Thomas W. Jacobsen      New Orleans Notes

Upcoming
What with the addition of a full "Locals' Lagniappe Day," the 2012 French Quarter Festival will begin on April 12 and run through April 15. So, it's not too soon to be making your plans. To stay on top of it all, check out www.fqfi.org.

Jazzfest will take place on the weekends of April 27-29 and May 3-6. The participants have been announced and can be viewed at the NOJ&H website. See link at right.

If you happen to be in New York after Jazzfest, you should be aware that Jazz at Lincoln Center will have a New Orleans Celebration featuring the music of Jelly Roll Morton in the Rose Theater. New Orleans pianists Jonathan Batiste, Henry Butler and Ellis Marsalis will be featured pianists. For more, check out www.jalc.org.

The spring Nickel-A-Dance series will be held on the four Sundays in March (4-25), 4-7 pm, at the Maison, 508 Frenchmen Street. For details, see the New Orleans Jazz Celebration link at the right.

Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) falls on February 21 this year. The parades begin on February 4 with the always colorful Krewe de Vieux parade through Marigny and the French Quarter.

January 26

I had a very pleasant evening last night squeezing two major events into the agenda. First, I had an opportunity to visit for the first time the newly renovated Joy Theater, 1200 Canal Street (corner of Canal and Loyola). The developers have made the old theater site a truly spectacular performance venue. See their website www.joytheater.com.

The occasion for the visit was OffBeat's 2011 Best of the Beat Music Business Awards, an annual event that brings a host of people from the local music business together for the evening. It featured an awards ceremony presided over by OffBeat publisher Jan Ramsey, the principal one of which was the Lifetime Achievement in Music award which went to the veteran George Porter Jr.. Other award recipients were Scott Billington of Rounder Records (Lifetime Achievement in Music Business); and John Rankin of Loyola University (Lifetime Achievement in Music Education).

I cut out of there a bit early to try to catch some of the concert, Becoming American, The Musical Journey, at venerable St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square. It featured the wonderful Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and a bevy of talented vocal and instrumental soloists. I went especially to hear pianist James Dapogny, who was scheduled to perform one of Jelly Roll Morton's great big band tunes, "GanJam." Unfortunately, I missed it, but was relieved to learn that the the whole program--which was performed before a huge SRO audience--is supposed to be available by webcast on the LPO website, www.LPOmusic.com. As of February 2, I viewed the whole two-hour concert on line, and I warmly recommend it. This performance of GanJam was only the second time I had heard it, and I have to say that I prefer the one that Don Vappie and his band did some years ago. Yet it's a very interesting composition and worth hearing, if you haven't already done so.

See Photos page for some views from the evening.

January 7, 2012
Connie Jones put together an excellent band for a concert at the Old Mint this afternoon. Joining him were Mike Genevay,trombone; Tim Laughlin, clarinet; Otis Bazoon, tenor saxophone; Steve Pistorius, piano; Richard Moten, bass; and Bryan Barberot, drums. They played in a style that brought to mind the old Bob Crosby Bobcats, one of Connie's favorite bands. Rumor has it that Mr. Jones will be awarded an honorary doctorate by Loyola University in the spring. It couldn't happen to a more deserving local musician.

The occasion also provided an opportunity for me to make my first visit to the Preservation Hall exhibit on the renovated third floor of the Lousiaiana State Museum (Old Mint) [$5 admission fee]. It tells the Hall's story in an interesting and attractive fashion, with a combination of artifacts, videos, photographs and explanatory narrative. Well worth a visit.

Speaking of Preservation Hall, Tom Sancton has an excellent article on the Hall ("Hall That Jazz") in the January 2012 issue of Vanity Fair. It is available online at www.vanityfair.com/​culture/​2012/​01/​preservation-hall.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

December 23
Wynton Marsalis Named Cultural Correspondent for CBS.
In this role, Wynton will provide insight into a broad range of cultural and educational developments on CBS THIS MORNING and CBS SUNDAY MORNING. His first CBS News appearance will be on Monday, January 16, 2012, as the nation observes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. (For more, visit info@​wyntonmarsalis.org.

December 8
I attended the concert by Nicholas Payton and his trio (Vincente Archer, bass, and Marcus Gilmore, drums) at Tulane University's Dixon Hall this evening. Payton, the 2011-12 Jazz Artist-in-Residence at Tulane, has developed (at least for me) quite a new sound. He's singing now and playing the keyboards as much as the trumpet. I have to say that the music has a minimalist New Age quality to it that is not unpleasant but includes much less jazz trumpet than in the past.

Also on the program was Tulane's student jazz quintet directed by veteran bassist Jim Markham and the student big band under the direction of young Jesse McBride. Just another indication of the lively jazz education scene in this city.

December 4
Trumpeter-vocalist Wendell Brunious led a fine trio in a jazz service at the Norwegian Seamen's Church this morning. Joining Wendell was his son, Brandon, 28, on bass and pianist Tom Hook. See the Photos page for a picture of the group after the service.

December 3
Deano Assunto, son of trumpeter Frank Assunto, co-founder of the original Dukes of Dixieland, celebrated his 53rd birthday this evening with a large gathering of friends in Metairie. The party also celebrated the favorable settlement of long-standing litigation regarding royalties and other issues with the present management of the Dukes. Incidentally, Deano's late uncle trombonist Freddie Assunto would have been 82 on the preceding day. For a picture of some of the guests at the party, see the Photos page.

December 2
I spent a pleasant evening last night catching up a bit on the local club scene. The first stop was an historic occasion since Vaughan's Lounge in the Upper Ninth Ward/​Bywater was celebrating its 30th anniversary! As usual, Kermit Ruffins and his group provided the Thursday night musical fare
--for his 18th year, no less--before a packed house. Kermit, who will be turning 47 later this month, was joined by regulars Richard Knox, keyboard; Kevin Morris, bass; and Derrick Freeman, drums. (Trombonist Corey Henry was in the audience.) It was historic in another sense since the group began their performance promptly (almost) at 7 pm (rather than the usual 10 pm). From now on, they will be there from 7 to 10 pm every Thursday night.

Another Thursday night group that I wanted to hear was the Tom McDermott Trio at Buffa's on Esplanade Avenue, at the edge of the Quarter. Pianist McDermott was joined by Aurora Nealand on soprano saxophone, clarinet and vocals. Nealand, a devoted Bechet disciple and California native, is one of the city's top young ladies in jazz. New Orleanian Nathan Lambert, a NOCCA grad, is a fine young bassist as well. This is a first-rate ensemble that can be heard every Thursday night from 8 to 11 pm.

See Photos page for pics of both of the above groups.

November 20
Trumpeters with local roots have been getting a good deal of national attention lately. Irvin Mayfield and Nicholas Payton were profiled in the "Jazz Times," and Troy Andrews graced the cover of "Downbeat."

November 19
Mayor Landrieu and a host of city officials were on hand yesterday to officially re-open Louis Armstrong Park, which had been left a mess by Hurricane Katrina and the bumbling efforts of a construction company hired by the previous mayor (who will remain nameless and hopefully forgotten). Among other things, the statue of Louis himself has been restored and given a new base overlooking the center of the expansive green space. Other attractive pieces of sculpture by various artists representing the likes of Buddy Bolden, Mahalia Jackson, a brass band, and Congo Square were also unveiled--and the bust of Sidney Bechet was re-located from the Congo Square area to a little grove in front of the Jackson Theatre. I chose to miss the opening ceremony and visit the site on the following day, a beautiful Saturday morning that made the whole setting even more attractive and appealing. Congratulations to the City Fathers for their efforts to restore this site and make it easily available to visitors once again.

Before I left the park, I stopped in to see a group of youngsters playing some familiar melodies in Perseverance Hall. It was the Saturday morning youth brass band program sponsored by the Jazz National Historical Park, just one of several such programs in the city to introduce young people to traditional New Orleans music. Programs of this kind assure us of the continued flow of young musicians into the professional ranks.

On the evening of the same day, I had the pleasure of attending the second free concert of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra led by trumpeter Irvin Mayfield at the Odgen Museum of Southern Art on Camp Street (Warehouse/​Arts District). The 18-piece ensemble is a dynamite band composed of some of the top jazz talent in the city. Unlike other big bands that have come and gone in this town, the NOJO is embarking on its 10th year on the scene and continues to grow and become known throughout the country (and beyond). The two evenings of music were billed as "Honoring the Past, Transforming the Future," a phrase that aptly describes the band's respect for the music of Ellington and the greats of the past as well as creating and performing the original music of today.

Mayfield is on the faculty of the University of New Orleans, so it was no surprise to have a mini concert before the main show by a group of young musicians from UNO's New Orleans Jazz Institute--yet another organization devoted to introducing youngsters to jazz. What was a surprise was to see and hear the talent of these kids, especially the Richburg brothers: 10-year-old trumpeter Blair (his trumpet was nearly as long as his arm) and drummer Brian (12). Keep these two names in mind because I guarantee you that they will be gaining wide acclaim in jazz circles less than a decade from now.

