Lot 685: Eugene Daymude (American/New Orleans, 1925-1995),

Eugene Daymude (American/New Orleans, 1925-1995), "Second Line at the Maison Bourbon, Bourbon and St. Louis Streets, French Quarter", c. 1972, oil on canvas, signed lower right, 50 1/2 in. x 138 in., unframed.

Provenance: Ex-Collection Maison Bourbon, Bourbon Street, French Quarter, New Orleans. Commissioned by the owner of the Maison Bourbon in the 1970s, the mural hung above the bar for over thirty years. Note: During the 1970s, numerous clubs featuring traditional New Orleans and Dixieland Jazz thrived on Bourbon Street, in the heart of the French Quarter. On the corner of Bourbon and St. Peter Street, sits the historic two-storied brick building, once a private residence, then a grocery, and ultimately converted into the nightclub, The Maison Bourbon, with the motto "Dedicated to the Preservation of Jazz." Many of the leading jazz musicians of the day, including Lucien Barbarin and Les Muscutt, played at the club, but perhaps the most famous of all was the young Harry Connick, Jr. As a child, from ages five to fourteen, Harry regularly visited The Maison Bourbon with his parents: Harry Connick, Sr., New Orleans District Attorney and musican, and Anita Livingston Connick, a judge and accomplished flutist. Recognized as a child prodigy, Harry would be invited to join the band as piano player. According to Connick, a call from the stage would come "Hey, Harry Jr.! We¹re going to have Harry Jr. come up and play a tune with us! I would go up and play a couple of numbers and then sit back down. It was the greatest feeling in the world." Above the bar of the club, hung the lively and memorable mural of a nighttime second line parade meandering down Bourbon Street. Local artist Eugene Daymude, well known for his French Quarter courtyard scenes, was commissioned by the club owner to paint a mural of a brass band flanked by two flambeau carriers and led by a Grand Marshal, spectators lining the sidewalk. The street lamp on the left reveals the location as the corner of Bourbon and St. Peter Street, in front of The Maison Bourbon. Decorating the walls of the Maison Bourbon were portraits of nationally renowned jazz musicians painted by local artists. Representing the early generation of legendary musicians were paintings of New Orleans born trumpeters, Louis Armstrong and Bunk Johnson as well as renowned saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Thomas Jefferson. Portraits of musicians with ties to New Orleans such as drummer Paul Barbarin and trumpeter Al Hirt were also included. Banjo players Gus Cannon and Emanuel Sayles as well as trumpet player Roy Liberto represented the generation of musicians who played at the club. Reference: "Harry, Jr., New Orleans, Crooner and Actor," American Way Magazine, www.americanwaymag.com