| Tranchina's Restaurant Spanish Fort |
"In the 1920'a, two of the best-known dance restaurants were at Spanish Fort...the most
popular of the two locations was Tranchina's Restaurant with its genteel atmosphere and
its much admired, infectiously swinging music by Armand J. Piron's Society Orchestra.
The decor at Tranchina's included large potted palms in front of the raised bandstand,
with a Japanese style door brightened with paper lanterns on the wall behind them." --
From A Trumpet Around the Corner by Samuel Charters
Jazz musician Barney Bigard, who played in Amos White's band at the Spanish Fort
pavilion, said that master clarinetist Lorenzo Tio, also, played at Tranchina's. "Lorenzo
Tio was playing at Tranchina's Restaurant at Spanish Fort on the same nights we were
playing. We would wind up before them, so I would be able to go over to Tranchina's and
hear Tio play every night." -- From With Louis and the Duke by Barney Bigard
Many other early Jazz musicians and bands, such as Papa Celestin's Tuxedo Orchestra,
played at Tranchina's, as well. Tokyo Gardens Ballroom was another popular venue for
Jazz at Spanish Fort.
In the early 1900's, the lakefront resorts (Spanish Fort, Milneburg, Little Woods,
Bucktown, West End) were places where bands played at dance pavilions, restaurants,
saloons, cabarets, family camps, parks and picnics. Musicians from different
neighborhoods and ethnic backgrounds came together to play their music and to listen
to each other play. These resorts were very important in the development of New
Orleans-style Jazz. Some of the early Jazz musicians who performed at these lakeside
parks and resorts went on to become famous and took their music all over the world.
-- Nancy
popular of the two locations was Tranchina's Restaurant with its genteel atmosphere and
its much admired, infectiously swinging music by Armand J. Piron's Society Orchestra.
The decor at Tranchina's included large potted palms in front of the raised bandstand,
with a Japanese style door brightened with paper lanterns on the wall behind them." --
From A Trumpet Around the Corner by Samuel Charters
Jazz musician Barney Bigard, who played in Amos White's band at the Spanish Fort
pavilion, said that master clarinetist Lorenzo Tio, also, played at Tranchina's. "Lorenzo
Tio was playing at Tranchina's Restaurant at Spanish Fort on the same nights we were
playing. We would wind up before them, so I would be able to go over to Tranchina's and
hear Tio play every night." -- From With Louis and the Duke by Barney Bigard
Many other early Jazz musicians and bands, such as Papa Celestin's Tuxedo Orchestra,
played at Tranchina's, as well. Tokyo Gardens Ballroom was another popular venue for
Jazz at Spanish Fort.
In the early 1900's, the lakefront resorts (Spanish Fort, Milneburg, Little Woods,
Bucktown, West End) were places where bands played at dance pavilions, restaurants,
saloons, cabarets, family camps, parks and picnics. Musicians from different
neighborhoods and ethnic backgrounds came together to play their music and to listen
to each other play. These resorts were very important in the development of New
Orleans-style Jazz. Some of the early Jazz musicians who performed at these lakeside
parks and resorts went on to become famous and took their music all over the world.
-- Nancy
| The link to this page is: http://www.thepastwhispers.com/NO_Tranchina.html Back to Old New Orleans Whispers - Home |
| Many thanks to Michael Cosgrove for sharing the picture below. |
