Five

BRASS BANDS AND
TRADITIONAL JAZZ

Larry Borenstein’s desire to work and hear music truly became something magical when older musicians started coming by his art gallery in the French Quarter to play. When the concept turned into something serious by 1960, the music had a home where it could be heard any night of the week. Preservation Hall’s success guaranteed that “traditional” jazz (the term now used since “Dixieland” is regarded by many to have segregationist overtones) would live on.

Writers of the New York Times and other national papers remarked about the infrequency with which New Orleans–style brass band music was heard, primarily only at “jazz funerals.” Thus, musicians like Danny Barker stepped up and began to teach a new generation of horn players and drummers how to play and march in parades. Soon, brass bands were popping up once again as if it were the late 1910s. That trend is still going strong. Like Buddy Bolden, the younger musicians take the traditional and make it their own, adding hip-hop, electronics, and other sounds.

ONWARD. Adolphe Paul Barbarin (1899–1969), seen here performing for the New Orleans Jazz Club in 1964, played with Oliver and Armstrong in Chicago and New York. He returned to New Orleans in 1960 to found, with Louis Cottrell Jr., a second incarnation of the Onward Brass Band. Barbarin composed a number of Dixieland tunes, including “Bourbon Street Parade.” (Courtesy of LSM.)

ACTIVIST. It is only natural that, with Manny Perez as his godfather, Louis Cottrell Jr. (1911–1978) grew up around many of the New Orleans early jazz greats. Cottrell (left) played with “Polo” Barnes, Chris Kelly, and others in the 1920s, as well as on riverboats with the Young Tuxedo Brass Band. In the 1930s, Cottrell became a union organizer, encouraging African American musicians to join the Colored Musicians Union and to have that union recognized as a local in the American Federation of Musicians. He is seen here playing with Joe Thomas. (Courtesy of LSM.)

BRASS REVIVAL. The original Onward Brass Band played from 1886 to 1930. Paul Barbarin and Louis Cottrell Jr. formed a new incarnation of Onward in 1960. Seen here, they are, from left to right, (kneeling) Alvin Alcorn on trumpet, Cag Cagnolatti on trumpet, Paul Barbarin on drums, and two unidentified; (standing) Kid Howard on trumpet, Louis Cottrell Jr. on clarinet, Louis Barbarin on drums, and three unidentified. (Courtesy of LSM.)

LEGACY. The grandson of Isidore Barbarin and the nephew of drummers Paul and Louis Barbarin, Daniel Moses “Danny” Barker (1909–1994) originally played clarinet and drums before switching to banjo. In New York in the 1930s, Barker played with a number of jazz greats and was a sideman in the studio for Cab Calloway. He returned to New Orleans in 1965, played with the Onward Brass Band, and became an assistant curator at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. In 1970, he founded the legendary Fairview Baptist Church Marching Band, which launched the careers of many of today’s New Orleans jazz musicians. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

INCUBATOR. In 1970, Danny Barker organized a youth band based out of the Fairview Baptist Church in New Orleans. The band produced many notable alumni, including Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Dr. Michael White, Anthony “Tuba Fats” Lacen, Kirk Joseph, and Shannon Powell. (Courtesy of NOPL.)

YOUTH. Seen here in the early 1970s are members of the Fairview Baptist Church Marching Band, including Dr. Michael White on clarinet. The band was not without controversy, however, as some union musicians claimed that Barker’s use of non-union youths was exploitive. He disbanded the group in 1974, but Leroy Jones immediately reformed it as the Hurricane Brass Band, which eventually became the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. (Courtesy of LSM.)

TRADITIONAL. In the 1950s, art gallery proprietor and jazz aficionado Larry Borenstein began inviting many of the living jazz legends in the city to rehearse at his place, located at 732 St. Peter Street in the French Quarter. Allan and Sandra Jaffe discovered Associated Artists in 1960, by which time the jam sessions in the gallery had become nightly events. The following year, Borenstein moved the art gallery next door and turned over the music operations to the Jaffes, marking the birth of Preservation Hall. Now operated by a nonprofit foundation, Preservation Hall features nightly band performances from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Famed New Orleans night spot Pat O’Briens is visible just down the block. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

MAINSTAY. Louis Hall Nelson (1902–1990) began his career on the trombone at the age of 15. He played with many of the New Orleans greats in the 1920s and then joined a WPA band during the Depression. Enlisting in the US Navy during World War II, Nelson played in a Navy band in Memphis, earning the rank of musician, first class. Upon returning to New Orleans, Nelson played with Sidney Desvigne’s Orchestra before joining the Kid Thomas Valentine Band. In 1961, he became a regular in the fledgling Preservation Hall venue, which exposed him to a new and younger audience. Offers to play and tour came in, and Nelson did just that, right up to his tragic death, the result of a hit-and-run automobile accident. (Courtesy of NOPL.)

