The French Quarter's People and Places

229 Bourbon Street --Louis and Leon Prima

227 Bourbon:

3/27/1896 residence of Katusch/Kartusch of Austria

03/27/1896 residence of Mallevin, Jules from France

1938 Jean Serio Barber Shop

229 Bourbon:

1897 227-229 Bourbon (old address = 41-43 three bedrooms) Chas. Stumpf, Pianos

1900 New Orleans City Directory -- Music and Musical Instruments, Stumpf, Charles W.

1913 Stumpf, Chas W. Piano Co. LTD

Music store from 1895–1923. Charles W. Stumpf was a cornet player and band leader in New Orleans. SEGUE INTO MUSICAL PAST WITH PRIMA'S:

1024 Photograph of (left to right) Leon Roppolo (playing the quitar), Louis Prima, Peck Kelly, Don (unknown). The Inscription reads: "Ropp hitting a few cords for the boys." The image was likely shotat the New Orleans lakefront. From the photo collection of Dr. Edmond Souchon http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/JAZ,1713

Louis Leo Prima Born in the French Quarter musician (December 7, 1910) -- of Sicilian immigrants Angelina and Anthony Prima played here four decades later.

Violinist (until 15) turned trumpeter (picked up older brother Leon's) as a young man played trumpet with Irving Fazola, with his brother Leon's band, in the house band at the Saenger Theater (1931). early 30s Prima worked with Red Nichols, before forming seven-piece jazz band called 'Louis Prima's New Orleans Gang', .

moved to New York in 1934 -- played with fellow New Orleans musicians Eddie Miller (tenor sax and clarinet) and George Brunies (trombone)

http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/JAZ,454
Leon Prima (1907-1985) older brother of Louis Prima -- trained as pianist but trumpet player/band leader

ran the Shim Sham Club (229 Bourbon) and the 500 Club (441 Bourbon?) whose house band was led by Sam Butera - before Butera joined Louis Prima's band in Las Vegas in 1954). As a young man played with Leon Roppolo, Ray Bauduc, Jack Teagarden, Peck Kelley's Bad Boys (1925-27) in Texas. led The Melody Masters in New Orleans late 1920s, was less active in the '30s and was with Louis' big band in New York from 1940-46. After returning to New Orleans, Leon headed his own combo until retiring from music in 1955. Pictured is the Prima-Skarkey Orchestra in 1930 at the at the Little Club in New Orleans -- Front row: Charlie Hartmann (trombone), Sharkey Bonano (trumpet), Leon Prima (trumpet), Irving "Fazzola" Prestnoptik (clarinet and sax), Dave Winstein (sax and clarinet), Nina Picone (sax); back row: Augie Schellang (drums), Louie Mass

September1935 -- advertisement..."Opening Tonight -- Louis Prima and his New Orleans Five Orchestra Direct from the Famous Door in New York at Prima's Shim-Sham Club for Five Days Only featuring the Kind of Music that made him the Toast of Broadway -- Shim-Sham Review...Dimples Dalton, Princess of Blues...Shim-Shamettes, Beauty Chorus...Barron and Lynne"

1936 Louis wrote "Sing Sing Sing" (in the Grammy Hall of Fame) which became one of the most popular songs of the swing era (big hit for Benny Goodman)

Swing era "Jump, Jive and Wail"

1938 New Orleans City Guide -- Prima's Shim Sham Club , 229 Bourbon St., is open

1938 -- "Under New Management" as the Swing Club
small sign "Proudly Presents 2 Shows Featuring Hi-Class Entertainment"

Larger sign "Formerly Prima's...Tantalizing Swing Music...A New Low Price Policy...No Cover Charge...No Miniumum...Under New Management"

Image Source: http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/CLF,2348

"Bacciagaloop, Makes Love on the Stoop"

1950s with New Orleans saxophonist Sam Butera and the Witnesses (beginning 1954) and a 16 year old Keely Smith (later his fourth wife). Hits included "Just a Gigolo - I Ain't Got Nobody," "Buona Sera," "Black Magic," "Zooma, Zooma," "When You're Smilin',"

1967 voice of King Louis the oragnutan in Walt Disney's animated film The Jungle Book

Louis died in New Orleans August 24, 1978 -- brain tumor. buried in Metairie Cemetery -- tomb statue of Gabriel, the trumpeter-angel. inscribed "When the end comes, I know, they'll all say 'just a gigolo' as life goes on without me..."

Louis Prima Street (ave?)

