When we look back at the truly important events in our lives, it’s safe to say that most of them would never have happened were it not for the convergence of a vast number of prerequisite events at a precise moment in time.  So perhaps it was fate that in the wee hours of Sunday, April 26, 1998, I would meet Ernie K-Doe.  And yet, this was no random occurrence.  Buck told me back in January that he and Mike were going to Jazz Fest again this year and I ought to make reservations if I wanted to join them.  They had the nights all planned ahead of time with Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas at the Rock-N-Bowl, Etta James at the House of Blues, and our main man, Snooks Eaglin at Howlin’ Wolf’s.  I told Buck that his agenda sounded fine, but I’d heard that Ernie K-Doe has his own nightclub in New Orleans and I’d like to check it out if possible at some point during our stay.  From the tone of his response, I could tell that finding Ernie’s place would not be our top priority, and since Mike rented the car, I would have to be content with going where he drove us from our base of operations at a forlorn Ramada Inn on Chef Menteur Highway.

Fate stepped in on Saturday afternoon at Jazz Fest, in the infield of the Fairgrounds horse race track.  I was enjoying a traditional zydeco set by Boozoo Chavis along with Buck, Mike, Coach, and Lynn, when I noticed a guy standing about fifty feet in front of us wearing a t-shirt with a bold magenta “K-DOE” printed vertically down the back.  I went to get a closer look and saw that the smaller print touted the “Ernie K-Doe Mother-In-Law Lounge, 1500 N. Claiborne Ave., N.O., LA 70116 504-947-1078 www.no-music.com.”  I asked the wearer for details about the Lounge and where to find it.  He said it’s located right under the elevated section of Interstate 10 north of the French Quarter and it’s in a rough part of town, but he said it would be OK if we parked close to the club.  (We later heard that someone had been shot and killed a block away the club a few days earlier, but fortunately we were were unaware of that minor detail at the time.)  That all sounded pretty good so far, but then he said the clincher, “Actually, this would be the best night to go because I heard Ernie will be there and they’re supposed to have free chitlins.”

To be continued....