BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTO ESSAY FROM “THE LIZA JANE SESSIONS” IN NEW ORLEANS.

1. After an all-day film shoot at the Dew Drop Jazz & Social Hall.   

Back row, L-R: Alyson Spery, Moi, Chris Finney, Brian Graves, Emily 

Cohen. Front: Dom Flemons, Joy Clark, Don Vappie, Washboard Chaz. 

For five days in early November 2025, the team of Emily Cohen (co-producer), Alyson Spery (cinematography), Brian Graves (director of photography), and myself (co-producer) raced around helter-skelter in New Orleans all on behalf of a certain Poor Gal, “Lil Liza Jane.” The team HQ’ed at a mega hotel, with the ladies in one room (524) and the blokes in another (526), although someone, mysteriously, lived in between us in 525. (Who dat? Dunno. Never saw.) We gulped coffee, dreamt of po’ boy sandwiches, told the mostly-true tales of our lives, wept, dried our eyes, weathered numerous cases of the sillies, and marveled at the fabulous hospitality of a truly great city, The Big Easy, while instruments and voices — “O, Eliza, Lil Liza Jane!” —soared.

From Preservation Hall to the Dew Drop Jazz & Social Hall, from Tulane University to the Jazz & Heritage Foundation Academy, from WWOZ Radio to the Louisiana Music Factory, from atop the riverboat Natchez to a sidewalk outside Willie Mae’s restaurant, from a second line parade to the murals, streets, and orange cats of the Seventh Ward: we captured music performances, interviews, and iconic images of NOLA. In short: we made some serious footage. And, once we edit this mayhem, I do believe an epic film full of heart and warmth will issue forth. Because the characters in the film love that poor gal “Lil Liza Jane” and love their great city of New Orleans. A lot.

Below, why not enjoy some images of the team hard at work, in yoga poses, mugging for the camera, and bonding over some cold ales. Huzzah!

2. Portrait of me as grip boy? Best boy? Best grip boy?
Dew Drop Jazz & Social Hall, Mandeville, Lousiana.  

3. The team at Preservation Hall, New Orleans. Foreground, L-R:

Brian, Alyson, Emily. At the table: Ben Jaffee and Dom Flemons.

4. Stellar Director of Photography, Brian Graves, at Preservation Hall.

5. Cinematographer par excellence Alyson Spery at Preservation Hall.

6. Ben Jaffee (L) and Brian Graves (R) outside Preservation Hall.

7. Alyson Spery filming “b-roll” in the French Quarter.  

8. Alyson embedded in a second line 

parade, Seventh Ward, New Orleans.

          Intermission: Liza Jane Sessions trivia

          Total film shoots: 11
          Most film shoots in a single day: 5 (!)
          Cameras: 2
          Estimated number of musicians: 35
          Age ranges of musicians: 8 to 76
          Collective instrumentation: banjo, bones, calliope, cigar box guitar, drums, guitar, keyboard, piano, saxophone, tambourine, trombone, trumpet, tuba, voice, and washboard
          Estimated variations of “Liza Jane”: 20
          Strings of beads thrown to us from balconies: 1
          Number of sunsets enjoyed on the north bank of Lake Pontchartrain: 1
          Five-day total of Sazeracs, Martinis, and Daiquiris: 7(*)
               (*sorry if this is disappointing!)

9. Emily Cohen, fundamentally aloof. 

10. Brian Graves: “Copy that.” 

11. Alyson Spery, wielding a fuzzy item. 

12. Goaded into a “flex.” 

Lucky 13. The team enjoying the sunset and some cold ones on the   

 north bank of Lake Pontchartrain after a long day of filming devoted  

to America’s favorite “lil” poor gal, “Oh, Li'l Liza, Little Liza Jane.” 

          Photography credits:

          John McCusker: 1, 2.

          Dan Gutstein: 3, 8.

          Alyson Spery: 9, 10.

          Emily Cohen: 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13.