Author: Emily Gautreaux

2021 Brought New Orleans’ Jazz Fest to the Airwaves Again

Thanks to one Crescent City radio station, the annual New Orleans Jazz Festival might have looked different and sounded familiar, as per a Nola.com feature.

The appropriately-titled event, “Jazz Festing in Place” was an 8-day broadcast organized and distributed by WWOZ 90.7 FM, the community radio station operating out of the historic French Quarter district. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Station took it upon themselves to broadcast infamous, archival Jazz Fest performances from years past. The station broadcasted these memorable performances from 11 am-7 pm over the 8 days of April 23-26 and April 30-May 3, which was to be the originally scheduled days (and hours) of Jazz Fest.

Throughout both late April weekends, the New Orleans station played notorious festival sets from legendary headliners like Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Trombone Shorty, Dr. John, The Radiators, The Neville Brothers,Irma Thomas, and Allen Toussaint. The broadcast’s first weekend featured recorded performances from the first-ever New Orleans Jazz Festival as the infamous Mahalia Jackson and The Meters graced the airwaves. Also from the inaugural, 1970 Jazz Fest was April 30th’s broadcasted recording of Duke Ellington and New Orleans trumpeter Al Hirt from their concert at the Municipal Auditorium.

Last year, New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell inevitably announced Jazz Fest’s cancelation as a result of Louisiana’s mandated stay-at-home measures. Originally, the festival was postponed to the Fall of 2020 after Louisiana’s initial outbreak, but soon afterward, on April 14th, Mayor Cantrell announced that the city would not host any large events for the remainder of 2020. After this decision, plans were put forth to guarantee some time of Jazz Fest would occur in 2021, and WWOZ brought those plans to life.

Though it was “virtual,” the scheduling of this year’s Jazz Fest mirrored its traditional habit of saving its” heavy-hitters” for the second weekend with listeners being treated to the 1992 Carole King performance in which she brought out Guns ‘N Roses’ Slash as a surprise guest. And at end of the final Sunday of “Jazz Festing in Place,” tradition was upheld with a 2003 show from the Neville Brothers, who have a history of closing out Jazz Fest on the sunset-laden Sunday afternoon of the festival.

One of the highlights of the broadcasted event was the broadcasting of the historic Allman Brothers Band performance on the Acura Stage in 2010. The performance was heralded as a two-hour powerhouse of energy, and though only a thirty-minute excerpt of the show played on WWOZ, the complete archival recording is available for purchase at munck-music.com. The company, which sells official bootlegs of classic Jazz Fest performances, had provided several recordings used for many of the “Jazz Festing in Place” broadcasts this year.

Nola.com Staff writer Keith Spera wrote a descriptive, moment-to-moment testament to the historic Allman Brothers Band on August 25, 2010 performance by successfully recapturing the atmosphere of both the energetic audience and the packed stage that afternoon, just as the airwaves did by replaying the performance for those dancing along at home.

One specific moment from the performance, as retold by Spears via Nola.com reads, “At the outset of “Whipping Post,” Allman shed his sunglasses. The setting sun burned right into his face and eyes — the better to appreciate the song’s anguish. In “No One to Run With,” his percolating organ bumps belied the melancholy of the lyrics. He stepped out front with an acoustic guitar for “Melissa:” Behind him, Haynes carved out a solo as sharp as cut glass.”

It was the hope of WWOZ 90.7 to recapture the magic of those performances, like the Allman Brothers Band, that has been lost to time, and thanks to the available archives, thousands were able to relisten to classic “had-to-be-there” live music in a year where that’s been too far and few.

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Countries Americans Love for Extended Vacations or Moves

After the challenges of 2020, many are looking abroad for extended vacations, and with this perfectly prescribed list of international countries for Americans to visit from Travel + Leisure, foreign travel never felt so familiar. As always, anyone interested in traveling should check local travel restrictions and safety guidelines of both their departure city as well as any locations they’re visiting.

