A Trip to New Orleans Four Years After Katrina

A Memorable Moments contributer remembers two trips to New Orleans - one before Katrina 

and one four years later. 

"I wasn't exactly sure what to expect on this 2009 trip to New Orleans. 

Four years had past since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city forcing so 

many to leave the town they loved and the rest with the monumental task 

of rebuilding it to its former glory. 

The first impact I had wasn't the viewing of destroyed buildings or streets lined with empty homes. It wasn't as big as that. It was the recalling of a great experience I had on a trip to New Orleans years before the name Katrina meant anything to anyone. 

It was this small jazz club my friends and I discovered. I'm pretty sure someone had tipped us off. It was very off the beaten path, but we were told, it was where all the locals went. I believe the name was "Donna's." 

"Donna's" wasn't a jazz club. It was like a gathering of friends. A small nondescript room that reminded me of a church basement. There was food... not off a fancy menu... but presented in foil trays. The band played. Regulars in the crowd were invited to come up and join in. These friends had clearly gathered often, but the energy made it seem like they hadn't seen eachother in years. 

So now in 2009 in a cab from the airport, I asked the driver, "Do you know where Donna's is?" 

He knew the place I spoke up but had bad news. "Oh Donna's? We lost that to Katrina." 

I sat in silence remembering all of the people singing and dancing... drinking and breaking bread together... and I was saddened for their loss. How many nights of great music and celebration were now lost. 

After checking in to my hotel, I decided to walk up and down Bourbon Street. Bourbon Street is not exactly my scene. Loud clubs. Frozen drinks served out of machines. A great spectacle, but not my idea of a good time. 

And as I walked past club after club.... one loud thumping song blending into the next... all of a sudden a different sound started to break out. It was a trombone. And then a banjo. And then a trumpet. And then I saw the sign... "Fritzel's Jazz Bar"... since 1969. 

The club was a little more "official" then Donna's but the energy was exactly the same. 

The musicians beamed with pride as they blasted the notes. The crowd was cramped as they stomped and clapped along.... but we wouldn't have wanted it any other way. We were experiencing this together. An older woman all of sudden got up, opened an umbrella and performed a dance for everyone. 

I sat back and enjoyed the music for hours. I thought back to Donna's and again mourned its loss... but at the same time celebrated its memory and the discovery of a new friend. 

If there is anyone out there who doubts the return of New Orleans... or wonder how a people can find the strength to come back from such disaster... you should spend an evening at Fritzel's Jazz Club. The music and energy will fill you with such joy, you'll understand what makes this town tick. 

Here are some images AND sounds from that great night in a small jazz club on Bourbon Street...