I traveled often to New Orleans in the last two decades. Always I was enchanted by the love of life, and even the abandon that it seemed to encourage. New Orleans had then and has now very serious problems. But most tourists and many locals preferred to live for the moment. It was such fun. The French Quarter was a giant block party, always in session with entertainers and musicians at nearly every corner. Since Katrina, much is diminished. The streets have often been empty, the entertainers few. But the spirit persists in such musicians as Doreen Ketchens who has been called the female 'Louis Armstrong" Doreen has electrified the streets with her music for years and continues to do so. Other musicians such as The Loose Marbles join her, and slowly the city reinvents itself. Eight of these photos are pre-Katrina and eight post-Katrina.