France, Food, Scooters and More: May 2016

THE BLEND #15: NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & BLUES

The Blend #15: New Orleans Jazz and Blues

Broadcast 25-5-2016

Host: Ira

For: ex-patradio.fr

Listen on Mixcloud HERE.

Perdido Street Blues – Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra – Blues Born in New Orleans

Do You Know What It Means – Louis Armstrong – Legends of New Orleans

The Devil Got Me Blues – Kevin Clark and the Jazz Revelation – Blues Born in New Orleans

Mercy On Me _ Champion Jack Dupree – Blues Born in New Orleans

Wild Man Blues – Johnny Dodds’ Black Bottom Stompers – Blues Born in New Orleans

Of All the Wrongs You Done Me – Pete Fountain – Blues Born in New Orleans

Really the Blues – Tom Ladnier and His Orchestra – Blues Born in New Orleans

Buddy Bolden Blues – Baby Dodds Trio – Blues Born in New Orleans

Up In Sydney’s Flat – Bunk Johnson/Sydney Bechet Orchestra – Blues Born in New Orleans

That’s Enough of that Stuff – Marcia Ball – Tipitina and Friends

Every Day Is Not the Same – Carol Fran and Clarence Holliman – Tipitina and Friends

I Hear You Knockin’ – Smiley Lewis p- Tipitina and Friends

Iko Iko – Dr. John – Tipitina and Friends

Red Beans – Professor Longhair – Tipitina and Friends

They All Asked for You – The Meters – Tipitina and Friends

One Night – Smiley Lewis – Tipitina and Friends

I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More) Barbara George – Tipitina and Friends

Ooh Poo Pah Doo, Pt. 1 – Jessie Hill – Tipitina and Friends

Coconut Milk – Bo Dollis and Wild Magnolias – Tipitina and friends

Come On, Pt. 1 – Earl King – Tipitina and Friends

Lawdy Miss Clawdy – James Booker – Tipitina and Friends

Sing It – Irma Thomas, Marcia Ball, and Tracy Nelson – Legends of New Orleans

St. Louis Blues – Preservation Hall Jazz Band – Legends of New Orleans

On a Night Like This – Buckwheat Zydeco – Legends of New Orleans

Me and the Devil Blues – Eric Gale – Hellhound On My Trail

Trouble in Mind – Jimmy Witherspoon – Ain’t Nobody’s Business

Just a Closer Walk with Thee – Allen Toussaint – The Bright Mississippi

Amazing Grace – The Neville Brothers – Legends of New Orleans

I Was Healed by the Wound in His Side – Sister Gertrude Morgan – Let’s Make a Record

Basin Street Blues – Sydney Bechet – The Best of Sydney Bechet

Burgundy Street Blues – Dr. Michael White – A Song for George Lewis

LE FAITOUT, BERLOU - RESTAURANT REVIEW

Beautiful setting. Good friends. Agreeable service. Tasty food. End of review.

That's never the case, is it? You deserve more.

Berlou is a small village in the hills well north of Beziers. You just find the village, park, and there's Le Faitout, an old stone building on the Rieuberlou, a fast-flowing stream that eventually finds its way to the Orb. We chose to eat outside on a mild spring day so we can't report on the interior amenities. No need. Beautiful day. Beautiful views.

Five of six in our party chose the special of the day. We began with an amusee, a puree of anchovies and tomato. The start consisted of a ring of mackerel salad with a bit of fresh minced radish arranged on top. A small duck breast followed, covered with honeyed onions and sitting on olive oil-infused mashed potatoes. All courses arrived with edible flowers. Our host ordered the trout, presented to him whole before cooking for his approval. I was the only one in the party to try the dessert - vanilla-bean panna cotta with strawberries. (The sacrifices that we make for our art.) Coffee came with a frozen chocolate confection. During the meal, the six of us finished off two bottles of suitable pink from the local cave cooperatif.

All was prepared properly, served properly, and properly priced. A most pleasant meal. I can't be more exact about pricing. I was a guest and didn't ask. But the menu listed combinations for the menu du jour - starter and main, main and dessert, or all three - starting at 16 euros. Tasting menus ranged up to 52 euros for five courses.

Visit Le Faitout. Beautiful setting. Agreeable service. Tasty food. End of review.

Read more of my reviews HERE.