Check out the Photos page for illustrations of the above.

November 13
I had the pleasure of attending yesterday afternoon's dedication of the renovated third floor of the Old Mint/​Louisiana State Museum (see next paragraph). The opening dedication was followed by music by a "new look" Treme Brass Band that included several truly outstanding young musicians from the city. The band was joined by yet another young group of Mardi Gras Indians known as the "Wild Mohicans." The two groups combined to lead the large crowd up to the third floor of the museum for a reception and a performance by an all-star band led by trumpeter Wendell Brunious and featuring 88-year-old trombonist Wendell Eugene. Others in the band were: Tom Fischer, reeds; Roo Johnson, trombone; Steve Pistorius, piano; Richard Moten, bass; and Gerald French, drums. (See also Photos page.) While this new venue now joins the existing Visitors' Center on N. Peters St. and Perseverance Hall in Armstrong Park, it will replace the Visitors' Center as the location for the free Saturday afternoon concerts put on by the Jazz Park. (For a complete schedule of events, click on the Park's link at the right.)

November 12
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will mark the opening of the third floor of the renovated Old U. S. Mint. A joint undertaking of the New Orleans Jazz National Park and the Louisiana State Museum, the third floor will serve as both a performance space and a state-of-the-art recording studio. The day-long celebration will begin at noon on the 12th and will be open to the public. For more, click on the Jazz National Park's link at the right.

November 10.
Bill Huntington Trio from Hot Springs, Ark. at Snug Harbor. Bill Huntington is a well respected New Orleans bass player, guitarist and educator. He was professor of jazz at Loyola University and at the University of New Orleans. He played and toured with musicians such as Ellis Marsalis, Moses Allison, Lionel Ferbos and Dr John. His legacy as an educator is invaluable and many of today’s modern masters of the bass were his students. Bill evacuated from New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina with his wife in 2005 and settled in Hot Springs. This will be the first appearance in the Crescent City of his Arkansas trio, Clyde Pound on piano & Jay Patte on drums. I caught a bit of their gig at Snug, and it was good to see Huntington in typically top form again. Check out the group on the Photos page.

October 31
Happy Halloween!
It seems that I spent much of the past weekend with Lionel Ferbos and his band. On Saturday night (29th) Ferbos had his regular gig at the Palm Court Cafe. The honored guest for the evening was Pastor Vidar Svarva of the Norwegian Seamen's Church, who has become a great fan (and friend) of New Orleans jazz during the five years he has spent in the city. Unfortunately, he must now leave to take a post in Hamburg, Germany in early November. Needless to say, he will be greatly missed both by the church and the local jazz community.
Then, on Sunday the 30th, Ferbos and his band re-appeared at the last Nickel-A-Dance session of the season. The Maison was packed for the occasion though a sudden power outage in the neighborhood disrupted things for a while. See also Photos page.

New Orleans native Mahalia Jackson, considered by many the greatest gospel singer ever, was born in the Carrollton neighborhood on October 26, 1911. Accordingly, the centennial of her birth will be celebrated here beginning with a tribute concert at the Ogden Museum on October 20. Vocalists Leah Chase and Topsy Chapman will be featured, accompanied by a band led by pianist Matt Lemmler (including Evan Christopher and Herlin Riley). Beyond that, Dr. Michael White has put together a program of events at Xavier University beginning with a gospel mass on Sunday, October 23, and concluding with a centennial concert on the 26th. On the 27th, Bernice Johnson Reagon, co-founder of the ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock will be the featured guest. Finally, Cook Theatre at Dillard University will present stagings of the musical "Mahalia" on the weekends of October 28-30 and November 4-6. Ms. Jackson died from a heart condition on January 27, 1972.

October 24
Michael White put together a wonderful program as part of the Mahalia Jackson centennial at Xavier University, which he called "The New Orleans Roots of Mahalia Jackson." It aimed to illustrate the various local musical influences on Jackson before she left the city in 1927: jazz (she heard Oliver, Armstrong and Ory before they left town), brass band music, the blues as sung by Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, and sanctified gospel singing. He was ably assisted in his presentation by his Original Liberty Jazz Band: Gregg Stafford, trumpet; Lucien Barbarin, trombone, vocal; Detroit Brooks, banjo; Steve Pistorius, piano; Kerry Lewis, bass, tuba; and Herman LeBeaux, drums. Olivia Cooper and her spirited choir from the West Bank provided some fine gospel singing. Finally, Smith, Rainey and Mahalia herself were recalled by the powerful voice of Ms. Cynthia Girtley. A New Orleans native, Girtley was discovered by White less than two years ago and has already participated in a recording by him: "Adventures in New Orleans Jazz, Part I" (Basin Street Records). A second album, "A New Orleans Tribute to Mahalia Jackson," was produced by Ms. Girtley and is available on line or at the Louisiana Music Factory. "We merged traditional jazz," White says, "and the 1930s Mahalia gospel style to form a unique and exciting truly N. O. product. I am very proud of this one." Girtley is new to me, but she clearly has a mature gospel voice that deserves attention. Overall, it was an evening of excellent music and a most fitting tribute to Mahalia. (See also Photos page.)

October 23
The penultimate Nickel-A-Dance soiree for this season featured trumpeter(and vocalist) Gregg Stafford and his Jazz Hounds. The latter today included Wendell Eugene, trombone; Tom Sancton, reeds; Mari Watanabe, piano; Detroit Brooks, banjo; Kerry Lewis , bass; and Walter Harris , drums. At 88, Eugene is the second oldest (next to Lionel Ferbos) active jazz musician in the city.

October 18
Fritzels European Jazz Pub on Bourbon Street celebrated its 42nd anniversary as one of the city's leading venues for the presentation of traditional New Orleans jazz. An SRO crowd enjoyed the sounds of the excellent house band led by reedman Tom Fischer, who was joined by pianist Richard Scott (just back in town from his honeymoon), bassist Jesse Boyd and Gerald French on drums. (See also Photos page.)

Jazz at the Sandbar is back! The fall schedule is:
· Oct 5 Ellis Marsalis “Tribute to Thelonious Monk”
· Oct 12 Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson
· Oct 19 Vocalist Rhondi Charleston & Guitarist Dave Stryker
· Oct 26 Drummer Herlin Riley
(November guest artists to be announced.)
Concert times: 7:00 - 9:30pm.
Location: HOMER HITT ALUMNI CENTER, University of New Orleans
(Milneberg Road at the Lake on UNO campus)
General Admission: $5.00 at the door.

October 16
Guitarist-vocalist John Rankin put together a fine group of musicians for today's Nickel-A-Dance series. Joining Rankin were Clive Wilson, trumpet; Tom Fischer, reeds; John Mahoney, trombone and piano; Jesse Boyd, bass; and Gerald French, drums. The versatile Mahoney is coordinator of jazz studies at Loyola University, and Rankin is also on the music faculty of the school. See Photos page.

October 13
The National World War II Museum is an ever expanding complex at the corner of Magazine Street and Andrew Higgins Drive in the Warehouse District. It has become an important venue for musical performances (and dances) featuring music of the late '30s and '40s. (For more, check out www.ddaymuseum.org)

The Falconaires, the fine 16-piece big band from the U. S. Air Force Academy, made their local debut before a big crowd on the 13th. They played familiar music made famous by the likes of Les Brown, Tommy Dorsey, early Kenton, and, needless to say, "Major" Glenn Miller. They are good musicians, and the dancers loved their music. The band will be performing in the area for about a week, including a concert at Loyola University on October 19. (See Photos page.)

October 9
The second in the Nickel-A-Dance series took place this afternoon at The Maison. The music was provided by German-Danish trumpeter Norbert Susemihl and his New Orleans All-Stars: Susemihl, trumpet, vocals; Louis Ford, reeds; Charlie Halloran, trombone; Detroit Brooks, banjo, guitar; Shae Cohn, piano; Kerry Lewis, bass; and Ernie Elly, drums. In sum, a fine group that kept the many dancers on the floor. Susemihl, from Hamburg, Germany but now living in Denmark, has been visiting N. O. at least since the 1980s and is thoroughly at home with the traditional N.O. sound. (See Photos page.)

October 5
The October schedule at Snug Harbor has many interesting entries. Check it out at www.snugjazz.com/​calendar.

October 4
French Quarter Festivals announce a new Musician Sponsorship Program. Our
Community now has one more way to support the music it loves.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA (October 3, 2011) - French Quarter Festivals, Inc. announces the launch of the 2012 Musician Sponsorship Program, a new initiative designed to help keep the 'largest free music festival in the South' a high quality event that celebrates the best of New Orleans culture, while keeping it accessible to everyone and contributing to the economic well being of the French Quarter, the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana.