There are approximately nine million former Americans, also called expatriates, living abroad, according to the State Department, and that number is ever-growing larger. So whether you’re looking to pack up and completely relocate, spend a summer across the ocean for an extended vacation, or choose the perfect destination in which to spend your retirement, this curated list straight is the perfect resource. After all, there’s no better source for which countries are the best for Americans to visit than former United States citizens who traded one nationality for another!

New Zealand

The immediate draw of an extended vacation in the Australian-adjacent nation of New Zealand might be the encompassing sense of “home” that Americans immediately feel once stepping foot on the expansive landscapes that the island country greets you with. The entire country is made up of two main, larger landmasses as well as over 700 smaller islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, but despite the “spaced-out” geography, many American expats find themselves drawn to the capital city of Wellington, the cultured hub of Auckland, or the picturesque Hawke’s Bay; no matter the New Zealand metropolis you find yourself in, there’s plenty to be drawn to. The northern and southern islands are only a ferry ride away, allowing for residents to spend their first few months surveying the mountain ranges, beach villages, naturally-occurring hot springs, and mesmerizing waterfalls that make New Zealand one of the most-traveled destinations.

When visiting, no matter the length of your stay, budget some time to pay respect to the island’s indigenous community, the Māori, who came to New Zealand over 1000 years ago from their mythical Polynesian homeland of Hawaiki. Approximately one in every seven of New Zealand citizens identify as Māori, and from the architecture to the cuisine, Māori tradition and influence are ingrained in the cultural fabric across the country, so make it a point to watch an authentic weaving or carving demonstration by a Māori tribesman, take an island tour to learn about locations of tangata whenua legend, or pay respects by visiting a manrae, or the complex of carved-houses that serve as a focal point of the indigenous community.

Sweden

Americans traveling abroad for extended vacations in Europe typically find themselves thinking they’ve visited the future once they’re exploring the highly efficient nation of Sweden. The Scandinavian nation that is made up of thousands of coastal islands is found in northern Europe, between Norway and Finland, and it’s the capital city of Stockholm is truly a sight to behold and experience. It’s difficult to not immediately fall in love with the pure, colorful magic that’s to be found in the skies of the Swedish Lapland, because whether you find yourself outside in the Arctic Winter gazing at the unimaginable glory that is the Northern Lights or the illuminating presence of the Midnight Sun in the mighty north, you’ll quickly understand that pictures do justly depict the beauty.

Sweden’s capital, Stockholm, is known as being one of the most welcoming cities on the planet, as is a world-renowned city of tolerance, inclusivity, and forward-thinking. Even more so, it’s generally a breeze to even traverse the city that’s oft-named the “Venice of the North,” since its public transportation system has been awarded for its regulated order and refined elegance. Outside of the capital, you’re sure to find a place to call home in the sweeping cities of Umeå and Kiruna, as they not only reside beside the most reflective waterways or beneath the transcendent hillsides, but they house some of the finest innovations in modern cuisine that is to be found in the Northern Hemisphere.

Try out either of these wonderful countries on your next, safe foray beyond the borders of the United States, or look into the full list of suggested locals from American expats for even more countries to fall in love with.

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Tulane Expanding its Translational Science Institute

Tulane University’s Translational Science Institute is set to expand significantly thanks to a major investment from the school, according to a recent press release.

The University’s Translational Science Institute (TUTSI) was initially established in 2016 as a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) that was focused on the training and development of scientists devoted to clinical research that was specifically aimed at helping patients who suffer from high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and other related conditions. When created, the COBRE was funded by the National Institutes of Health, but thanks to the latest efforts by Tulane University, TUTSI will expand its impact tenfold.

Tulane University is committed to investing $5.7 million to expand its Translational Science Institute into a “university-wide center” that will be focused on finding more effective ways of diagnosing, treating, and preventing a multitude of diseases. In addition to this central aim, they also plan to focus on translating any scientific discoveries made into actual medical practices that will improve both public health and the overall care of patients.