FLASH: TRUMP TO MARRY LE PEN

In a surprise move, at least to his current and third wife Melania, Donald Trump used the occasion of a political rally in Reno to announce that he was divorcing Melania and planned to marry Marine Le Pen, President of France's ultra-conservative political party, the National Front. Once Trump's divorce comes through, the way for the intercontinental union should be clear. Le Pen has divorced her previous two husbands and her current arrangement involves a 'domestic partner'...very French...and very Trump.

When asked why he was making this move at such a critical juncture in his campaign, Trump claimed that the idea was actually spawned by policy considerations...his concerns about immigration.

"My plan is to dig a ditch between Europe and the United States to prevent Syrian refugees from entering the country illegally," Trump declared. "By the same token, we'll be keeping cheap Mexican labor out of Europe." When it was pointed out that there was already an ocean between the two continents, Trump became incensed. "I'm a very smart person," he said. "I've heard of the Atlantic Ocean. Did it stop the British or the French from invading North America, the Spanish from taking over Mexico, or the Incas from controlling South America? We need a moat. Marine will work on it from her side and together we'll get the Mexicans AND the Syrians to pay for it."

When contacted for this article, Le Pen denied ever having agreed to marry Trump. "You can't buy a decent piece of meat in France," she said. "I called Trump because I heard that he had trouble selling his steaks and I thought that I could work out a deal. Marry him? Don't be silly. I'm French. I care about hair."

THE BLEND #13 PLAYLIST: SHOWER SINGING AND FAVORITE RIFFS

The Blend #13: Shower Singing and Favorite Riffs

Broadcast 15-5-2016

Host: Ira

Engineer: Wayne Allen

For: ex-patradio.fr

Listen on Mixcloud HERE.

Midnight Rider – The Allman Brothers – Beginnings

Don’t Do It – The Band – The Best of the Band

Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn – Marc Cohn

Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7

Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan – The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7

Just Like a Woman – Bob Dylan et al – The Concert for Bangladesh

Here Comes the Sun – George Harrison – The Concert for Bangladesh

4 + 20 – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà vu

Angel from Montgomery – Bonnie Raitt and John Prine – Collection

Friend of the Devil – Lyle Lovett - Deadicated

Rock & Roll Doctor – Little Feat – Feats Don’t Fail Me Now

Cinnamon Girl – Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Decade

Don’t Let It Bring You Down – Neil Young – After the Gold Rush

Will You Love Me Tomorrow? – Carole King – Tapestry

River – James Taylor – Internet Bootleg

You Can Close Your Eyes – James Taylor – The Essential James Taylor

The Frozen Man – James Taylor – New Moon Shine

Sweet Baby James – James Taylor – The Essential James Taylor

Don’t Take Me Alive – Steely Dan – Citizen Steely Dan

Pretzel Logic – Steely Dan – Citizen Steely Dan

Gaucho – Steely Dan – Citizen Steely Dan

For Emily, Whenever I Find Her – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential…

The 59^th Street Bridge Song – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential…

The Boxer – Simon & Garfunkel – The Essential…

Waiting for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago – ZZ Top – Tres Hombres

Rocky Mountain Way – Joe Walsh – Look What I Did!: The Joe Walsh Collection

We’re Going Wrong – Cream – Royal Albert Hall (May 2005)

DEMOCRATS CHANGE NOMINATION RULES

My sources confirm that the national Democratic Party has taken to heart the criticisms concerning Party rules leveled by Sanders and his supporters. In a surprise move, DNC Chair Deb Wasserman Schultz has resigned. Her place will be taken by former University of Mississippi activist Melissa Click. Click immediately announced that the current nomination process has been scrapped.

Clinton's lead of approximately 300 pledged delegates, her amassing of over 2.5 million more primary votes than Sanders will no longer matter. Instead, a new regimen will be put into place. The nominee will be decided by an internet poll conducted on the first night of the Party's convention in Philadelphia exclusively among users of Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, and Snapchat. In case of a tie, the prospective nominee whose supporters use the most capital letters in their responses to survey questions will be judged the winner.

"It's about MODERN DEMOCRACY," said Sanders supporter Persephone Rainbow. "I mean, REALLY. If you don't understand MODERN MEANS OF COMMUNICATION, you DON'T DESERVE to be nominated. #BernieOrBust."

Clinton supporter Eleanor Bluehair saw things differently. "They are disenfranchising Myspace voters. Doesn't loyalty and tradition stand for anything anymore?"

Sanders released a statement saying that he would agree with the decision as long as it resulted in a victory for his campaign. If he lost, he reserved the right to change his mind. Clinton's campaign was too busy buying every available share of Twitter stock to comment.