Contact French Quarter Festivals, Inc. at 504-522-5730 (email: georgia@​fqfi.org) for more information about the Musician Sponsorship Program.

Lucien Barbarin and his band played for a full house of dancers at the first session of this year's Nickel-A-Dance series on Sunday, October 2 at The Maison on Frenchmen Street. I was particularly pleased to see the number of young people among the dancers. It bodes well for the future of our music, I think. (See Photos page.)

The Norwegian Seamen's Church, 1772 Prytania Street in New Orleans, is but one of many such churches sponsored by the government of Norway in major port cities throughout the world. It has been active in our city for more than a century and, for a variety of reasons, has come to be known as "the jazz church" (Jazzkirken) both here and in Norway.

On October 2, a key member of the church's staff, Mr. Vidar Svarva, will be leaving to take a position in Hamburg, Germany. In his five years in NOLA, Vidar has come to be well-known in the local music community because of his love of New Orleans jazz. His departure will not only be a significant loss to our church but to the local jazz community as well. There was a special jazz service at the church in honor of Mr. Svarva. The Leroy Jones Quintet played for the service. (See Photos page.)

Watch for the annual Nickel-A-Dance series to begin in October. The schedule:

Sun., Oct. 2: Lucien Barbarin and his Magnificent Seven
Sun., Oct. 9: Norbert Susemihl and New Orleans All Stars
Sun., Oct. 16:John Rankin & the New Orleans Swing Masters
Sun., Oct. 23:Gregg Stafford & the Jazz Hounds
Sun., Oct. 30 Lionel Ferbos and the Palm Court Jazz Band

Be sure to mark your calendars because these are some of the best social and musical events of the year. They will take place from 4-7 pm each Sunday afternoon in October (rain or shine) at the Maison, 508 Frenchmen Street. AND, REMEMBER, IT'S FREE! (See N. O. Jazz Celebration link at right.)

The Cultural Alliance of the Americas announces a concert "LOUISANA SWING, where Cajun meets Western Swing" on Saturday, October 1 at the Abita Town Hall, Abita Springs, LA (North Shore). Featured performers include Beausoleil, Michael Doucet, Don Vappie and the Louisiana Swing Band. Advance tickets are $25, $30 a the door. For details, vist www.caota.org.

September 29
Dr. David Baker--musician, composer, National Endowment for the Arts "Jazz Master," Distinguished Professor of Music and Chairman of the Jazz Department in the acclaimed School of Music at Indiana University, Bloomington, and conductor and artistic director of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra--was in town to introduce new NEA Jazz Master Ellis Marsalis and help celebrate the "Dew Drop [Inn] Recalled." He gave a most interesting lecture at Loyola University today on the significance of jam sessions in the training of jazz musicians. He called such sessions one of the "main roads to be a successful player." Baker will be recognized with a book in his honor to be published by Indiana University Press in November. (I am proud to say that I have known Mr. Baker since we joined the IU faculty in the same year, 1966.) (See also the Photos page.)

September 26
For those interested in the New Orleans recovery, I strongly recommend the periodic publications of the Greater New Orleans Data Center (GNOCDC), the latest of which ("Who Lives in New Orleans Now?") can be found at their website GNOCDC.org.

The 19th annual Cutting Edge Music Business Conference is just around the corner once again. It is scheduled for September 21-24, and this year it will include the "NOLA Downtown Music and Arts Festival" that will "feature local, national, and international acts from places as far [sic] as Canada, London, and Guadeloupe." For more about the conference and festival see the link www.cuttingedgenola.com.

The Palm Court Jazz Cafe reopened, as promised, on Wednesday, September 21. The big news, however, is that Lionel Ferbos was back at his usual post (with trumpet in hand) on Saturday night, September 24. What is so remarkable about that is the fact that, at age 100, he has recovered from the three fractured ribs that he suffered just a month and a half ago--at least to the extent that he can play his horn once again. I might add that he looked great, and his singing voice was perhaps stronger than I've heard it in a long time. (See Photos page.)

September 17
Tim Laughlin and Connie Jones will be showcasing their fine new CD, "If Dreams Come True," at Snug Harbor this evening. These guys work so well together (in one another's band) probably because they are both native New Orleanians and March babies (despite their difference in age)... (That's just my guess, of course.) Shows are at 8 and 10 pm. Be there, if you can. Don't forget that a DVD was made to complement this CD. Both are available at www.timlaughlin.com. (Just for fun, I've added a pic on the Photos page of Connie and Tim playing together at French Quarter Fest in 1989! Do you recognize them?)


September 15
OffBeat Online is reporting today that "Tulane Unversity has named jazz trumpeter Nicholas Payton its Jazz Artist-in-Residence for 2011-2012. 'The jazz residency, a project of [the Gibson Foundation's] Music Rising,was created to help generate awareness of our important musical heritage,and to create a new generation of passionate musicians and advocates of New Orleans music,' said Rosalind Hinton, senior program manager of the New Orleans Center for the Gulf South at Tulane. 'This is a great moment for Tulane's jazz studies program and for Music Rising, to bring internationally acclaimed artists to campus to work with students.'"

September 6
The metro area of our city was pretty much spared by the arrival of Tropical Storm Lee. Despite four days of almost wall-to-wall rain (though the predicted 20" was never reached), dark skies and some street flooding, the city escaped serious injury. More serious flooding, however, was experienced in other parts of SE Louisiana. It's a lovely, cloudless, sunny day in New Orleans today...and, obviously, Lee did not turn into a hurricane.

One additonal bit of news. Harvard University announced today that Wynton Marsalis will continue his two-year lecture series with an appearance at Sanders Theatre on Sept. 15. The title of his lecture is "The Double Crossing of a Pair of Heels: The Dynamics of Social Dance
and American Popular Musics." "In this lecture, I will address the dynamic relationship between American music and social dance in our culture,” Marsalis said. “It will focus on what our dancing and music tell us about our traditions, our sense of community, and our rituals of courtship.” Traditional New Orleans jazz certainly started out as dance music, as we all know, and there is good evidence to believe that it is coming back as such. Tickets to the lecture are free and become available to the public on September 8...if you're in the neighborhood.

September 4
Thanks to Al Kennedy for the following note:

"Last Monday, Aug. 29, 2011, Lionel Ferbos, who fractured three ribs in early August, made one of his first public appearances at a special concert held at Irvin Mayfield's Club in the J.W. Marriott Hotel. Mr. Ferbos, New Orleans' oldest active jazz musician, enjoyed an evening full of music provided by Roy Hargrove, followed by Irvin Mayfield with a band that grew so large that many of the guest musicians had to stand with the audience.

As part of the evening's celebration, Mr. Mayfield presented Mr. Ferbos with a Lifetime Achievement award, and Mr. Mayfield's many warm remarks about Mr. Ferbos were broadcast by WWOZ. Mr. Ferbos and his family did not leave until the concert ended around midnight.

Mr. Ferbos is scheduled for a check-up this week, and he might get the clearance to begin practicing his trumpet again--after all, he is booked to perform at the Palm Court Jazz Cafe on Sept 24."

September 2
As we approach the Labor Day weekend and holiday, Tropical Storm Lee has entered the Gulf of Mexico and threatens to dump up to 20" of rain on Louisiana, we are told. The choppy waters of the Gulf have caused the off-shore oil facilities to shut down for the time being. So far, there has been no mention of the storm developing into a hurricane, but the possibility of street flooding in the city is very real.

August 30
I visited the Hurricane Katrina Memorial Mural which was unveiled in a ceremony yesterday evening. The mural is a listing of the names of the >1800 people (including "unknowns") whose lives were lost in the disaster. Those names are engraved on a polished granite wall of the Saratoga Building, 212 Loyola Avenue, one block from the Downtown Holiday Inn (the one with the clarinet mural). As I understand it, the project was overseen by local artist Terence Sanders, carried out by artist Nick Hasslock and funded by the Saratoga. (See Photos page.)

August 29
Even as we follow the last of "Irene," New Orleanians are reminded of the disaster called "Katrina"--and do not forget her sister "Rita", which followed soon after. It was six years ago today that Katrina struck our city, and we are still recovering from that blow. Things have improved considerably in the intervening years, but much remains to be done throughout the city, not least in the the most severely damaged areas of the Ninth Ward. Today, New Orleans is remembering the tragedy and the hundreds of lost lives with a host of "anniversary events." See Webmaster's Corner for some of my thoughts on the subject.

And the following from the fine organization, Sweet Home New Orleans:

"Today marks the 6th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. This storm, and the flooding that followed, created devastating monetary, physical, and emotional damage, but we in New Orleans have been picking ourselves up everyday since then. And we couldn't have gotten to where we are now without the help of countless kind strangers, many like yourselves, taking your vacations here to volunteer, sending donations, and even simply vacationing here and reviving our tourism. And for that, we thank you!

