Background Music Loops

The evocative dixieland jazz music which plays all around the common areas of both resorts (in the lobbies, pool areas, etc) is a big part of the whole Port Orleans experience and atmosphere.

The music used to be played out in order from a central CD-based system (see below) but more recently it seems more random and is presumably now being generated from digitally stored content. Here are just a few of the tracks that have been identified since the resorts reopened post-COVID, but as there doesn’t now seem to be a fixed loop it’s hard to say how many songs might be available:

Tracks Heard at Riverside (2023). Thanks to John Schmidt:

• Sweethearts on Parade by Pete Fountain (from “Do You Know What it Means Miss New Orleans?”)
• Tears by Tim Laughlin feat. Connie Jones (from “If Dreams Come True”)
• Mo’ Betta Blues by Ellis Marsalis, Neal Caine, Jaz Sawyer & Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
• Just a Closer Walk With Thee by Allen Toussaint
• Out of Nowhere by Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton
• Kiss Me Sweet by Evan Christopher (from “Delta Bound”)
• You’d Be Nice to Come Home To by Paul Desmond
• Wang Wang Blues by Pete Fountain (from “Do You Know What it Means Miss New Orleans?”)
• That’s a Plenty by Pete Fountain (from “The Pete Fountain Playlist”)
• Delta Bound by Evan Christopher (from “Delta Bound”)
• Basin Street Blues by Even Christopher (from “Clarinet Road vol 1: The Road to New Orleans”)
• They Can’t Take That Away From Me by Tal Farlow (from “The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow”)
• Ja-Da by Pete Fountain (from “Do You Know What it Means Miss New Orleans?”)
• Like Someone in Love by Tal Farlow (from “The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow”)
• Don’t Get Around Much Anymore by Milt Jackson
• All the Wrongs You’ve Done to Me by Pete Fountain (from “The Pete Fountain Playlist”)
• Someday Sweetheart by Pete Fountain (from “Do You Know What it Means Miss New Orleans?”)
• Summertime by Troy Andrews Quintet (from “The End of the Beginning”)
• Dicty Blues by Veterinary Street Jazz Band (Soundhound Link)

Tracks Heard at French Quarter or Riverside (2022):

• Chantez les bas (Sing ’Em Low) by Louis Armstrong (Soundhound Link)
• Lazzy River by Lake City Stompers (Soundhound Link)
• When the Saints Go Marching In by Billy Novick, Peter Ecklund, Mark Shane (Soundhound Link)
• Coke Oven March by Dock Boggs (Soundhound Link)
• Other Side by Federico Scavo (Soundhound Link)
• Maple Leaf Rag by Rev. Gary Davis (Soundhound Link)
• Good Blues[Instrumental] by Preservation Hall Jazz Band (Soundhound Link)
• Black and Blue (What Did I Do to Be So Black and Blue?) by Doc Cheatham, Nicholas Payton (Soundhound Link)

Tracks Heard at French Quarter or Riverside (2019):

• Si tu vois ma mère [Slow] by Sidney Bechet, Claude Luter et Son Orchestre (Soundhound Link)
• My Star My Moon (Asteri Moufegari Mou) by Mikis Theodorakis (Soundhound Link)
• You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To by Jim Hall (Soundhound Link)
• Bags’ Groove by Milt Jackson (Soundhound Link)
• Ziegfeld Follies of 1936: I Can’t Get Started by Lionel Hampton (Soundhound Link)
• I’ve Found a New Baby by Lionel Hampton (Soundhound Link)
• The Munson Street Breakdown 1992 Remastered by Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra (Soundhound Link)
• Down and Out Blues by Veterinary Street Jazz Band (Soundhound Link)
• Basin Street Blues by Lake City Stompers (Soundhound Link)
• Ole Miss Blues by Louis Armstrong (Soundhound Link)
• Chantez Les Bas (Sing ’Em Low) by Louis Armstrong (Soundhound Link)
• Golden Brown Blues by Carl Wolfe (Soundhound Link)
• Weather Bird by Louis Armstrong, Earl Hines (Soundhound Link)
• I Ain’t Got Nobody by Earl Hines (Soundhound Link)
• Beale Street Blues by Johnny Maddox (Soundhound Link)
• Blue and Broken-Hearted by Al Hirt (Soundhound Link)
• Delta Bound by Evan Christopher, Dick Hyman (Soundhound Link)
• Ja-Da by Pete Fountain (Soundhound Link)
• St. James Infirmary by Allen Toussaint (Soundhound Link)

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The main background area music previously played from two commercial CDs:

New Orleans, Vol. 1 (by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band)

1. Tiger Rag (Instrumental) — 7:45
2. Amen (Instrumental) — 3:22
3. Over In Gloryland (Instrumental) — 7:10
4. Good Blues (Instrumental) — 7:26
5. Bill Bailey (Won’t You Please Come Home) (Instrumental) — 4:00
6. Joe Avery (Instrumental) — 6:43
7. His Eye Is On The Sparrow (Instrumental) — 5:04
8. Memories (Instrumental) — 7:37
9. Panama (Instrumental) — 9:54

