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Thomas Cole

A world traveller in the past, and now... an obsessive writer and observer of life.

About Me

An acknowledged late-comer, I first arrived in New Orleans in 2015 to visit my daughter who had been transferred to the city for her work. Always fascinated with both living history and relics from the distant past, I had created a career by collecting and selling antique textile art from Asia as well as wandering the Indian subcontinent in search of both antique art as well as photographic opportunities. While there were few if any textiles in Louisiana – sub tropical humidity is always an issue - the visuals were exciting for someone seeking glimpses of how life once was in America, specifically on the banks of the Mississippi, a river laden with lore from yesteryear. Or so I had always imagined as a child immersed in Mark Twain’s tales of adventure.

First impressions upon arriving – this city is different, a cultural backwater, a virtual reliquary or living shrine to a bygone era. Many Asian locales are just that too – where the culture from a distant past persists and remains a vibrant living entity. This was not the modern America I had grown up with and ultimately fled to embark on a life altering overland journey to the mysterious East.

New Orleans, in some way too, presented similar opportunities for adventure and exploration of, what was for me, an equally foreign land. The nuances of culture were apparent. The idea of a vibrantly active community inviting diversity and artistic freedom was, and still is, so different from the pervasive homogeneity evident throughout much of modern America. Visually fascinated by older buildings draped with iron lace throughout the French Quarter, I carefully navigated sagging brick walkways and potholed, uneven streets flanked by often colorful, old wooden houses in varying states of repair and disrepair. Additionally I enjoyed the diversity of the populace – a welcoming lot for the most part with a few assuming a similar demeanor to the street hustlers and scallywags who once appeared before a wide-eyed, resourceful Huckleberry Finn drifting down the river.

And then, the street culture of the long time resident encountered while aimlessly meandering through the various wards or neighborhoods of a place that apparently has yet to decide if it is a big city or a small, rather intimate town. The familiarity of random discourse with strangers was (and is) different than that of most places on this expansive North American continent. Obviously the distinctively exotic street revelry and 2nd line celebrations are more akin to the culture of the Caribbean than any other place I had lived. Realizing how little I really knew and with an appreciation for traditional American music having grown up with Chuck Berry, Elvis, Lloyd Price, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis as constant companions, I felt somewhat prepared for the ensuing education.

Thankfully, it is here I have chanced upon a niche in which I find comfort - recording what I’ve seen while endlessly wandering the city streets as well as paying close attention to all the stories and music I continue to hear.

My Jazz Story

I was first exposed to jazz... in person..... in New Orleans, a town I went to for the first time only nine years ago, fell in love with, bought a house (and sold it again due to the pandemic and more) and continue to visit. But can I not continue to go - my daughter settled down in Louisiana and it is a 2nd home for me. The first jazz record I bought was Ella Fitzgerald performing with Duke Ellington LIVE! A nice introduction, huh?? ... My advice to new listeners - Go with the flow, as that's what the musicians are doing, that's what improv i s all about, right??

My House Concert Story

On my first trip to New Orleans, wandering down the street with my daughter, we were wandering in her neighborhood, stopped outside a club gaily decorated with wall murals and more... stepped inside and who was playing? Kermit Ruffins ! The club... Kermit's Tremé Mother-in-Law Lounge! A pretty great introduction to the city ... and the music with Kermit's impressions of Louis Armstrong, performing the heart of the city with a truly mixed and enthusiastic audience too. Dark with an old world ambiance one seldom encounters in this 21st century, I was hooked!