Tulane University President Michael Fitts said of the initiative, “the goal is to expand research across the university and increase the impact of scientific discoveries on the well-being of individual patients and society as a whole. This investment will help Tulane grow in its role as a national powerhouse of clinical and translational research. Better equipping and serving the needs of the university’s research community will translate into better medicines, diagnosis, treatment, and care for patients. This past year has underscored the need for such investment like never before.”

The funding will allow the institute to offer new training programs for clinical research coordinators, new graduate degree programs aimed to develop the next generation of clinical investigators, and a shared research “biobank” freezer farm so that various researchers from across multiple studies and institutions can use various samples stored and preserved by TUTSI. In addition to the new offerings, the investment will also improve infrastructure to support large-scale patient recruitment for clinical trials, data analysis, and the design of research studies.

Speaking on the need for infrastructure improvements, Tulane senior vice president for academic affairs Robin Forman stated, “We have to grow our research infrastructure to keep up with the extraordinary growth in the research activity and ambition of our faculty. This added support for translational and clinical research will help energize all of our health-related research by making more seamless the transition from basic research to translational research to clinical research to improved clinical care.”

Dr. Jiang He, Joseph S. Copes MD Chair and Professor of Epidemiology at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine will lead the Translational Science Institute as its director, and Dr. Lee Hamm, Senior Vice President and Dean of the Tulane University School of Medicine will be serving as Dr. He’s co-director.

After the investment goes into effect, TUTSI will include researchers from multiple schools at Tulane, including the School of Medicine, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, School of Science and Engineering, and School of Social Work.

These researchers from the school will primarily focus on three areas of research: clinical research, translational research, and implementation research. Clinical research can include the administration and analysis of clinical trials for new drugs, surgical advances, or medical devices. Translational research is often referred to as the rewriting or translating of basic scientific findings “from bench to bedside” or into layman’s terms, so that patient health can be improved and understood by those outside the field. Implementation research focuses on integrating evidence-based practices, interventions, and other policies into existing, routine health care and disease-prevention measures.

TUTSI director Dr. Jiang He shared his vision of the initiative’s impact by saying, “the new and enhanced TUTSI core services that we will offer should go a long way in fostering this spirit of collaboration here at Tulane.”

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Glazed Bacon Wrapped Date Appetizer Recipe

If you find yourself in need of the perfect appetizer to prepare and bring to a potluck, tapas night, or buffet table, then rest assured that you’ll be impressing whoever grabs a toothpick from your serving dish thanks to this delicious recipe for cider-glazed, bacon-wrapped dates from Smittenkitchen.

The masterstroke of concocting the pitch-perfect appetizer is an art form in and of itself because you want to entice those surveying your initial offering of food for the evening if you’re also preparing the entree that is. Because if that’s the case, then you want to immediately grab their attention and get their mind wandering, thinking about the flavors just around the corner when the oven chimes. Alternatively, if this appetizer is your only dish at a community dinner, then it needs to be substantial enough to not only speak for itself but also be addictingly tasty in such a way that you return from a walk around the room to an empty serving dish.

So, no matter the aim, this dish is perfect, as it blends crispy bacon with a cider glaze that accentuates the hardened, but the not-too-crunchy texture of the meat with the bitter flavor of apple cider vinegar, caramelized sugars, and (of course) the naturally chewy and salty dates. Be prepared to commit this recipe to memory, as the empty serving platter you’re left with will almost assuredly be accompanied by your guests asking “so how do you make the glaze?”

