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Awesome Young Musicians @ Reserve of Orleans - CDF Conference in Cincinnati - Fish & Grits @ L'il Dizzy

This week in
Crescent City Live

Episode 17 of the Crescent City Live TV Show

The Yisrael Trio (+1) an Awesome Young Jazz Band

Dinner at Reserve of Orleans

 Fish and Grits at L'il Dizzy's

The Children's Defense Fund National Conference in Cincinnati

 
 Episode 17 of the Crescent City Live TV Show

 This episode features Urban League President Marc Morial's reflections on Central City, a segment with Brother Willie Muhammed of the New Orleans Peacekeepers and their Beef Mediation Hotline and a segment about the Silverback Society's logistical approach to the mentoring solution.

This schedule is for Cox cable in New Orleans only,
 but you can click here to view onine antime

Mondays at 7:00AM and 7:00PM on Cox 8
Fridays at 12:30AM and 12:30PM on Cox 76
Fridays at 6:00PM on Cox 99
 

The Children's Defense Fund National Conference in Cincinnati

I want to thank Mary Joseph and all the folk at the local Children's Defense Fund for a life changing experience. At the invitation of Mrs. Joseph, Boo and I spent almost a week (counting the 12 hour bus ride each way) on a trip to Cincinnati with The Children Defense Fund and some others from New Orleans who have concerns about young people. Those of you who are aware of the work I and other men do for boys as the Silverback Society will understand how traveling with such like minded and committed group of people will charge your batteries. You can read more about the conference in our Silverback Society News if you also subscribe to that newsletter (click here to subscribe to it or our other columns).
 


 While in Cincinnati we found our way to the Underground Railroad Museum, a major commitment to preserving the history of the roles of courageous people, the Ohio River and the juxtaposition of Kentucky, a former “slave “ state and Ohio which was a “free” state. In addition to chronicling the specific role of the people and places known as the “underground railroad” it was also a very well done presentation of the history and impact of the slavery business, segregation and the civil right era. Our only problem was that we did not have enough time away from the conference to take it all in. This easily could have been an entire day's experience or more

 


Food was not our focus as we ate on the run between conference sessions, so dining in Cincinnati really wasn't very eventful, not to say that the food we found wasn't good, just not very exciting or soulful in the dining available withing walking distance from the Millennium Hotel, which did have a really nice cafe named "The Bistro on Elm" with a range of tasty and affordable breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings. We really enjoyed a chicken salad and tuna salad combo lunch which we were turned onto by Ken and Betty Johnston (whom we came to know better over cocktails, lunch, dinner and a few glasses of wine) We consider this closer association with these two wonderful people to have been a major perk of our trip. We also shared the privilege of being invited to a small dinner party with Ms. Marian Wright Edelman with others from across the nation to offer insights into solutions for the violence plaguing our young men.

 Fish and Grits at L'il Dizzy's

 As soon as we got off the bus from Cincinnati, I realized that it was breakfast time and "fish and grits" were calling me from down Esplanade Avenue. Boo didn't mind at all my suggestion of breakfast at L'il Dizzy. Needless to say after a whole week without grits, I enjoyed my favorite New Orleans breakfast, grilled catfish, those "just right" grits, eggs scrambled perfectly with a sprinkling of Crystal hot sauce. I just wanted to fill my tummy so I could drive home and catch up on the sleep I missed (never could sleep well sitting, one skill I didn't learn from my PawPaw Gaspard who did it with a flair)
 

 Dinner at Reserve of Orleans
Upon arriving home I discovered that I had come home to "computer blues", as an electrical storm while we were gone had destroyed one of four computers, my internet access and computer network, so yesterday evening after several days of computer troubleshooting, replacing a cable modem, wireless router and two network switches I was ready for and needed some R&R, so we decided to try the new dinner service at Reserve of Orleans.

 

We had anticipated good food as the times we had been there for entertainment had set a high standard for tasty dishes. Those expectations had been furthered at our first Silverback Society board meeting held in their private dining/meeting room last Friday. The board was wowed by the food, and Boo and I were very pleased with our char-grilled oysters, her shrimp plate and my rib eye steak which was on special last night. The shrimp were large, tender and tasty with a light batter that accentuated the flavor of the little crustaceans. My steak was grilled just as I ordered, flavor enhancing grill lines, moist, tender and pink inside but not runny. Delicious to boyh eye and palate. It came with these very fluffy and light roasted garlic potatoes. Reserve does not over salt their food but relies on real flavor and fresh ingredients, and important consideration for many.
 The Yisrael Trio (+1) an Awesome Young Jazz Band
 I have to say that as much as we enjoyed the food, the dining entertainment was amazing. I knew that the Reserve had engaged some young Jazz musicians to serenade their dinner guest, but OMG. Named "The Yisrael Trio", last night we had a quartet as a "friend of the family" sat in on drums with the trio of two brothers and their sister. We were completely blown away.

Admittedly, I had arrived with low expectations, to hear some "kids" working their way into the music scene, but as soon as they started IO know my eyebrows were raised as some of the smoothest "smooth jazz" I had heard by anyone began to flow from the these very young musicians. It was like the visual didn't match the competent often complex sound that flowed seamlessly and effortlessly from the quartet on stage.

Yirmeyahu Yisrael, the eldest of the group at twenty was on sax, but was later featured on drums and demonstrated a mastery of each. Sixteen year old Zavier Molina, who held down drums for most of the evening may not have had the flair of Yirmeyahu on the sticks, but held together the timing and played with a definite sensitivity for each piece. The sixteen year old sister Yehosheba Yisrael, on electric bass, was flawlwss and held together whatever the groove was with confidence and pattern variations that kept the music alive. The youngest, Yah'el Yisrael, at fifteen was on keyboard and demonstrated a mastery that kept my brain kept saying, "this isn't possible."

So, OK, they had composed some original music and were excellent at playing what they had written, but then, just as my critical mind was trying to create that pigeon hole, they played covers of popular and classic tunes like Stevie Wonder's "Superstitious" and "Summertime", and none of it sounded like anyone else's versions I had experienced. Even then I still had the nerve to suspect that they were programmed by so much practice together, wondering what would happen if something unexpected happened, and then it did. Naydja Coejoe comes in and unrehearsed and with just as much confidence they provided flawless accompaniment. This is a MUST SEE experience. and don't waste any time wondering like I did, just be prepared to be be blown away by this family affair. They work the dinner show from about 7:00Pm Tuesdays through Fridays at Reserve Of Orleans.