It's New Orleans: Happy Hour

Americana is a genre of music that didn t exist in the UK till Paul Spencer brought it back from the US. Some may argue with this proposition but it s fundamentally true. Paul s a Brit who lived in Los Angeles, worked in the music business, and traveled frequently to New Orleans where he got to know and love Jazz Fest among other indulgences . When he moved back to the UK, Paul started up the Maverick Music Festival, which is kind of like Bonnaroo meets Jazz Fest, over the 4th of July weekend each year. On his current sortie to the US, Paul has been to Meridian Mississippi and comes back with a glowing report of what s going on there that you ll want to go check out for yourself. His tales from Montgomery Alabama are a little more sobering. Arsene DeLay is a member of the Boutte family, one of the royal families of New Orleans music. Her song about a break up is delivered with either extraordinary a passion or b anger. Pick one. If you d like to get in touch with Arsene s grandmother, Mama, it s a little late