The Flavor of the French Quarter Festival

Encore: World Footprints Radio continues with its special broadcast from New Orleans during French Quarter Festival 2010. During this hour you’ll get a real flavor for New Orleans. Our first guest, Stevie McKee, Director of the 7th Ward Neighborhood and Faculty Advisor for the Urban Bush Women, will talk about the 7th Ward and Faubourg Treme, an historic neighborhood recently made famous by HBO. Then we’ll be rockin’ with the “Mick Jagger of the Marsh” and zydeco legend, Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. We will also focus on the importance of preserving historical architecture, as we speak to Patty Gay from the New Orleans Preservation Resource Center. Finally, we’ll learn what makes the Big Easy sing with jazz great Jeremy Davenport.

Episode Segments:

World Footprints: The 7th Ward Stevie McKee, Director of the 7th Ward Neighborhood and Faculty Advisor for the Urban Bush Women, talks about her neighborhood, the 7th Ward and Faubourg Treme, an historic neighborhood recently made famous by HBO.
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World Footprints: Rockin’ Dopsie Jr The “Mick Jagger of the Marsh” Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr joins Ian & Tonya to talk about his astonishing career and his legendary style of Zydeco Music.
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World Footprints: Protecting New Orleans Architecture Preserving the architecture of New Orleans is like preserving the city’s soul. Since 1974, the New Orleans Preservation Resource Center has worked to promote the preservation, restoration and revitalization of New Orleans. Patty Gay from the New Orleans Preservation Resource Center talks about some of their current efforts.
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World Footprints: Jazz Musician Jeremy Davenport For nearly a decade, Jeremy Davenport has been a vital part of the New Orleans Jazz Scene. He joins Ian and Tonya to talk about his music, his career and his love of New Orleans.
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Links to Related Websites:

French Quarter Festival Inc. Learn more about the French Quarter Festival & other upcoming events in New Orleans.

Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Rockin' Dopsie Jr. Rockin' Dopsie (pronounced Doop-see), Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters are the greatest living practitioners of the genre. Dopsie, Jr. presents Zydeco with the conviction and authenticity of its rich heritage. His earliest musical memories are of his father's accordion playing. Dopsie, Jr. was given a basic accordion by his father at the age of nine. He taught himself to play, as had his father, by listening to and playing along with the radio. Click Here for Rockin's Website

Jeremy Davenport For nearly a decade, Jeremy Davenport has been a vital part of the New Orleans music scene. With his original lyrics and music, Jeremy infuses his unique style and mood of storytelling creating not only a modern edge, but also the distinct feeling of a lifestyle reminiscent of a time when Jazz was at its peak of popularity. He is known for his vocal and trumpet playing skills, as well as being a born entertainer. Davenport’s showing has tempted such performers as Sting, Paul McCartney, Harry Connick, Jr. and Diana Krall. Jeremy Davenport was born in St. Louis, Missouri into a family of musicians. His mother has been a music educator for nearly 50 years and his father recently retired, after 40 years, from the St. Louis Symphony. From a young age Jeremy studied and played with members and guests of the St. Louis Symphony, which included an early introduction to Jazz great, Wynton Marsalis. Upon finishing high school, Jeremy was accepted to the acclaimed Manhattan School of Music, under the direction of Raymond Mase. He continued to develop a friendship with Marsalis and it was at this time that Wynton introduced Davenport to Harry Connick, Jr. Together they persuaded Jeremy to move to New Orleans. He enrolled at the University of New Orleans and began training under the patriarch of the Marsalis family, Ellis Marsalis – music educator and jazz pianist. Jeremy went on to play with Harry Connick, Jr.’s Big Band for 6 years touring around the world. In 1996, Jeremy released his first album, self-titled “Jeremy Davenport” (Telarc, followed by “Maybe In a Dream” (Telarc) in 1998 and “Live at the Bistro” (AAM) in 2005. He was featured on the soundtrack to the Luke Perry film “Life Breath”, on the “RCA Victor” compilation, “The Only Jazz Album You’ll Ever Need”. He has been featured in GQ Magazine, People Magazine, Cosmo; and has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the David Letterman Show. Jeremy Davenport can be found every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at The Davenport Lounge in the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans. He recently released an album titled, “We’ll Dance ‘Til Dawn” (Basin Street Records). Click here to visit Jeremy's website