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounces of bacon (thinner strips preferred)
  • 6 ounces of dates (pitted)
  • 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar
  • 1 ½ tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
  • A few pinches of sea salt
  • A few pinches of red pepper flakes

Directions:

  1. Begin by heating your oven to 425°F and divide each strip of bacon into two segments.
  2. Then, wrap one half-strip of bacon around each of your dates and secure them tightly with a toothpick. Line a baking sheet with tin foil (alternatively use a roasting dish), and arrange your bacon-wrapped dates atop it while the oven preheats.
  3. In a small mixing bowl, combine together with your maple syrup (or alternative sweetener), apple cider vinegar, and red pepper flakes with a whisk or spoon.
  4. Next is the glazing of your dates. For this, you can lightly brush each bacon-wrapped date with your glaze, spoon the glaze over each date in the foil-lined tray, or truly cover each date by rolling each piece of bacon-wrapped fruit in the cider glaze until it is completely coated. No matter your method of coating, sprinkle each with flaky sea salt.
  5. After your oven is hot and ready, roast the dates for a minimum of 15 minutes and an excess of 35 minutes. Keep a watchful eye, as the goal is for the outlying bacon to have sizzling, crisp brown coloration. The timing isn’t precise as it depends on your brand of pork product and the general thickness of your strips, which is why thin is ideal.
  6. While it’s roasting and you’re hearing popping and sizzling sounds, be sure to check the dates, as this will be somewhere around the early 15-minute mark, and then return every 5 minutes afterward until the color and crispness of the bacon are perfected.
  7. If you have any extra glaze leftover, you can infuse the caramelized sugar flavor by brushing that excess atop the dates during the second half of their roasting time.
  8. Once they’re brought to your crisp, brown coloration, remove them from the oven, letting them cool slightly. Sprinkle a couple of pinches of additional sea salt and red pepper flakes atop them, and serve them up warm!

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Highest Rated Campgrounds

As summer approaches, it’s the perfect time to pack up your vehicle for a lifetime of memories that can only be found in a proper camping trip, and with this article by TravelPulse, rating the best campgrounds around, it’s never been easier to lace up your most durable footwear and “rough it” out of doors.

In 2021, the outdoor adventuring review website, Campendium, released its list of the 527 National Park Campgrounds, free camping sites, and RV parks that received an average of 4-5 star reviews as a part of its Campers Choice Awards series.

And seeing that summer 2021 has many looking to the great outdoors for that summer vacation, these particular camping experiences are those to make the trip for, as they aim to offer an unforgettable experience, landscape, and scenery.

Best National Park Campground:

Gros Ventre Campground; Jackson, Wyoming

The majesty that is Grand Teton National Park cannot be overstated; the entire park hosts over two hundred miles of trails, extraordinary wildlife, and flawless lakes, so while you’re exploring all that this magical landscape has to offer, there’s no better home base than the Gros Ventre Campground, located in the southeastern section of the park. These grounds are near the Gros Ventre River and provide a perfect vantage point for observing the Grand Teton Range, Blacktail Butte, and the bison and moose often traveling nearby.

Best National Forest Campground:

Nomad View Dispersed Camping; Wall, South Dakota

Located in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland, this dispersed campsite was also featured as one of the Best Free Campsites by Campendium. Nomad View is a small point that beholds a grand scene of the rocky earth landscape known as “The Wall,” which is contrasted with the green grassland above it. Campers love this spot for the striking, singular view it offers its visitors, and honestly, it can only be truly “seen” in person.

Best BLM Camping:

Sacred White Shell Mountain; Mosca, Colorado

BLM, or Bureau of Land Management Camping, is a type of outdoor accommodations that is organized by the United States Bureau of Land Management with sites that range from an RV at a modern-amenities-laden campground to a simple sleeping bag under the night’s sky. Colorado’s Sacred White Shell Mountain has a wide area in which campers can park for the night and see a starscape like never before, and being that it’s all projected above the practically fluorescent Sacred White Shell Mountain, this is one site (or sight) you won’t want to skip.

Best RV Park:

Mountain View Campground; Hiawassee, Georgia

For the fourth year in a row, this southern campground has won the title of the highest-rated campground in the nation, and with its breathtaking backdrop that is the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia, it’s no secret why. Mountain View Campground obviously has an excellent vantage point in which to see the mountains, which are among some of the oldest ranges in the United States, but with full RV hookup, wifi, covered pavilions, warm showers, and a community fire pit, there’s clearly something going very right in Northern Georgia.