TUXEDO REVIVAL. Gregg Stafford (standing) took over leadership of the Young Tuxedo Brass Band in 1984. He is seen here, along with fellow Fairview alumnus Dr. Michael White (left foreground, holding clarinet) and the rest of the band, performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2010. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

DOZEN. When the Fairview Baptist Band disbanded, 12 of its members formed the Dirty Dozen Brass Band in 1977. The band’s mix of traditional jazz with R&B and other forms of jazz gave them a unique sound and an incredible amount of popularity and commercial success. Fairview alumnus and original Dirty Dozen member Roger Lewis plays baritone sax with the band in 2009. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

GRAND MARSHAL. Alcide “Slow Drag” Pavageau (1888–1969) enjoyed a long career, first as a guitarist and then playing the bass. He played with George Lewis and Bunk Johnson in the 1940s, returning to New Orleans in 1961. There, he played with Louis Cottrell, then regularly at Preservation Hall. Seen here in 1950, Slow Drag is dressed as a marshal for the dedication ceremonies of the New Orleans Jazz Museum. (Courtesy of NOPL.)

HALF-FAST. Pete Fountain (1930–) was born Pierre Dewey LaFontaine Jr. His father later changed his own name to Peter Dewey Fountain, and his son followed suit. Diagnosed with a weak-lung condition, Fountain chose to play the clarinet per a doctor’s recommendation to play a wind instrument, which would build up his lungs. After learning to play jazz by listening to Benny Goodman recordings, Fountain’s first band was the Basin Street Six, founded in 1950. Fountain joined the Lawrence Welk Orchestra in 1954, but soon returned to New Orleans, first playing with the Dukes of Dixieland and then with his own bands. In the late 1960s, Pete founded the Half-Fast Walking Club, a Carnival organization that parades on Mardi Gras. (Courtesy of Robert Avery.)

FUNERALS. The custom of providing music for a funeral procession goes back to the mid-1800s. In more recent times, however, jazz funerals have been held not only for individuals but for causes as well. As seen here in 1981, three unidentified parade marshals lead a procession to protest the closure of the New Orleans Marine Hospital. (Courtesy of NHSC.)

MEMORIALS. Sometimes a death in the city moves people to come together for a “proper” New Orleans–style memorial. Such was the case in 2007, when filmmaker and activist Helen Hill was murdered in her Mid-City home. The crime, coming on the heels of the murder of Dinerral Shavers, drummer for the Hot 8 Brass Band, led to an outpouring of emotion in the streets a few weeks later. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

LIBERTY. Dr. Michael White (1954–), professor of African American Music at Xavier University of Louisiana, is a classically trained clarinetist who was a member of Danny Barker’s Fairview Baptist Church Marching Band. Dr. White played with the Young Tuxedo Brass Band, as seen at right in his Tuxedo cap while marching in a jazz funeral in Treme in 1981, also the year in which he founded the Liberty Jazz Band. Having served as guest director for several Jazz at Lincoln Center concerts featuring Wynton Marsalis, he currently records for Basin Street Records. (Both, courtesy of Carlos May.)

BROTHERS. Willie James Humphrey (1900–1994) and Percy Gaston Humphrey (1905–1995) were brothers with extensive jazz careers. Willie played with the Excelsior Band before going to Chicago, where he played with King Oliver. Later, in New Orleans, he played with his brother in the Eureka Band and at Preservation Hall. A regular in the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Percy led the Eureka Band for more than 30 years. The two are seen playing with the Spirit of New Orleans Band in 1991. Percy is in the front row, second from right, playing trumpet, and Willie is on the far right, playing clarinet. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

REUNION. Some of the most enjoyable aspects of the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, held from the last weekend of April through the first weekend of May, are the pickup and reunion bands that come together for the fest. This reunion group of the Fairview Baptist band took place at Jazz Fest 2009. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

SITTING IN. Generations cross over as a young Harry Connick Jr. sits in at Preservation Hall in the early 1970s. The band that evening included, from left to right, Milton Batiste, trumpet; Chester Jones, drums; Harold Dejan, saxophone; Chink Martin, bass; “Sweet Emma” Barrett and Harry Connick Jr., piano; and Emanuel “Manny” Sayles, banjo. (Courtesy of LSM.)