"From now until August 31st get the ‘Dear New Orleans’ benefit album for only $6 in observance of the 6th anniversary of Katrina: www.dearno.la. Dear New Orleans is an inspiring compilation of NOLA-centric music featuring MMJ, OK Go, The Wrens and many more great artists. Album proceeds benefit Gulf Restoration Network (http:/​/​healthygulf.org/​) and Sweet Home New Orleans (www.sweethomeneworleans.org). More info here: www.dearno.la."

Needless to say, direct contributions to SHNO would be most welcome.

August 28
A brand new $13.2M project that promises to revitalize a neighborhood had its grand opening today. The New Orleans Healing Center, an attractive 55,000 sq.ft. complex of restored historic buildings, is located at 2372 St. Claude Ave. (at the corner of St. Claude and St. Roch) in Faubourg Marigny. Included in today's celebration was music by the Treme Brass Band, John Boutte and Wendell Brunious, and Henry Butler presented in a performance hall that can accommodate some 400 people. This, along with "affiliated businesses" such as Preservation Hall, OffBeat magazine and Dr. Michael White, assures that music will continue to be part of the variety of activities offered by the Center. For more about those activities, see neworleanshealingcenter.org. (See also our Photos page for some views of the complex.)

August 25
The Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in the Musicians' Village in the Upper Ninth Ward had its grand opening this afternoon. The celebration was attended by Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis, the prime movers behind the creation of the $7.4M state of the art structure, along with the governor, the mayor and other members of the Marsalis family (Ellis and sons Delfeayo, Ellis III and Jason). The Center is located on Bartholomew St. in the center of the Village. The complex includes an acoustically remarkable performance hall (where Branford says he intends to record) and a "hangout lounge" named after the Dave Mathews Band which provided a $1.5M matching grant for the facility. Other funds came from state and private sources. (See Photos page.)

Since we are about to remember the 6th anniversary of Katrina, I seized the opportunity to visit the Make It Right Project in the neighboring Lower Ninth Ward. I was pleased to see that the building of new homes along Tennessee Street and elsewhere continues to move forward.

In the evening of the same day, I went down to Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse in the Royal Sonesta Hotel in the Quarter where the last night of a 7-night run of charitable "Love Sessions" (friendly "battles" between the bands of Mayfield and Kermit Ruffins)took place before an enthusiastic SRO audience. Mayfield's band consisted of pianist Davell Crawford (who now lives in New York), trombonist Michael Watson, bassist Peter Harris and ace drummer Shannon Powell. Ruffins led a group composed of Yoshitaka Tsuji, piano; Kevin Morris, bass; and Dewon Scott, drums. The two trumpeters exchanged friendly trash talk throughout the night to the entertainment of the large crowd. These concert sessions were started by Mayfield in 2009 to commemorate Katrina and raise funds for a variety of local charities. The trumpet battles will continue from August 26 through August 29, featuring the bands of Mayfield and New York trumpeter Roy Hargrove. They will take place in Mayfield's new "I" club in the J. W. Marriott Hotel (formerly the Meridien) on Canal Street. See Photos page.

August 5
Deano Assunto, son of trumpeter Frank Assunto of the original Dukes of Dixieland, gave me a wonderful DVD that he has prepared of old TV and other clips of the early years of the band. There is some nice 1958 footage with Jack Maheu from old Ed Sullivan shows, for example.

Deano reports the following in an email: "I've been working with SRI Records out of Los Angeles, who just recently has made some recordings I supplied to them. We're working on a third CD, but the first two are now available. You can hear and/​or order these recordings by going to
www.srirecords.com." [They include live recordings from as far back as 1952, when Frank was just 17 and Freddie was 19.]

The big news for the first week of August was, of course, the annual Satchmo SummerFest. The weather was steamy, but the music was hot and the crowds enthusiastic. Unfortunately, we were all saddened to learn just the day before the event began that Lionel Ferbos, who was to have appeared and performed at the festival, fell and fractured three ribs (said to be hairline fractures). He was hospitalized briefly, but he clearly could not play nor get around comfortably--so he was absent...but greatly missed. (I am pleased to report, a week later, that Lionel is at home and happily receiving visitors...but stricly observing doctor's orders to not practice his horn for the time being.)

It all began with an opening reception on Thursday evening, August 4. The keynote "conversation" was between Armstrong House archivist Ricky Riccardi and Brit music writer Richard Havers, who discussed the brand new 10-CD boxed set (including 200 pp. book), "Satchmo," published by Universal/​Verve. This is a monumental project which, according to Havers, only began last November. He summarized the history of the undertaking, and the two then played some audio excerpts from the collection. Impressive.

Later in the evening, Dr. John joined with venerable producer George Avakian to discuss their upcoming CD, "Dr. John Meets Louis Armstrong." The album is due out next year on the Proper Records label. It should be interesting.

The festival got fully underway on Friday, the fifth, culminating in the evening with the annual Satchmo Club Strut. Riccardi, author of the fine new volume, "What a Wonderful World," proved to be--not undeservedly--the star of the festival, appearing in one capacity or another on each of the days. He has already given his take on the event in his blog, http:/​/​dippermouth.blogspot.com, so I shall happidly refer all readers to that.

From my point of view, it was great to see and hear many old friends of the festival, such as Avakian, Dan Morgenstern, Michael Cogswell, Yoshio and Keiko Toyama, as well as guests like (former New Orleanian) Dave Sager, John McCusker, Sandra Dartus and a host of fine musicians and musical groups. Though somewhat truncated from previous editions, it was, as always, a wonderful experience. We thank Marci Schramm and her staff from French Quarter Festivals Inc. for putting on another great show. My Photos page has some sample fest pics.

Yet more tributes for Mr. Ferbos. Another birthday party--replete with large crowd, dancers and a birthday cake--was held on Sunday, July 31, in the main hall of the World War II Museum in the Warehouse District. The acoustics of the room leave something to be desired, but Lionel was really belting out the tunes. See Photos page for pics.

It's nice to learn that the Funky Pirate (next door to Fritzels) is adding two nights of live trad jazz music to its weekly music schedule(Sundays and Mondays). Big Al Carson and his blues band will continue to hold forth on the other five nights of the week.

The long-awaited opening of Irvin Mayfield's second upscale live music club, "Irvin Mayfield's I Club", took place on July 28. It is located in the JW Marriott Hotel, 614 Canal St. Mayfield's Los Hombres Calientes will be featured there for the opening weekend. For a schedule and other details, see www.IClubOnline.com or call (504) 527-6712.

Lionel Ferbos's 100th birthday celebration was a huge success, as expected. It covered two evenings--July 16 and 17--of packed houses at the Palm Court Jazz Cafe, and Lionel himself was in top form. The kudos for his achievements keep rolling in and are far too numerous to recount here. I might note, however, the front section coverage in Friday July 15's USA TODAY and a video on Ricky Riccardi's blogsite (Sunday, July 17, 2011 Happy 100th Birthday, Lionel Ferbos! (Posted by Ricky Riccardi, a regular recent contributor to Satchmo SummerFest.) (See http:/​/​dippermouth.blogspot.com) There was also a piece in the July 24 New York Times. I owe note of thanks for that to Al Kennedy as well as the birthday cake pic on the Photos page. Ferbos clarinetist Brian O'Connell had a great line on Saturday night: "We've booked the Superdome for Lionel's 200th." And I'll be posting soon my brief tribute to Ferbos that appeared in the July issue of Offbeat magazine on the Works page of this site.

Ferbos will be honored once again on Wednesday, August 3, at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre in Armstrong Park during the 4th annual Asante Foundation awards. That date, by the way, is the day before the beginning of the annual Satchmo SummerFest, which runs from the 4th to the 7th of August. (For more on that, see www.fqfi.org/​satchmosummerfest.) And don't forget the annual Club Strut on August 5, always a lively component of SatchFest. For more on that check out nojc.org/​strut.

Incidentally, The Palm Court closed for its summer vacation on Monday, July, 18. It will re-open in September 21. (I'll keep you posted.) In the meantime, many thanks to Nina Buck and Kathy Edegran for their hosting of the wonderful Ferbos celebration.

For all fans of Jack Maheu, you should know about his brand new website created by his son John. By checking out the site, you can learn how to purchase rare recordings by the wonderful clarinetist. Visit http:/​/​jackmaheu.weebly.com or call John Jr. at (607) 319-0045. The website's address is only temporary. Its official name will soon be www.jackmaheu.com.

Kurt Nicewander was in town over the July 4 weekend and put together an all-star Onward Brass Band for a concert at the Jazz Park's Visitor's Center on Saturday, July 2. The group included Wendell Brunious and Charlie Miller, trumpets; Otis Bazoon and Christian Winther, reeds; Roo Johnson, trombone; Herbert McCarver, Jr., sousaphone; Tanio Hingle, bass drum; and Nicewander on snare drum. The house was packed, and they gave the band a standing ovation after the first set. The second set ended with the band leading a second line parade throughout the room. Kurt says that he is planning another Onward CD (see their quick link at the right). (See also the photos page.)