 City Park Campground:

Junction City Park; Junction, TX

Located in both Junction and Kerrville, Texas, the Kerrville-Schreiner Park is an impressive accomplishment in terms of scenery that looks almost “too grand for Texas,” a phrase that can be agreed upon by anyone who has had to make the drive through the state’s western expanse. Though, it’s specifically Junction, Texas’s City Park that has residents and tourists alike returning time and time again to the small town. Stop in sometime and take a leisurely stroll down the Llano River and maybe you’ll get lucky and find some fallen pecans from the nearby trees.

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Walker, LA Recently Held its Inaugural Spring Festival

After a particularly harrowing year in terms of live performances, concerts, and large gatherings, the City of Walker, Louisiana is gaining a new celebration with its inaugural Spring Festival that aims to become an annual tradition, according to BRProud.

What’s being called Walker’s first annual Spring Fest consisted of a three-day, family-friendly event on Sidney Hutchinson Park’s 100 acres. It was held on Friday, April 23rd from 5-10 pm, Saturday, April 24th from 12-10 pm, and Sunday, April 25th from 12-7 pm.

The Livingston Parish festival aimed to have families and the general surrounding community come together to experience a truly impressive offering of events, attractions, and culture, all of which were seen as all-too-needed these days, according to the city of Walker’s community outreach coordinator, Sandi McGrew, who said, “it’s the first festival that we’re having. The mayor (Jimmy Watson) really has a vision to bring more people into the park and do more things for the community, especially after everybody’s been at home for the last year.”

McGrew also expressed her hope for this family-orientated event to be seen by the public as a community event to gather around, especially after the trying year endured by the coronavirus pandemic that pushed communities apart from one another. Spring Fest implemented the state of Louisiana’s latest safety guidelines in an effort to not let this first annual festival be its last.

In fact, a recent Advocate Article commented on the inaugural Spring Fest by stating, “ It will be a busy weekend and a sign that residents are ready to get out of their houses. But festival organizers are encouraging safety with masks and social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.”

Outside of providing Livingston parish with a three-day event that they can look forward to, Spring Fest featured live musical performances by Clifton Brown and the Rusty Bucket Band (Friday), the Eddie Smith Band with Floyd Crown and Kenny Cornett (Saturday), and student performances from Overtones Music (Sunday).

In addition to the impressive musical acts, the festival also included nearly a dozen fair rides such as a Ferris Wheel, as well as, local vendors selling their specialties and the notorious staples of “Fair Food” on site. Additionally, both a local farmer’s market and a car show were featured on the festival grounds on Saturday, April 24th, arguably the park’s biggest day.

Outside of its attention-grabbing music lineup and features, the city of Walker had a wholesome, ulterior motive when selecting Sidney Hutchinson Park as the festival’s location. Both McGrew and Mayor Watson wanted the public to see for themselves all of the natural hallmarks available to them, such as the walking trail and various fishing ponds. With this being the inaugural event, it’s a chance to show local residents what can come in the future alongside hefty community support and goodwill. Festival participants got an inside look at Sidney Hutchinson Park’s soon-to-be-completed outdoor exercise equipment and all-inclusive playground. Spring Fest’s admission and musical performances will be free to all who enter, but rides, fair games, concessions, and Saturday’s farmers market were note.

In an effort to keep Louisiana residents informed about live events, safety, and all things music, “97.3 The Dawg” has released a rundown on the 2021 Louisiana Festivals that are still ready to open. Among those listed, such as the NOLA Crawfish Festival, Sunset Herb and Garden Festival, Mid City Bayou Boogaloo, and Kite Fest Louisiane, special attention was paid to announce Spring Festival as Walker’s first, and hopefully, there will be many more to come in the years ahead.

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