The Information Super-Frog

Eating, playing jazz, meeting people, and more eating.

Ms. Hollie & I were taken out to brunch by Bonner's cousin Elizabeth "ET". We, Bonner, Robbie, Little Brian, a couple other cousins, and another New Orleans refugee who E.T. is putting up went to the Bake House. I had the "Carlos' Favorite" omlette in a tortilla; Hollie the chocolate chip pancakes. Then to "Donn's Depot", an old train station that is a bar & music venue, The event was put on the Austin Traditional Jazz Society, featuring Tommy Griffith's New Orleans Jazz Band of Austin, who are quite good. There was a good crowd, mostly older; perhaps the younger music fans were mostly at the Austin City Limits Festival (Bonner offered to scrounge up ACL tickets for us when we got to town, but I said we probably wouldn't be here that long...) The second set they brought up guests. I was one of three trombones (between the band's regular one and a valve trombonist). My lip is rather down from hardly playing in a month and the other two trombonists had more technique than I, but I got a number of compliments. I played more of the old tailgate style than the others, and a couple folks remarked on the Kid Ory influence and one lady in the audinece said I was the best trombonist she'd ever heard at one of these events. There was one other displaced New Orleanian -- clarinetist Ben Schenck! The exclamation point is because he's an old friend and I hadn't known he was in town. He's staying with a guitarist/bass horn player who lives here who played heilicon in his brass band for Carnival. Ben and his wife had been in Baton Rouge, then came here to Austin. His place in New Orleans didn't flood. Until 1997 I lived 5 blocks from his place, and flood maps showed that my old place flooded, so it was good to hear that his didn't.

After chatting with folks after the jam, I drove by Nubian Queen Lola's (someoene said they thought there might be something else going on there this week, but there wasn't), then killed a little time at Highland Mall before it was time for our dinner invitation over at askesis's place. I'd only known Askesis on Usenet and LJ, and took up his offer of food. His directions included describing the destination as "the cool house", which it certainly is, much artistically designed and built by his house mate. Hollie & I enjoyed the hospitality and company of Askesis and his cool housemates and friends over bread dipped in decadent cheese sause, BBQ'ed meat, red wine, and other excellent commestables.

Today, back to "work" taking care of refugee related stuff (plus errands like getting Hollie's glasses fixed), ...then tonight I plan to meet up with Askesis and other internet aquaintances at the Spider House coffee house for an alt.religion.kibology usenet newsgroup get together.