by ERROL LABORDE
Were it not for Tad Jones, jazz history would be off by 13 months. Jones was the local jazz researcher who made the discovery that Louis Armstrong was wrong about the date he gave for his birth. Armstrong had claimed he was born on July 4, 1900 – certainly a festive date with [...]

By Marica Mackenroth
One of the greatest things about living in New Orleans is the abundance of celebration and events. Residents see each and every event as a chance to celebrate their heritage and come together as people.
This year, the city celebrated Independence Day with true New Orleans grace and style.
Each year, the Riverfront Marketing Group [...]

by Errol Laborde
* July 4th was on a Thursday in 1776 so it would have been a busy day for fishermen who were preparing to bring their catches to the markets in Catholic New Orleans for the next day’s meatless Friday.
*Louisiana’s Spanish governor, Luis de Unzaga, was secretly helping the American cause by arranging for [...]

by Errol Laborde
Since we’re celebrating local quirkiness with our cover story, I hereby designate picturesque vantage points as being a form of quirkiness. Not counting the view from the top of local skyscrapers with their panorama of the river’s curves, here, in ascending order, are my picks of the city’s top five [...]

by ERROL LABORDE
Granted, this is not the most pressing issue facing the legislature, but still alive (though barely) is the proposal to name the Sazerac as the state’s official cocktail. Early in the session the idea ran into flak from mostly upstate lawmakers who saw evil in giving sanction to an alcoholic drink. (Curiously, wine [...]