French Quarter Festival was completely cancelled today.  A wise call on the part of the Powers That Be, as it turned out, since it rained unrelentingly all afternoon.

Yesterday, however, was lovely, and the two acts I caught – Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble and Leroy Jones & New Orleans Finest – were just great.  An iced cafe au lait from Cafe Beignet’s new-ish location on Decatur was the perfect compliment to a lovely afternoon.

Later, I sat in the lush courtyard of the Royal Sonesta Hotel, listening to Luther Kent and the Trick Bag Trio perform at the Jazz Playhouse.  As usual, his rendition of “God Bless the Child,” written by Arthur Herzog and Billie Holiday, was well-received by the crowd.   Luther’s powerful voice and ability to connect with an audience continue to amaze me.  But the lyrics to that tune?  They are a puzzle.