On the following evening, July 3, Kurt and I caught the wonderful 18-piece big band led by trombonist/​pianist/​composer/​arranger and Loyola music prof John Mahoney. It would be impossible for me to name all the outstanding members of the band, but, in addition to Mahoney on bone, other familiar names would be Bobby Campo, trumpet; Delfeayo Marsalis, trombone; Ray Moore, alto saxophone; Clarence Johnson, tenor saxophone and clarinet, Jason Mingledorff, baritone sax, and so on. You get the idea, anyway. I have praised the Mahoney band in this space before, and I do so again. They deserve to be heard much more widely. (See Nicewander photos on the photos page.)

An Armstrong Park/​Jazz Park Update: Perseverance Hall No. 4, a 19th century dance hall, where black bands led by the likes of trumpter Kid Rena are said to have played for dancers, has finally been restored (on the ground floor only) and will be open one day per week (Saturdays). It will serve as a venue for children's programs which until now had been held on Saturday mornings at the Visitors' Center of the Jazz National Historical Park on N. Peters St. PH#4 is a core structure in the the planned JNHP and, I am told, will eventually be used for other purposes as well. Incidentally, 1) the Mahalia Jackson Theater has now been up and running for special events for some time, but 2) Louis Armstrong's statue (ruined by a repair crew several years ago) remains in a state of disrepair. That's a disgrace, IMO. (See pics on Photos page.)

The next jazz camp to be aware of is the Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp, primarily for younger people. It begins July 5 and continues through July 22. The artistic director is Edward "Kidd" Jordan, and artists in residence are Sam Rivers and Norma Miller. For more, check the web at www.louisarmstrongjazzcamp.com or call (225) 223-5225.

The second annual New Orleans Traditional Jazz Camp--for adults--is scheduled for June 5 to June 10. For details, see link at right, check out info@​neworleanstradjazzcamp.com or call (504) 895-0037. Actually, if you scroll down to the bottom on the Photos page, you'll see Banu Gibson, one of the directors of the camp, along faculty member Kerry Lewis from last year's camp. This year's camp seems to have been as successful, if not more so, than last year's. It drew 80 participants from three foreign countries and 18 US states, ranging in age from 14 to 88! It's a wonderful event, so look for details on the link at the right for news about next year's camp.

Preservation Hall will be celebrating its golden anniversary on Wednesday evening, June 8. There will be live performances by the Treme Brass Band at 8:15, followed by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at 9:15. Just 50 years ago this month Larry Borenstein transformed his art gallery into what has become the legendary jazz venue. For more about the event, see PreservationHall.com.

For those of you with access to the Big Apple, the National Jazz Museum in Harlem will feature 90-minute discussions led by jazz journalist Larry Blumenfeld, who has written extensively about our city since Katrina. Entitled "Tuning into Treme: Secrets of Congo Square," he will use the second season of the Treme television series to "frame a wide-ranging consideration of jazz culture in New Orleans and its role in recovery." As I understand it, these conversations begin on Tuesday June 7 at the NJMH Visitors Center. For details, call (212) 348-8300.

This reminder from Al Kennedy: Bassist Peter "Chuck" Badie was 86 on May 17. A birthday celebration will be held at The Palm Court Jazz Cafe on Saturday, May 21. For those wishing to send him a birthday card, his mailing address is 1809 Alvar St., NOLA 70117. (That's in the Musicians' Village.)

As part of President Drew G. Faust's effort to promote the arts, Harvard University announced in early April that Wynton Marsalis would be delivering six "lectures" over the next two years at the university. His first presentation, entitled "Music as Metaphor," took place on April 28 and, according to reports I've seen, was a success. "With an intermission," we are told, "it lasted three hours and very few [of the large audience] left early (despite Harvard University's final exams looming.)" I have not seen the dates or titles of Marsalis' subsequent lecture-peformances. My guess is that they would eventually be published as a group.

Jazzfest 2011 is now a part of the historical record. I attended only one day--Friday, May 6--of the final weekend. (I had another book signing that day.) But I think it was a good choice for hearing music. There was far more to hear than I could get to, as always. I will add some pics to the Photos page to give you an idea about it, but I will hold the following comments to a minimum.

It was great to see clarinetist Joe Torregano back on stage after the serious bout of illness that he endured during the past year. And the same goes for the indefatigable Lionel Ferbos, who was honored by the Jazz and Heritage Foundation for his upcoming centennial (remember it's July 17). 83-year-old reedman Bob Wilber was in town from the U. K. along with his talented protege Nik Payton. They were interviewed and also performed with their colleague Dr. Michael White (and some sterling sidemen) in a tribute to Sidney Bechet. Incidentally, Payton, a Brit, has been living and working in Brazil for the last 10 years. Tim Laughlin, as always, put on a good show, accompanied by the great Connie Jones. And Topsy Chapman, along with her talented daughters Yolanda and Jolinda, who together form Solid Harmony, gave an upbeat performance accompanied by, again, a fine group of sidemen. (I really like the tenor-playing of Christian Winther.) Finally, I had to catch a bit of the famed Mingus Big Band, a kick-a$$ 14-piece ensemble. But I've always had a hard time getting into the music of Charlie Mingus. Nevertheless, it brought an end to another lovely day at The Fest. The weather was uniformly beautiful this year.

Don Marquis, author of the seminal "In Search of Buddy Bolden," celebrated his 78th birthday at the Palm Court Cafe on May 4. The music that accompanied the birthday party was special as well. First off was Lars Edegran and his Triolian String Band...with Sammy Rimington on mandolin. (Rimington says he started out in music at 12 on the guitar rather than the clarinet.) That was followed by a tribute to Satchmo with trumpeter Wendell Brunious and the wonderful Topsy Chapman on vocals. The house was packed, and I know that Don and all others in attendance had a great night. See Photos page.

The New Orleans Jazz Club will be celebrating its 63rd annual party from 1:00 to 5:00 pm on Tuesday, May 3, at the Palm Court Jazz Cafe. Tim Laughlin and his band will provide the music, and there will be an open jam session as well. Fred Hatfield, editor of the Second Line Magazine will again be the master of ceremonies. Everyone is welcome, and there will be a donation of $10.

One of the interesting revelations of late April and early May was that the N. O. City Council has--finally--restored the original name to Congo Square in Armstrong Park. For the last 118 years it had offically been known as Beauregard Square. Mayor Landrieu also promises to have Armstrong Park up and running by the end of the year. As many of you may know, it has been a mess since Katrina--further messed up by a bungled construction project (that ruined the Armstrong statue itself) done under the brilliant leadership of former mayor Ray Nagin.

And, in this connection, I should mention the appearance of what appears to be a fine new book, Congo Square, African Roots in New Orleans by Freddi Williams Evans and published by the University of Louisiana Lafayette Press. I just acquired my own copy of the book in early May. (Could the research of Ms. Evans have inspired the official renaming of the site mentioned above?)

The first weekend of Jazzfest 2011 is now history. I was there for the first day (Friday, April 29) but skipped Saturday and Sunday. The weather was gorgeous, and the crowds were large.

I began my day by arising early for the 9 a.m. (the second, I believe) annual Sync-Up music business conference held at the nearby New Orleans Museum of Art. I found it as useful as last year's gathering, put together by Scott Aiges of the Jazz & Heritage Foundation. I intend to be there again on the second weekend. For more about what it is all about, check out www.jazzandheritage.org/​sync-up.

I then headed to the Book Tent on the fairgrounds for my book signing at 1:00 pm. Trad jazz does not seem to be a hot item for most fest-goers...

Then it was on to the music. As always, one struggles to juggle the time table and the competing bands one wants to hear--so compromise is inevitable. Nevertheless, I managed to see and hear a good bit of what I wanted. That included Clive Wilson and his New Orleans Serenaders featuring Butch Thompson, an interview with Tom McDermott and the wonderful NY clarinetist Anat Cohen (and later Cohen's performance with her quartet), talented local singer Meschiya Lake and her band, Connie Jones and his Crescent City Allstars, clarinetist Louis Ford and his band, Los Hombres Calientes with Irvin Mayfield and Bill Summers, the fine Golden Striker Trio with pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Ron Carter and guitarist Russell Malone, and--because Haiti was this year's featured locale--The Haitian-New Orleans Connection with Dr. Michael White, his band and a host of exciting musicians and music from the island of Haiti. (Every year the NOJ&HF celebrates the music, food and culture of a different country. This year the country was Haiti.) I missed many good groups as well, but such is Jazzfest. I was pleased with what I did manage to hear. (See the photos page for some rather unusual shots of the day's music.)

