About The Author
Ron Rudison was born in New Orleans, LA and was raised in Baton Rouge, LA. He obtained a BA in Economics from Morehouse College in 1972. A former Mission Commander aboard EP-3B/E aircraft, Ron retired from the United States Navy as a Lieutenant Commander 1n 1994. Rudison has practiced Real Estate in Northern Virginia for 21 years. Inspired by the rich tapestry of creole cuisine and jazz music venues in his native New Orleans, he spent over 20 years touring cities throughout the South and Mid-Atlantic. He gathered a vast storehouse of information by interviewing music venue and restaurant entrepreneurs as well as members of their surrounding communities. Ron explored cities from as far south as Miami, FL, west to Houston, TX and as far north as Washington DC. Having done so, he provides a unique insight into where to experience exquisite downhome cooking and incredible blues and jazz music. He is no stranger to music. His father, Raymond Dorest, was a jazz pianist in New Orleans during the late 1930s to mid-1960s. Ron Rudison also has been active as a “down home” bass singer of gospel music in his church choir and bass guitarist. Having traveled all over the Pacific, Europe and Asia, his taste in music and quality cuisine have been shaped immensely, ever evolving as a connoisseur.
About The Book
American Blues, Jazz & Soul Food, 2nd Edition, a book like no other, features diverse soul food, blues and jazz establishments throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southern United States. It surveys the music and the food across a landscape that is virtually a century-wide timeline. The author’s thorough research, spanning 25 years, provides an intimate glimpse of the history, products, services and strategies that have resulted in success and widespread acclaim for the venues that have been highlighted. “The best soul food restaurants have always been anchors of their respective communities, and for this reason, the establishments in this book have been selected as much for their cultural ambiance as for the quality of their food and the selection on their menus.”-Ron Rudison
Celebrating three art forms that are embroidered within our culture, “American Blues, Jazz and Soul Food, 2nd Edition,” also honors the entrepreneurs that have nourished these art forms. Owing to their vision, dedication and expertise, they continue to provide wonderful platforms from which scintillating blues and jazz performances and mouthwatering soul food are presented to the public. In a creative departure from other books of this genre, the author’s “Hall of Memories” recalls hidden treasures …outstanding soul food restaurants and blues or jazz venues ….. receded from memory, recalled only by old timers and cultural historians. Some of these memorable venues include The Chef’s Table and One Step Down in Washington D.C., the Auburn Avenue Rib Shack and La Carousel Lounge in Atlanta, Green’s Lounge and Club Paradise in Memphis and the Dreamland Ballroom of Little Rock …where you could hear and see legendary artists such as Bobby “Blue” Bland, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Albert King; or “break bead” with history makers like Julian Bond, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many, many, more.