan on bending time and space to do so. In a first for me, I'll be marching Mardi Gras with my mighty Vega tenor banjo that Vinnie Mondello made for me. More reports then.
Happy Mardi Gras, y'all!!
"Jazz Hipster | Pinto | Cockroach Poet | Human Rights Activist | Xicanindio | Elder" that and much much more was Raul Salinas, sadly now departed. I'd add "street fightin' Tzadik" and "lover of the printed word" to that myself.
