Page 75 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2016

The ride back down the Mississippi by night was magical,
though bittersweet. Luckily, even as we left the “Big Easy”
behind, the vibe continued throughout the cruise.
Terrance Simien could be counted on to throw out tons
of Mardi Gras beads during his performances, getting us in
the mood with his infectious Cajun smile! The family's musical
tradition continued with his lovely daughter, Marcella, who
also performed. Living legend Buckwheat Zydeco showed us
another side of the New Orleans musical legacy by playing the
washboard and accordion.
In addition to performing numerous shows, Tab Benoit hosted
the popular charity bingo to raise money for his foundation,
Voices of the Wetlands. This important environmental project
was featured on the ship’s round-the-clock video programming,
which also live broadcasted select shows on the ship.
Another documentary focused on Hurricane Katrina and
featured the Soul Queen of New Orleans herself, Miss Irma
Thomas. Irma had lost her own club to the floodwaters but
didn’t let that stop her from pushing up her sleeves and helping
others during the crisis. What a far cry from the glamorous Irma
Thomas we saw – a vision in white – presiding over the ship’s
famous Gospel Brunch.
Most poignantly, the trip was Allen Toussaint’s farewell to
New Orleans. Actually, it was one of Mr. Toussaint’s last major
appearances anywhere. We enjoyed a special showcase in
Terrance Simien emanating the NOLA vibe to keep the good times rolling on board
Photo by Ÿ Joseph A. Rosen

radio station WW0Z, where we were greeted with open arms
by our friend, station manager Russell Shelton (we are an official
simulcaster of WW0Z’s broadcast of the New Orleans Jazz
and Heritage Festival). The line was out the door with musical
guests visiting from our cruise. LRBC promoter Roger Nabor was
actually in the booth doing a live interview when we arrived.
We grabbed a quick meal of fried catfish at a cafe across
the street, where we listened to some live jazz and chatted with
one-man-band Randy McQuay from the cruise. We stopped by
the Louisiana Music factory record store to peruse vintage vinyl
and check out Kenny Neal playing live.
We came to realize that everyone had a special connection
to NOLA. For Buddy Guy, New Orleans was where he’d say
goodbye after his two standing-room-only shows onboard the
Blues Cruise; he was headed home to Chicago, a bit further up
the river. For some of the musicians, it was home – one artist
told us he jumped off to do his laundry while in port. Another
band member had to turn down his nephew’s BBQ after eating
so much delicious food on the ms Westerdam.
We headed back to the ship to enjoy the evening’s
entertainment against the backdrop of the lights of New Orleans.
As we partied on deck, Tab Benoit’s family was celebrating a
wedding at nearby condos and they waved to us on ship. Rumor
has it that Tab's mother told the Port Authorities not to shut down
the loud music and kick the boat out this time (the last LRBC ship Allen Toussaint and Irma Thomas reminisce with Bill Wax, founder of the B.B. King's
in port had to leave for making too much noise). Apparently they Bluesville channel on Sirius XM, about the early years in New Orleans
listened to her, and the band played on. Photo by Ÿ Joseph A. Rosen

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