Sounds Good

Zachary Breaux: A talent before his time
Doris Hayes is sending T-shirts to Australia and England and would love to outfit all of Port Arthur. The shirts promote the fourth annual Zachary Breaux Jazz Festival, June 10-11 at the Procter Street Pavilion in downtown Port Arthur. About 15 bands are lined up to pay tribute to the late Port Arthur jazz notable.
Hayes said she’s spoken to musicians on the other side of the world who sing his praise.
“They feel that Zachary was a guitarist before his time. A talent before his time. He was doing things at a young age that musicians are just doing now. That’s like what we would call an E. F. Hutton.”
She referred to the stock brokerage firm with a commercial saying that when E.F. Hutton spoke, everyone listened.
Breaux was 36 when he died in 1997, vacationing in Miami Beach, after trying to save the life of a swimmer who was caught in a riptide.
Call 982-8394 or visit zacharybreauxjazzfestival.com to get your tickets.


Courtyard's new look
Karen Theis credits Angel Contreras of Shoogz with the new look at Courtyard Cafe, This' famous eatery in downtown Groves. Black and white swirly patterns on oil cloth go with cast-iron look chairs that are surprisingly comfortable, and plastic, when you ease in. Jackets of a certain M. Brown and C. Zummo matched the tablecloths on their recent outing. Wooden flower boxes hanging from chains hold the Southeast Texas must-have of Tabasco and other condiments complete the garden feel.
If you haven't yet, try Theis' sugo sauce with meatballs.


Fong fix
Robert Fong of Port Arthur has always given a little something-something to any role he takes. I was enchanted by his opening lines, delivered before the lights come on, in “The Drowsy Chaperone.” The Beaumont Community Players production has him as a set-in-his-ways gentleman entertaining his audience by playing a record of his favorite play, which he has never actually seen. His imagination brings the cast of this mishap musical into his apartment, with entrances through a double-door refrigerator or his boudoir. The Man in Chair dances and sings with his beloved characters and shares his insights into life as the record plays. The story inside the story is a wedding day for a wealthy young man and a show girl willing to leave her showy behavior behind.
There’s one more week of this show. Call 833-4664 for details.
ddoiron@panews.com