Rhythm on the River, sponsored by the Historic New Orleans Collection, will take place on Tuesday, April 19. It features lectures by former Natchez captain Doc Hawley and trumpeter Duke Heitger, along with a musical dinner cruise on the Natchez itself. The theme is the relationship between early jazz and the Mississippi steamboats. It all begins at 5 pm at the HNOC and concludes with the docking of the boat at 9 pm. For information call (504) 569-1401 or book online at www.neworleanssteamboat.com/​RhythmofRiver/​reserve.html.

I attended a book signing and interesting talk by Irvin Mayfield for his brand new book, A Love Letter to New Orleans, on April 17. The book is a collection of very personal essays by Mayfield covering topics from James Booker and N. O. pianists to race in America and the loss of his father as a result of Katrina. The cover photo is by Herman Leonard, with a foreword by CNN's Soledad O'Brien. And the package includes a compilation CD of some of Irvin's recordings. It can be ordered on line at www.basinstreetrecords.com. (Incidentally, I am pleased to say that Irvin Mayfield is Chapter 5 in my book.)

NOLA Art House Music Group will debut a concert in its "Dream Out Loud" music series on April 16 at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp Street (Warehouse District). The concert will feature the original compositions and arrangements of New Orleans-based musicians, trumpeter Edward Anderson, clarinetist Evan Christopher, and pianist Matt Lemmler. The concert starts at 8 pm. For more information, contact the Ogden at (504) 539-9600.

French Quarter Festival 2011 is now history. From all indications, the four-day event (April 7-10) was a huge success. (Results released on April 13 indicate that the attendance was a record 533,000.) The sun-drenched Quarter was teeming with cheerful bodies--despite heat indexes that must have been close to 100. There was wall-to-wall music of all styles familiar to New Orleans, but I managed to hear only a tiny fraction of it. Yet let me try to summarize--with the help of pics on the Photos page--the highlights of my experiences this year.

As usual, cornetist Connie Jones and his French Quarter All Stars opened the proceedings on the main stage in Jackson Square on Friday. He was joined by special guest Pete Fountain, who was around for about the first third of the set, distinguished former New Orleanians Bob Havens (trombone), Ed Wise (bass) and Hal Smith (drums). The latter three sat in with several bands over the weekend.

Next up on the same stage was Banu Gibson and her New Orleans Hot Jazz. In addition to her regular stalwarts like David Boeddinghaus, she had Ed Polcer on cornet, Ray Moore on clarinet and tenor sax and, once again, Smith on drums and Havens on trombone.

I should mention a new local big band, Swingaroux. They call themselves a "new generation big band" and drew a very positive response from the large crowd.

Lionel Ferbos (trumpet and vocals) and his Louisiana Shakers--Jamie Wight, cornet; Brian O'Connell, clarinet; Roo Johnson, trombone; Seva Venet, banjo; Kerry Lewis, bass; and Ernie Elly, drums--was next up on the same stage. It was good to see Mr. Lionel without his oxygen inhaler.

As always, there were a number of fine brass bands on the brass band stage over the weekend. I managed to catch a couple of familiar old names: Leroy Jones and his Original Hurricane B. B. as well as the Onward B. B. led by Kurt Nicewander.

Let me just mention some of the other good bands that I managed to catch sight of: Steve Pistorius and his Southern Syncopators, Clive Wilson's New Orleans Serenaders, Tony Green's Gypsy Jazz*, Orange Kellin's New Orleans Deluxe Orchestra and wonderful young vocalist Meschiya Lake and "dem Little Big Horns." The latter band drew a large crowd of young listeners and dancers--which, for me--is a very encouraging signal for our
music. (*The new documentary film--"Who the Hell is Tony Green?"--debuted at the Howlin' Wolf on April 21. Look for it at film festivals soon.)

The Old Algiers RiverFest, a weekend festival that has become one of the spring's best in the city, opened the spring music festival season. This year's OARF begins at noon on Saturday, April 2, and draws to a conclusion on Sunday afternoon, April 3, with a performance by Michael White's Liberty Jazz Band beginning at 5:30. For a complete schedule of performances, see their website at www.oldalgiersriverfest.com. I was able to attend only the Saturday performances--for which, see the Photos page.

Look for the 11th annual Bill Russell Lecture at the Williams Research Center of the Historic New Orleans Collection on Friday, April 8. This year's presentation is entitled "Ragtime's Roots and Revival: How a New Orleans-Based Orchestra Gave New Life to the Works of Early Ragime Composers." Clarinetist Tom Sancton and the New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra will explore the musical contributions of three of the best-known composers of the ragtime era: Armand J. Piron, Scott Joplin and James Scott. Admission will be $10.

The Christina Perez Trio is one of many good young jazz groups in the city that play music of the pre-Bop era. The combo consists of Perez, vocals and guitar; Mark Welke, guitar; and Greg Agid, clarinet, tenor and soprano saxes. Agid is a fine young player whom I have mentioned in this space a number of times. I chanced upon the group for the first time at the Maison on March 27 and was impressed with their talents. They can be heard there on many Sunday evenings as well as at other venues around town, so look for them when you can. (See Photos page.)

The United States Postal Service unveiled a new jazz stamp in New Orleans at a ceremony Saturday, March 26, at 11 am at the Contemporary Arts Center, 900 Camp Street in the Warehouse District.

The Jazz at the Sandbar series at UNO has announced its schedule for the spring:

3/​16 Saxophonist VICTOR GOINES w/​ the UNO (student) Jazz Orchestra
3/​23 Vocalist SACHAL VASANDANI w/​ the UNO Jazz Voices
3/​30 Guitarist TODD DUKE w/​ the UNO Guitar Ensembles I & II
4/​6 Pianist LARRY WILLIS w/​ Chris Adkins' Combo and Ed Petersen's Combo
4/​13 Brazilian multi-instrumentalist CARLOS MALTA w/​ Brian Seeger's Combo & the Outer Galaxies Ensemble
4/​20 Clarinetist DR. MICHAEL WHITE w/​ the UNO Trad Ensemble & the UNO Hot Club
4/​27 Donald Harrison w/​ Tate Carson's Combo and Chris Adkins' Combo
5/​4 Drummer BRIAN BLADE w/​UNOJO & Brian Seeger's Combo
All performances are presented by the UNO Jazz Studies Program with support from the New Orleans Jazz Celebration, the UNO Student Government Association, and the Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro.
Concert times: 7:30 - 10:00pm.
Location: Flambeau Room, UNO University Center, Lakefront Campus. General Admission: $5.00. Faculty, Staff & Student Admission: FREE.

I attended the first in this series of concerts featuring the wonderful saxophonist (tenor and soprano) Victor Goines. (Unfortunately, he left his clarinet at home for this gig...) Goines has been director of the Northwestern University jazz studies program for the last three years after leaving a similar post at Juilliard. Goines was joined and backed by the talented UNO Jazz Orchestra. A member of that band, incidentally, is trombonist Wes Anderson IV, who happens to be the son of saxophonist Wess "Warm Daddy" Anderson, who, like Goines, is a New Orleanian who has worked with Wynton Marsalis.

I also attended the performances of pianist Larry Willis on April 6 and Dr. Michael White on April 20. In the latter, talented local multi-instrumentalist Matt Perrine directed UNO's traditional jazz unit. It's great to see a university jazz program these days that gives serious attention to the early history of jazz. (See Photos page.)

One of the aims of my new book, Traditional New Orleans Jazz…, was to emphasize that trad jazz is still alive and well in our city. Another aim was to show that the city acts as something of a magnet for talented young musicians from far and near who want to play this music. What I would like to say at this point--I expect to say more in due course--is that both phenomena, if anything, are more true now than ever.

All one needs to do to experience these happenings is pay a visit to the neighborhood that is fast becoming the current focal point of the New Orleans music scene, that area (Marigny) which centers upon Frenchmen Street in the blocks just across Esplanade Avenue from the French Quarter. In clubs such as the Spotted Cat, the Maison (both upstairs and downstairs) and d.b.a. one can hear almost every night groups that feature many fine young musicians playing music of the ‘20s and ‘30s. The Frenchmen Street music scene is not new, but I would say that it has become increasingly hot since the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. In fact, a number of these bright young talents immigrated to the city from around the country to help us recover from that disaster. They started out by busking as street musicians in the Quarter.

Who are some of these young lions, and from where have they come? I would begin with trumpeter Ben Polcer, 32, a first-rate player who grew up in New York City as the son of veteran Condon’s trumpeter Ed Polcer. Ben met up with a young clarinet player from Philadelphia by the name of Michael Magro whose idol is clearly George Lewis, and they formed a group called Loose Marbles. I first heard the Marbles at Tom McDermott’s home four or five years ago. The group still exists, but the personnel has changed over the years. They added a young lady on piano, Shaye Cohn, 28, also from the East Coast, who happens to be the daughter of well-known jazz guitarist Joe Cohn and granddaughter of the late, great saxophonist Al Cohn. Shaye is conservatory-trained and a multi-instrumentalist. Playing cornet, she has lately started her own group known as Tuba Skinny (who just issued their third CD). A wonderful blues singer in that group is a young lady by the name of Erika Lewis. Still another wonderful young female singer of the blues is Meschiya Lake, who grew up in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Keep an ear out for both of these young ladies. A fine trombonist, Charlie Halloran, 27, can be heard with the Marbles, but, like Polcer, he also appears at Fritzels and other venues in the city.

