Old Folks life

Finally getting out of the house, out of the coffeshop and onto the thick chewy mall grass (the Albertan Cows seem to like it's taste). Today was the first day of the Folklife festival. You know I'd don't mind helping tourists out when I'm behind a desk, but having to stroll around with them in the sun and the turf is prehaps a bit trying, and they sometimes get in the way of the entertainment.

First thing I encountered was a Blackfoot Indian tribe doing a demonstration of native dances. They had the full garb on, cool drumming and singing, they finished with a friendship dance and I got right in there holding hands with real Canadians, er..Indians...eh?

Later on I caught a vary traditional New Orleans jazz group led by Dr. Michael White. I'm a bit leery of musicians with doctorates, they tend to be more by the book, than out of the box, but I'll forgive him that. He's not as bad as Wynton Marsalis. The music was good, but very trad, making me want to hear more of an Ellingtonian interpretation, just something more edgy with stops and codas with extensive solo breaks. Lots of old folks with those ugly print stretch pants were taking pictures, crowding the aisles and invading the dance floor. I got up there eventually. Partially because my butt was sore, partly wanting to hear closer and to visually inspect the group. It was a septet (7 members) The banjoist looked perfect, he lost his home and his barber shop to Katrina, they all looked very stately though, occasionally standing up for the real hot blowing, but despite not being really old guys, they were extremely disciplined and played as though they were in Kennedy Center. This is while people in the aforementioned prints, umbrella hats and some other old hippie garb were waltzing Bechet and Lewis all the way home where they'd Been in the Storm so long.

In the meantime, my girlfriend was at Graceland with Bush and the Japanese prime minister. All in all we all had a bit of fun. She had the camera, so thus, no pics from folklife, but go to blogs.chron.com/whitehouse to see some pics of a real once-in a lifetime event or just...some rarified air.