For ages The Old Absinthe House (A/KA The A-Bar) was THEE venue for live blues in New Orleans, introducing and regularly featuring monstert talent like Bryan Lee, Marva Wright and J. Monque D. Live music was discontinued due to the refusal of the tax authorities to recognize blues as a traditional New Orleans art form like jazz (a ridiculous refusal), and therefore not exempt from hefty local entertainment tax. Pretty sad. Okay, losing money is a genuine problem, but turning this sacred old haunt into a daquiri bar with all the attendant day-glow decorum is just sacriligous. It's really just an insult to the history of the place to go on calling it The Old Absinthe House. Time to change the sign, folks. |
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THIS JUST IN: Louie's New Orleans jazz novel, "The Sound of Building Coffins," will be published in March 2009 by The Toby Press.Please visit Louie's MySpace Page for more info (friend me, baby!) Also, please visit Louie's publisher, The Toby Press.  Click here to see what we have THIS WEEK ON EBAY |