Lionel Hampton - Greatest Hits

1. The Munson Street Breakdown (1992 Remastered) Lionel Hampton & his Orchestra — 3:18
2. I’ve Found a New Baby (1992 Remastered) Lionel Hampton & his Orchestra — 2:54
3. I Can’t Get Started (1992 Remastered) Lionel Hampton & his Orchestra — 2:57
4. Flamenco Soul (1993 Remastered) Lionel Hampton & his Orchestra — 6:08
5. Hot Club of Madrid Serenade (1993 Remastered) Lionel Hampton & his Orchestra — 4:15
6. Tenderly (1993 Remastered) Lionel Hampton & his Orchestra — 7:05
7. Dinah (1992 Remastered - Take 1) Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra; Benny Carter; Coleman Hawkins — 2:48
8. Tempo and Swing (1992 Remastered) Lionel Hampton & his Orchestra — 3:23
9. Jack the Bellboy (1992 Remastered) Lionel Hampton & his Orchestra — 2:52
10. Toledo Blade (1993 Remastered) Lionel Hampton & his Orchestra — 4:15
11. Bop City Flamenco (1993 Remastered) Lionel Hampton & his Orchestra — 6:10
12. Blue Because of You (1992 Remastered) Lionel Hampton & his Orchestra — 2:59
13. Jivin’ With Jarvis (1992 Remastered) Lionel Hampton & his Orchestra — 2:42
14. Central Avenue Breakdown (1992 Remastered) Lionel Hampton & his Orchestra — 3:07

Over the Christmas holiday period (normally starting around mid-November) the mix changes to:

Dixieland Christmas (by Jack Jezzro and Sam Levine)

1. It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas — 3:49
2. Home For The Holidays — 4:08
3. Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer — 3:39
4. Go Tell It On The Mountain — 3:24
5. Jingle Bells — 2:41
6. Winter Wonderland — 3:50
7. Deck The Halls — 3:14
8. Up On The Housetop — 4:00
9. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen — 3:24
10. The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year — 3:15
11. O Christmas Tree — 3:41
12. Frosty The Snowman — 3:33

A Creole Christmas (various artists)

1. Go Tell It on the Mountain
2. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
3. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
4. Jingle Bell Rock
5. Jingle Bells
6. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
7. Merry Christmas, Baby
8. O Holy Night
9. Please Come Home for Christmas
10. Christmas Song
11. White Christmas

For more details, or to buy CDs, please use the following links:

 
 

Many thanks for the diligent hard work of Jay and Horizons over at magicmusic.net who identified the specific CDs which play at the resort — please click on the following links to read the threads discussing their work in tracking down the general background music and the holiday background music.

Regular visitor Darcy Hogan also emailed with some of her own French Quarter Christmas musical memories, saying that she and her daughter fondly recall the following tracks:

• Papa Saint Nick — Beausoleil
• Louisiana Santa — Wayne Toups
• Shakana Santa Shake It — Bo Dollis & The Wild Magnolias
• Christmas Gumbo — Art Neville

Riverboat Background Music Loop (Riverside/French Quarter segment)

Also of interest is another magicmusic.net thread discussing the Sassagoula Water Taxi background music, which includes some tracks that are also used on the resort bus service — most notably Please Baby by Reverend Gary Davis. If you want to buy any of this music, please use the links below, as they are affiliated to magicmusic.net, who after all did all the hard work!

 
Saturday Night Function
By Monty Sunshine Jazz Band
On The Sunshine of Your Blues
CD | iTunes | MP3

Dew Drop
By Etta Baker
On One-Dime Blues
CD | iTunes | MP3

Please Baby
By Reverend Gary Davis
On The Guitar and Banjo of Reverend Gary Davis
CD | iTunes | MP3

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
By Louis Armstrong
On Disney Songs the Satchmo Way
CD | iTunes | MP3

Canal Street Blues
By Henry Red Allen
On Quadromania: Henry Red Allen [Box Set]
CD | iTunes | MP3

Going Down the Road Feeling Bad
By Etta Baker
On One-Dime Blues
CD | iTunes | MP3

“Ye Haa” Bob Jackson

Of course it wouldn’t be right to discuss the music of Port Orleans without mentioning Riverside’s very own “Ye Haa” Bob Jackson, the talented and energetic entertainer who plays at the River Roost Lounge four nights a week. His live show CD, along with several others, can be ordered directly from his own website, www.yehaabob.com.

 

Elliot Dyson

French Quarter’s resident New Orleans jazz musician until 4 May 2013, Elliot Dyson is an awesome saxophonist, poignant and rocking vocalist, bluesy guitar player with some steel drums added into the mix. He has a web site giving more information on his other work at www.elliotdyson.com. He was replaced as Scat Cat’s resident musician on 19 July 2013 by Tom Casey.