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A Royal Celebration for Satchmo
Orient-Expresses’ Windsor Court Hotel Celebrates
Louis Armstrong in His Hometown
Every August the French Quarter in New Orleans comes
alive with the spirit and music of the man considered the founding father of
jazz, Louis “Satchmo”Armstrong. Taking place at the Louisiana State
Museum’s Old U.S. Mint, located at 400 Esplanade Avenue in the French
Quarter, and at various locations throughout the Crescent City, the event
celebrates Armstrong’s birthday and pays tribute to his memorable career,
with an expanded free music festival. Boasting four stages, Satchmo-inspired
food, educational sessions, children’s activities, a club crawl, art and
photo exhibits, a jazz mass and a second-line parade, the state’s Lieutenant
Governor, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco predicts the festivities surrounding
Satchmo SummerFest will be much like the musician himself original,
dynamic and very entertaining.
 In
honor of the festival, the renowned Windsor Court Hotel is offering a
special package for guests who want to immerse themselves in the spirit of
Satchmo, including one night accommodation in a luxury suite with parlor,
living room and kitchenette, a Louis Armstrong CD at turn-down, and a
special jazz-inspired meal for two in the hotel’s renowned Grill Room.
Prepared by Chef James Overbaugh, the special menu will feature five
courses, including: Louisiana crawfish and Muscovy duck jambalaya prepared
with orzo, okra, duck confit and Cajun spiced red pepper broth, and sautéed
jumbo shrimp with a semolina pasta-shrimp roulade and Creole tomatoes.
Festival dates are August 1-4, 2002 with Windsor Court
celebration packages available for the nights of July 29 through August 5.
Specially priced at $388 for a full suite and $360 for a junior suite
(double occupancy).
Owned and operated by Orient-Express Hotels, the
Windsor Court is a luxury hotel located in New Orleans. The hotel’s
location provides a dignified respite, yet is within easy access of the
French Quarter, Bourbon Street and the boutiques of Royal Street. Hotel
views to the South capture the Mississippi River; while just blocks west is
the emerging Arts District, followed by the antebellum architecture of the
Garden District. Opulent suite accommodations are decorated with period
antiques, rich fabrics, separate living and bedroom areas, and ensuite
kitchenettes. Additional amenities include a rooftop swimming pool, fitness
center, fine dining and entertainment. The Windsor Court has been
recognized as one of the “Top Hotels” in the country by Travel + Leisure and
is number two on the coveted Condé Nast Traveler “Gold List.” For more
information and reservations, please contact the hotel directly at (800)
262-2662 or (504) 523-6000. Additional information can be found at
www.windsorcourthotel.com
Louis Armstrong (1901 to 1971)
Louis himself believed that he was born on July 4, 1900 and that date is
still found in many jazz histories and reference books. In the mid-1980s,
however, Armstrong expert Tad Jones discovered a New Orleans baptismal
certificate that indicates that Louis was actually born on August 4, 1901.
He had many nicknames as a child, all of which referred to the size of his
mouth: "Gatemouth," "Dippermouth" and "Satchelmouth." During a visit to
Great Britain, Louis was met by Percy Brooks, the editor of Melody Maker
magazine, who greeted him by saying, "Hello, Satchmo!" (He inadvertently
contracted "Satchelmouth" into "Satchmo.") Louis loved the new name and
adopted it for his own. It provides the title to Louis's second
autobiography and is inscribed on at least two of his trumpets. Louis’
career spanned five decades, during which he performed an average of 300
concerts each year, wrote two autobiographies, hundreds of pages of memoirs
and appeared in over 30 films.
Windsor Court
Hotel
300 Gravier Street
New Orleans
LA 70130
Reservations:
(888) 596-0955
Telephone:
(504) 523-6000
Fax:
(504) 596-4513
Edited by Dave Shultz
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