When baby boomer travelers think of New Orleans, one of the first things that comes to mind is New Orleans Jazz.

Early New Orleans jazz, popularized as Dixieland Jazz in the early 1900s, typically consisted of a front line melody (vocalist, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, saxophone) with a rhythm section consisting of guitar, banjo, string bass, piano, and drums.

This earliest form of jazz was born out of New Orleans’ famous brass band marches, ragtime, and a touch of the blues.  Louis Armstrong is without equal in popularity in this style of music.

During our recent stay at the luxurious Windsor Court Hotel in the Central Business District (CBD) of New Orleans, we were greatly entertained by the jazz stylings of Meschiya Lake.

Meschiya began her singing career at the age of nine, earning a regular gig and winning $500 in an adults only singing contest in a South Dakota Steakhouse.

When listening to Meschiya with closed eyes, you will swear that you’ve transported to a hot jazz club in 1920s New Orleans.

In 2000 as a young woman, she met and began traveling with the Know Nothing Family Zirkus Zideshow and End of the World Circus – a troupe blending traditional circus arts with modern sideshow varieties where Meschiya honed her performance skills with such thrilling acts as glass and insect eating and fire dancing (dangerously twirling around on stage with flame-doused nunchucks).

It was while touring with this troupe that she fell in love with and felt immediately embraced by the culturally rich and one of a kind city of New Orleans, her home base for the last decade and counting.

Fast forward to 2012 and Meschiya has a budding singing career with her 2009 album Lucky Devil citied by New Orleans’ WWOZ DJ Kunian as one of his favorite releases of 2010 on NPR’s All Things Considered.

When you visit New Orleans, make certain that you enjoy an evening with the jazz stylings of Meschiya Lake.

Links: https://www.meschiya.com/

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