I could go on with this list of new young players in town, but these are at least some of my favorites. The important thing--besides their musicianship--is that they have created a following of equally young people who show up at their gigs and are terrific dancers. The whole conjures up images of a bygone era and provides a renewed vitality to the traditional jazz scene in the Birthplace of Jazz. (See Photos page.)

The latest issue of The Jazz Archivist (Vol. 23, 2010), the occasional publication of the Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane University, contained two interesting autobiographical pieces. The first (pp. 2-20) is by clarinetist Michael White, entitled "Dr. Michael White: The Doc Paulin Years (1975-1979)." The second (pp. 21-29) is "My Life in Jazz" by author and Bolden historian Don Marquis. I recommend both warmly. If you would like to be a subscriber to this periodical, write the Hogan Archive, 6801 Freret Street, Room 304, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118-5682.

Al Kennedy reports that the annual spring Nickel-A-Dance series begins on Sunday, March 13, and continues for each of the following three Sundays. The free program is from 4 to 7 pm at The Maison on Frenchmen Street and features the following lineup:

March 13: Frank Oxley's Joint Chiefs of Jazz
March 20: Orange Kellin's New Orleans Deluxe Orchestra
March 27: Lionel Ferbos & The Palm Court Jazz Band
A lagniappe performance on April 3: Benny Grunch and the Bunch

These gatherings are always a great place to meet friends and hear good music. Y'all come down and enjoy yourselves.


I dropped in to Fritzel's last night (January 27) for the first time in months (my bad) and experienced a very pleasant evening of music. Tom Fischer's Quartet--Fischer (clarinet, vocals), Richard Scott (piano, vocals), Brad Truby (bass) and Gerald French (drums, vocals)--provided the music. A hot and swinging group that brought to mind the Goodman small groups of the '30s. (See Photos page for a couple of pics.)

An unexpected surprise was the appearance, about halfway through the first set, of veteran NY cornetist Ed Polcer. Polcer (soon to be 74) has been splitting his time between New York and New Orleans for the last year or so, spending increasingly more time here. One of the reasons for that of course is his son Ben who has been living here and playing with a variety of groups--perhaps most notably the fine young band known as "Loose Marbles"--for three or four years now. (Incidentally, I intend to be writing about the number of very talented young musicians in town at some length in the near future.) Ed, who can be heard at a number of local venues (including the early show on Saturday nights at Fritzels), added that another motive for being here is that there is much more work for him than in the Big Apple. I have to say that it is very nice to have another veteran pro like him in town.

Fritzel's also celebrated the release of its new CD, "Fritzel's New Orleans Jazz Band, Volume 2" that very evening. It is a collection of 15 trad evergreens played by the guys whom one can hear on a regular basis at the club: cornetists Charlie Fardella and Chuck Brackmen; reedmen Fischer and Tim Laughlin; pianist Scott; Barry Foulon, banjo; bassists Truby and Jesse Boyd; and drummers French and Bryan Besse. With guys like that, how can it be bad? For details, visit www.fritzels.net or email bdt@​cox.net.

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival announced its music schedule in mid-January. For details, see the quick link at the right. This year's Jazzfest runs from April 29 to May 1 and May 5 to May 8.

The annual NEA Jazz Masters awards ceremony took place at Lincoln Center in NYC on January 11. For the first time in history a family--the Marsalis Family (our own Ellis and sons Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason) were among the honorees. Other Jazz Masters named this year were flutist Hubert Laws, saxophonist David Liebman, composer Johnny Mandel and producer Orrin Keepnews. As noted below, Liebman and Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis performed earlier in the week at the JEN Conference in New Orleans.

A related sad note. It looks these will be the last Jazz Masters awards to be made. As of mid-February, the word out of D. C. is that the NEA is cutting out the program for budgetary reasons. Stay tuned for details.

This year's French Quarter Festival, the 28th annual, has added a day to it's schedule. It will now begin on Thursday, April 7 and run through Sunday, April 10. It's not too soon to start making your plans to be part of it. For updated details, see the quick link at the right.

The annual meeting of the Jazz Education Network (JEN), "Honoring Performance in the Birthplace of Jazz," opened at the historic Roosevelt Hotel on January 5. The conference was expected to attract some 2,500 jazz musicians and educators from around the country and beyond, including a number of very large names in the business, who would be engaged in seminars, panels, clinics and live daytime and evening performances through January 8. The schedule of activities can be seen at www.jazzednet.org.

The event got off to a slow start on the 5th, with most of the day devoted to registration of the conferees. There were two live concerts in the evening, however. Topsy Chapman and her fine vocal group, Solid Harmony, opened the evening in the hotel's legendary Blue Room, followed by Dr. Michael White and his quartet. While I missed the perfomances because of a raging cold, I was pleased to see that two excellent groups from our city were accorded opening day billing on the schedule, especially since both are solid members of the traditional music scene in New Orleans.

The last three days of the conference featured many outstanding performances, only a fraction of which I was able to attend. Among the jazz notables who made appearances were legendary pianist Junior Mance and his quintet, pianist Lynne Arriale and her trio with trumpeter Randy Brecker and soprano saxophonist Dave Liebman who appeared with the excellent U. S. Air Force big band, the Airmen of Note. All received rousing receptions from the more than 2000 people who jammed the Roosevelt Ballroom for each evening performance.

Several local bands also brought the ballroom's crowds to their feet: the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the fine John Mahoney Big Band featuring clarinetist Evan Christopher (this was the first time they had worked together), Don Vappie and his Creole Serenaders and the brash Uptown Jazz Orchestra of trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis. The latter was truly a big band. How often does one see a seven-piece reed section? I must say that I think Delfeayo has finally found his niche with this exciting unit. Likewise, Mahoney and his excellent aggregration deserve to be heard much more widely than they are at present.

Just a few oddments in conclusion. A couple of Dukes of Dixieland alumni--trombonist Harry Watters and trumpter J. B. Scott--were on the program. SFC Watters leads the U.S. Army's Swamp Romp, a popular dixieland and blues group. He also sat in with the Dirty Dozen. Scott, on the jazz faculty at the University of North Florida, performed with a group of UNF faculty and alumni, including saxophonist Bunky Green.

Look for the release in March of the book and six CD set JAZZ: The Smithsonian Anthology. This project promises to outdo all previous Smithsonian history of jazz anthologies. It consists of a well-illustrated book of some 200 pages plus 111 tracks of jazz classics on six CDs and will sell for $107. You can pre-order now, at a discount, at www.folkways.si.edu.

For a selection of photographs from the conference, see the Photos page.

The Grande Dame of New Orleans Jazz, Helen Arlt, was honored on December 18 with a celebration of her 89th birthday (which is on December 22). The event took place, fittingly, at the Norwegian Seamen's Church on Prytania Street, where Ms. Helen was actively involved in a variety of activities for many years. (She lived just across the street from the church until about a year and half ago.) A large crowd of friends and admirers were on hand for the occasion, including, of course, many local musicians. A band composed of Connie Jones, trumpet; Tim Laughlin, clarinet; Lars Edegran, piano; John Parker, banjo/​vocals; John Rankin, guitar/​vocals; Tom Saunders, bass; and Charles Kohlmeyer, drums, provided the music, and Helen was the first to take to the dance floor! Many other musicians were on hand: Evan Christopher, Eddie Bayard, Clive Wilson, Banu Gibson, David Boeddinghaus, Steve Pistorius, Larry Scala, Leroy Jones and Seva Venet, to name those whom I saw before having to leave early. I am told that most of them sat in later. (See Photos page, and I am adding a brief tribute to Helen on my home page.)

The Louis Prima Centennial Colloquium was held on Saturday, December 11 on the Tulane campus. Its primary purpose was to celebrate the life and accomplishments of a musician who combined art and entertainment.

The program consisted of presentations by five notable music historians and critics, who spoke on the following topics: Dan Morgenstern (Louis Prima and Pee Wee Russell: A Great Unsung Partnership); Will Friedwald (Deconstructing Louis: The Life, the Legend, the Lasagna); Marcello Piras (Prima di Prima [Before Prima]: Some Historical Background); Jack Stewart (Something Old, Something New, Something Unexpected); and Elijah Wald (Louis Prima and the Timelessness of Jumping, Jiving and Wailing). (See Photos page.)

In a nutshell, one might summarize the program as a means of illustrating that Prima began his career as a first-rate jazz trumpeter who attained a major reputation as such before reaching the age of 30, then chose to turn to a career as a musical entertainer. As a trumpet player, he was heavily influenced by Armstrong. As an entertainer, his influence extended to the likes of Tony Bennett and Sinatra and his Rat Pack. I must say that I took away from this program a new appreciation for Louis Prima.

