CARNIVAL KNOWLEDGE: NEW ORLEANS, SOUTH OF FRANCE AND CONEY ISLAND
For our annual pre-Lenten bacchanal, we bring you classic Mardi Gras songs from the Crescent City and beyond. We begin by revisiting our classic interview with Bo Dollis, the recently passed Big Chief of the Wild Magnolias. Then we travel to Nice, France – grand city on the Cote d’Azure – for a float parade that parodies American fast food assembly lines and French political scandals as stinky as local cheese; From there, on to the vintners village of Limoux, where free glasses of blanchette are never empty. We end our journey in Coney Island NY, where we hear of carnivalesque revelry at America’s great amusement park by the sea and walk with the fishes in the Mermaid Parade.
HOUR ONE
Open Bed: Seven-Ay Pocky Way Jason Marsalis
Music in Motion, Basin Street
Go to the Mardi Gras Professor Longhair
Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Mardi Gras
Goin' Back to New Orleans Joe Liggins and the Honeydrippers Creole Kings of New Orleans, Specialty
Carnival Time Al Johnson
Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Mardi Gras
Meet de Boys on de Battle Front The Wild Tchoupitoulas
Wild Tchoupitoulas, Mango
New Suit The Wild Magnolias
Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Mardi Gras
Instrumental: (Somebody Got) Soul, Soul, Soul The Wild Magnolias The Wild Magnolias, Polydor
SEGMENT: Bo Dollis and Quint Davis
Hiko Hiko Donald Harrison
Indian Blues, Candid
Quadrille Figure Six Blinky and the Road Masters
Crucian Scratch Band Music, Rounder
Instrumental: Masquerade George Michael, Fred William, Gustin Louis, Wilkinson Girard Musical Traditions of St. Lucia, West Indies, Folkways
Mardi Gras Coteau
Highly Seasoned Cajun Music, Rounder
SEGMENT: Carnival in Nice and Limoux France
End Bed: Walking Home Donald Harrison and Dr. John Indian Blues, Candid
HOUR TWO
Open Bed: Cyclone Johnny and the Hurricanes
The Best of Johnny and the Hurricanes Vol. 2, Drew's Entertainment
Opening Bed: Love Roller Coaster Ohio Players
Honey, Mercury
Life is a Carnival The Band
The Last Waltz, Rhino
Coney Island (Live) Al Jolson
Live in '35!, Mastercorp Pty Ltd
Coney Island Washboard Swift Jewel Cowboys Western Swing and Country Jazz, JSP
SEGMENT: Philomena Marano
Love Roller Coaster Big Joe Turner
The Definitive Blues Collection, Atlantic
CLIP: Nick on Wonderwheel
Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, EMI
Instrumental: Twelth Street Rag Verne Langdon Circus Clown Calliope! Vols. 1-2, Electric Lemon
SEGMENT: Philomena Marano
Coney Island Steeplechase The Velvet Underground Another View, Verve
My Flying Saucer Billy Bragg and Wilco
Mermaid Ave. Vol II, Nonesuch
SEGMENT: Stan Fox
Carnival Natalie Merchant
Tigerlily, Elektra
Instrumental: Baker's Dozen Mickey Baker
The Wildest Guitar, Sepia Tone
SEGMENT: Ray Valens the barker
Coney Island Baby The Excellents
Forever Doo Wop, Vol. 2, Essential Media
Freak House Blues Carol Lipnik
Cloud Girl, Mermaid Alley
SEGMENT: Little Miss Firefly
SEGMENT: Mermaid Parade, Stanley Fox
Coney Island Barry Sisters
Hebrew National Kosher Classics, RCA
Under the Boardwalk The Drifters
Under the Boardwalk, KRB
End Bed: Coney Island Rag Robert Bruce