Russell called us from Bayona on Friday and invited us to lunch. We rushed over and made ourselves comfortable in the elegant dining room. Chef Susan Spicer’s cooking is influenced by international flavors from Spain, Italy, France, the Mediterranean, and India. I’m trying to remember what everyone ate. Grilled beef tenderloin, either chicken or duck, and I had a quail salad.
Doreen Ketchens plays clarinet in front of Rouse’s in the afternoons. We were hoping to catch her during this visit. I had forgotten Russell used to play the clarinet himself, so it was perfect. I checked the time, and she was playing right at that moment, so we walked a few blocks down to Royal. When we first walked up, Russell commented, “I’ve never heard a tuba solo before.”
I realized I hadn’t either, and pointed out that he was Doreen’s husband.
Doreen Ketchens has been called Lady Louie, Miss Satchmo and The Female Louis Armstrong. She combines classical and jazz to make her own sound.