The lectures were filmed in their entirety. For details for that and the colloquium in general, contact Dr. Bruce B. Raeburn of the Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane, one of the sponsoring organizations, at raeburn@​tulane.edu.

And when you are next in the French Quarter, check out Legends Park on Bourbon Street, where statues of some of the city's entertainment legends stand. A statue of Louie Prima was added to the group on December 4.

The N.O. Jazz&Heritage Foundation is sponsoring the third annual Treme Creole Gumbo Festival December 11 and 12 at the J&H Center, 1225 N. Rampart St. The headliners include Kermit Ruffins, Big Sam's Funky Nation, John Boutte, Glen David Andrews, Shamarr Allen and the Treme Brass Band. For the complete schedule, see TremeGumboFest.com.

Jim and Martha Hession, joined by bassist Steve "Trapper" Braun, put on a wonderful mini-concert on November 29 at the Crescent City Health Care Center to honor their friend and musical colleague Jack Maheu who is a resident at the Center. Part of the reason for their doing so was simply a gesture of friendship, but they were also saying goodbye to their friend. Maheu, 80, will be leaving New Orleans on Saturday, December 4 and heading to Ithaca, New York where he will take up residency with his son John and family. For those wishing to contact Jack, he can be reached (for the time being, at least) at: 117 James St., Ithaca, NY 14850 (telephone 617/​319-0045). Jack will be missed by his many friends in New Orleans, but we know that he will be in very good hands with son John. (See Photos page.)

Sad news. Richard "Dickie" Taylor, drummer and former leader of the Dukes of Dixieland, is seriously ill. He is in the Intensive Care Unit, room 211, of the Heart Hospital in Lacombe, LA (North Shore). His family could be reached via the following telephone number: (985)774-3264. See Comings & Goings.

A memorial celebration for the late Walter Payton Jr. was held on Saturday morning, November 20, at Preservation Hall. After a half-hour ceremony inside the Hall (for musicians, relatives and close friends), presided over by the Hall's director Ben Jaffe, the musicians emerged and made their way through a huge throng that had gathered outside the building. The second-line parade proceeded from St. Peter St., turning right on Bourbon, then to St. Philip St., pausing at McDonough 15 School where Payton taught music for so many years, and on through the French Quarter to Jackson Square. The large turnout was a clear reflection of the community's affection for Mr. Payton. (See Photos page.)

I finally got around to checking out the fall Sandbar Series at UNO by attending the final performance of the season (the series will resume in the spring) on November 17. The evening's concert featured vocalists, first the UNO Jazz Voices, a student ensemble led by faculty member Cindy Scott. I was impressed--especially with the student voices of Myriam Gaasbeek (from The Netherlands) and Megan Tengel. Also noteworthy was pianist-vocalist Emilio Avila. Scott deserves kudos for her work with this group of talented young people.

The main attraction for the evening, however, was San Francisco-based singer Jacqui Naylor. She is a highly regarded rising star in the jazz vocal field with a strong voice and very distinctive jazz-pop style and approach to her craft. With a half dozen or more CDs already on the market, she is a voice very worth watching. She was joined on one of her original compositions, "Celebrate Early and Often," by the student vocal group. Naylor was scheduled for an appearance at Snug Harbor on the following evening. (See Photos page.)

Tim Laughlin reports that this year's "Taste of New Orleans" evening will feature the music of Irma Thomas, Rockin' Dopsie Jr. and himself. The event will be held at The Sugar Mill, 1021 Convention Center Blvd. Friday, December 10 (7:30-10:30 pm). Tickets are available online at www.cyo-no.org. (Advanced purchase is recommended because same-day ticket availability will be "very limited.") The proceeds go to a worthy cause: the Catholic Youth Foundation USA.

The second annual New Orleans Traditional Jazz Camp (for adults 21 and over) is scheduled to take place June 5-10, 2011 and applications are now being accepted. See the link at the right for details.

The Norwegian Seamen's Church has announced the musical program for its second annual Scandinavian Festival on the weekend of November 5-7. Lars Edegran (piano, banjo) will open the festivities from 10 am to noon on Friday. From 3 to 6 pm that afternoon Seva Venet and his string band will perform. Pianist Paul Longstreth will be heard from 11 am to 3 pm on Saturday, followed by gospel singer Sharon Nabonne and the Norwegian Church All-Star Band from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. Longstreth will be back for a jazz service on Sunday from 11 am to 1 pm. The church hosts jazz services on the first Sunday of each month. (See Photos page.)

A Celebration in Honor of Herman Leonard's Life was held at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art on Saturday, November 6. (See Photos and Comings & Goings pages.)

The annual Nickel-A-Dance series got off to a most auspicious start on October 3 with a scintillating performance by drummer Shannon Powell's "Traditional All-Stars". The highly animated leader was joined by Mark Braud (trumpet and vocals), Ronell Johnson (trombone), Charlie Gabriel (clarinet), Christian Winther (tenor sax), Ricky Monie (piano), and Roland Guerin (bass)--a truly star-studded cast of local musicians. Powell's driving percussion had the band swinging at a high energy level for all three sets, keeping the dance floor of the Maison fully occupied throughout. (See Photos page for all bands.)

Another fine group graced the Maison's stage on October 10: the Porch Party Jazz Band with Brian O'Connell and Connie Jones. Joining Brian on clarinet and Connie on cornet and vocals were Ronell Johnson, trombone; Seva Venet, guitar; Chuck Badie, bass and vocals; and Ernie Elly (drums).

The third week in the series, October 17, featured hot clarinetist Evan Christopher and his Clarinet Road: Duke Heitger, trumpet; Matt Johnson, guitar; Todd Duke, guitar; Peter Harris, bass; and Charles Kohlmayer, drums. The two fine guitars give the band a Django feel, which of course Christopher is very at home with. It was good to have Heitger back in town for a few weeks. His playing is as good as ever. In fact, he did a beautiful intro to the wonderful evergreen, "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You," which was sung by surprise vocalist Anais St. John. She said this was the first time she has sung with Christopher but hoped it would not be the last. Altogether, a truly fine session--as expected.

And week number four in the series featured Don Vappie and his Creole Jazz Serenaders in an excellent performance. In addition to Vappie (banjo, guitar and vocals), the band consisted of Tom Fischer (clarinet, alto sax), Ray Moore (tenor sax, clarinet), Charlie Fardella (cornet), Bobby Campo (trumpet), Mike Esneault (piano), Richard Moten (bass) and Troy Davis (drums). This outstanding group cooks. They should be touring because they deserve to be heard much more widely.

And, as always, Lionel Ferbos and the Palm Court Jazz Band closed out this year's series on Halloween, October 31. Ferbos was joined by Brian O'Connell, clarinet; Ronell Johnson, trombone; Seva Venet, guitar; Chuck Badie, bass; and Ernie Elly, drums. And, as always, Nina Buck and her staff from the Palm Court were on hand to provide a complimentary buffet dinner (red beans & rice, potato salad, ham, etc.) to all in attendance. Big kudos to Nina once again.

The Palm Court Jazz Cafe re-opened on September 26, and I dropped by to check out the scene on the 30th. It was a great night of music with an excellent band, fronted by the fine reedman Otis Bazoon. He was joined by top young trumpeter, Leon Brown, and ace pianist David Boeddinghaus. Guitarist Steve Blailock was back in town for the gig, and Bernie Attridge (bass) and Herman LeBeaux (drums) filled out the rhythm section. (See Photos page.)

Trumpeter Duke Heitger has been back in town for a couple of weeks. He appeared with trombnist Lucien Barbarin and his Sunday Night Swingsters at the Palm Court on October 24. Tom Fischer (clarinet), Steve Pistorius (piano), Kerry Lewis (bass) and Gerald French (drums) joined Barbarin and Heitger to produce an evening of first-rate music. Duke will be making at least one more appearance at the P. C. (October 31) before heading back to family in Germany. (See Photos page.)

I stopped in at the Palm Court on October 31 because I heard that top European clarinetist Engelbert Wrobel would be playing with the Sunday Night Swingsters...and so he was. I had met Wrobel at the Ascona, Switzerland festival a few years ago and was very impressed with his playing. So, I was pleased to have an opportunity to hear him once again...and I was not disappointed. He has been in town--for the first time--for a week with a German tour group and was being shepherded around (and invited to sit in) by his good friend Duke Heitger. He can be heard on Heitger's excellent new CD, "The International Hot Jazz Quartet: Havin' a Ball" on the Arbors label. For more about Wrobel and his band back in Cologne, Germany, check out his website at www.engelbertwrobel.de.

Incidentally, Heitger was set to return to Germany on November 2, but he said that he would be back here on November 18 when he will be appearing with clarinetist Tim Laughlin at the Court. His frequent flyer miles must really be piling up...