I asked multi-instrumentalist Don Vappie some questions about his life growing up and becoming a musician in the Crescent City. (His latest release, The Blue Book of Storyville, is reviewed by Joe Bebco in this issue.) I edited his replies together, so you can get an uninterrupted sense of his laid-back Big Easy style as it emerges from the writing.
I grew up in New Orleans. When I was born, we lived on the corner of Coliseum Street and Valance Street in uptown New Orleans. I was an only child. My mother had had multiple miscarriages so they were really happy to have me. Neither of them were musicians but my father was quite talented in math even though he didn’t finish school. My mother loved to dance. So there was always music in the house.
My mother-somehow being aware of my interest and love of music-saw to it that I got piano lessons at a very young age. I studied with a cousin, Marie Moten. She is the mother of bassist Richard Moten and Richard and I play together a lot these days. Though I didn’t continue playing piano, the foundation from those piano lessons was invaluable.
From a very early age, probably six or seven years old, I knew I wanted to be a musician. I played trumpet in the school band starting in fifth grade or sixth grade. As early as sixth grade I remember my band-mates at elementary school and I were learning to play Joe Avery’s blues. By the tim