During the 1990s Ian Hardcastle, sole owner and shareholder of Bourbon Street Gospel and Blues, inc. and 227 Bourbon Street, Inc., owned the property from 227 through 235 Bourbon Street and sublet it for use as a jazz club. By the turn of the century, Bourbon Street Entertainmen operated Utopia music club at this location where lighted trees and fountatins grace the large courtyard. The company also owned the Jazz Parlor (125 Bourbon Street), the Ragin' Rooster (228 Bourbon Street), and partially owned Howl at the Moon (135 Bourbon).

Building later housed Boogie Woogie, Utopia and Rhythms music clubs and Jazz Gumbo gift shop and an ATM machine

229 Bourbon Street --Louis and Leon Prima

238 Bourbon Street -- Absinthe House

circa 1939, corner Beinville, Photo Source: http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=any&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=/LSM_FQA&CISOBOX1=fq000082 Built in 1806 by importers Pedro Font and Francisco Juncadella as a storehouse said to be a hanut of haunt of Pierre and Jean Lafitte. pirates 1860 census L. Frigerio age 30 -- 1912 record...he was a shipping agent operating here 1866 relatives Jacinto and P.O. Aleix opened a coffeehouse there 1874 coffeehouse bartender Cayetanno Ferrer took over and called it the "Absinthe Room" 1890 Ferrer's sons renamed it the "Old Absinthe House" famous for its Absinthe Frappe. 1905 absinthe outlawed in the United States Now Jean Lafitte's Bistro

NOTE--I THINK THIS IS THE ABSINTHE HOUSE RATHER THAN THE OLD ABSINTHE HOUSE

619 Bourbon Street -- Fouche House

1939 view

http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/u?/LSM_FQA,480

1964 photograph

Plans Dated May 24, 1860

1810 property purchased from Demcisells Armelis Dalomon Mallines (uncle of Vincent Rilleaux and great great grandfather of French artist Edgar Degas) by Julie bonne Foucher, a free woman of color.

Lake side of Bourbon Street

approximately 26 foot front, 120 feet back

2 stories, shared wall with neighboring building

red brick bearing walls (plastered)

ground level gallery with two large rooms

second story balcony on Bourbon Street with four rooms

slave quarters, kitchen, outhouse in rear REDO FLOOR PLAN DESCRIPTION

designed by Arsene La Carriere Latour (who was later General Andrew Jackson's engineer) and Hyacinthe Laclotte (known for his engraving of the Battle of New Orleans)

1812 purchased by Charles de Boisolanc

1818 auctioned to Mrs. R. O. Pritchard

1820 WD> Charles Patton

1826 Wd. M. Smith

1838 Victor David then Charles Caffin

1892 J.M. Jaubault

1895 Pascel Pareti

remained in Pareti family -- 1960s rotting, fallen plaster

1964 empty but owned by Marie Louise Pareti with plans for renovation into joint commercial/residential structure

Courtesy of the Library of Congress

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=pphhphoto&action=browse&fileName=la/la0100/la0131/photos/browse.db&recNum=0&itemLink=D?hh:7:./temp/~pp_afIo::@@@mdb=fsaall,app,brum,detr,swann,look,gottscho,pan,horyd,genthe,var,cai,cd,hh,yan,bbcards,lomax,ils,prok,brhc,nclc,matpc,iucpub,tgmi,lamb&title2=la/la0100/la0131/data&displayType=1

Now Gateway Mardi Gras Daiquiri's & Pizza

732 Toulouse Street

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=pphhdatapage&fileName=la/la0100/la0146/data/hhdatapage.db&recNum=3&itemLink=D%3Fhh%3A126%3A.%2Ftemp%2F%7Epp_FsSj%3A%3A%40%40%40mdb%3Dfsaall%2Capp%2Cbrum%2Cdetr%2Cswann%2Clook%2Cgottscho%2Cpan%2Choryd%2Cgenthe%2Cvar%2Ccai%2Ccd%2Chh%2Cyan%2Cbbcards%2Clomax%2Cils%2Cprok%2Cbrhc%2Cnclc%2Cmatpc%2Ciucpub%2Ctgmi%2Clamb

Now Molly's Irish Pub & Restaurant

720 Toulous Street

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=pphhdatapage&fileName=la/la0100/la0144/data/hhdatapage.db&recNum=1&itemLink=D?hh:142:./temp/~pp_FsSj::@@@mdb=fsaall,app,brum,detr,swann,look,gottscho,pan,horyd,genthe,var,cai,cd,hh,yan,bbcards,lomax,ils,prok,brhc,nclc,matpc,iucpub,tgmi,lamb

Tennessee Williams lived here in 1938-39.