Rebirth Brass Band at the Maple Leaf Bar

After watching an agonizing hour of CNN Anderson Cooper breaking down and discussing the C. Ray "Chocolate City" debacle with Rev. Jessie Jackson, some Uncle Tom Northeastern Republican strategist, and a Newsweek editor who is a native of New Orleans --and then about fifteen minutes of yet further "coverage" and opinion of it on a couple of the local channels I made it over to Oak Street and the Maple Leaf. Tuesday night at the Maple Leaf Bar always means one thing: The Rebirth Brass Band. I cannot tell you over the years how many first time visitors to New Orleans I have taken to see Rebirth play at the Maple Leaf during their weekly Tuesday night performance. It simply blows those who have never seen New Orleans brass band music away--time after time, always. Tonight it was me and TBNO contributor (not the real) Al Scramuzza. The crowd at Rebrith performances at the Maple Leaf are always racially mixed, more so than other musical performances at places such as The Leaf--and tonight was no exception. Everyone is simply there having a good time--the rhythm of Rebirth takes over. For the first time since the storm, tons and tons of college students (mostly from Tulane and Loyola) were in the house--and back in New Orleans. "F@*! Katrina, F@*! Katrina" (with an occasional F@*! Katrina, F@*! FEMA) was one of the chants thrown in on one of the lonngggggggggggggggggg jams by Rebirth. One of the guys in the band at one point made reference to the chocolate controversy and said a more accurate description of the future of New Orleans' people should be as a gumbo, rather than chocolate. Here are some pictures . . . .