QUARTER TRADITIONAL. Fritzel’s European Jazz Pub opened at 733 Bourbon Street in 1969. The house band plays traditional jazz, the term “traditional” being preferred over “Dixieland,” which has racial overtones. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

FUNKIN’ IT UP. Brothers Phillip and Keith Frazier, along with Kermit Ruffins and some of their bandmates from Clark Senior High School, founded the Rebirth Brass Band in 1983. Kermit left the band in 1993, but the Rebirth continued to receive critical acclaim and commercial success, appearing in the HBO series Treme and winning a Grammy Award in 2012. Pictured here from left to right are (in front) Glen Andrews on trumpet and Vincent Broussard on saxophone; (in back) Keith Frazier on bass drum, Derrick Tabb on snare drum, and Philip Frazier on sousaphone. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

EDUCATION. The Liberty Brass Band (front) and Rebirth Brass Band (rear) join Dr. Michael White, professor, for a demonstration of second-line parading and dancing at Xavier University in 2010. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

ALL ABOARD! Local trumpet player Kermit Ruffins (1964–) was a founding member of the Rebirth Brass Band while he was still attending Clark High School in Faubourg Treme. Since leaving Rebirth, Ruffins plays with his jazz quintet, the Barbecue Swingers, seen here at Jazz Fest and at Snug Harbor on Frenchmen Street. Ruffins played himself as a recurring character in the HBO series Treme. (Above, courtesy of Derek Bridges; below, Carlos May.)

PUBLICITY. Percy Humphrey poses in the 1960s with the bass drum from the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Preservation Hall became a home away from home for many older, retired musicians, exposing younger audiences to their talents. (Courtesy of LSM.)

SIDEWALK WARM-UP. This is a more recent incarnation of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, seen playing on the sidewalk in front of the hall. The band was performing at the memorial parade for clarinetist Jacques Gauthe in 2007. The tradition of hiring a brass band for a funeral has returned with a strong following. When the deceased is one of their own, many musicians will attend the memorial. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

FOUNDER. Another Fairview Baptist alumnus, sousaphonist Kirk Joseph (1961–) was one of the original members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. He now plays with his own band, Kirk Joseph’s Backyard Groove. Joseph, who claims inspiration from the late Anthony Lacen, is a good example of the evolution of the New Orleans brass band sound, combining the traditional with elements of funk. (Courtesy of Derek Bridges.)

MENTOR. Anthony “Tuba Fats” Lacen (1950–2004) began busking for tips in the French Quarter and later went on to play with the Young Tuxedo, Doc Paulin’s, Onward, Olympia, and Treme Brass Bands. In addition to playing around New Orleans, he toured Europe with his wife, the late Linda Young. (Courtesy of LSM.)

SLOW WALK. The Hot 8 Brass Band leads the way into St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 for the funeral of blogger and activist Ashley Morris, April 11, 2008. The band at a jazz funeral plays slow dirges on the way to the cemetery. Once the deceased is interred, the tempo picks up as the second line celebrates the life of their loved one. (Courtesy of Mark Ghstol.)

TRAGEDY. The Hot 8 Brass Band is a group of younger musicians who came to prominence in post-Katrina New Orleans when they were featured in Spike Lee’s documentary about the storm, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts. The band’s history has been marked by tragedy, as several members have met with violent deaths since the storm. The band is seen here playing Bayou Bougalou, a spring festival held in mid-May along Bayou St. John. (Courtesy of Derek Bridges.)

CENTURY. Pictured above in 1981, Ernest “Doc” Paulin (1907–2007) was a fixture of the New Orleans music scene from the 1920s to the 1990s. Originally from Wallace, Louisiana, north of the city in St. John the Baptist Parish, Paulin moved to the city as a youth. At right, two unidentified members of Paulin’s band play for tips at the French Market. Because Paulin was not a member of the musicians’ union, he was able to help younger musicians get their start in the business and move to other, better-paying bands. (Above, courtesy of LSM; at right, Carlos May.)

NEXT GENERATION. The To Be Continued (TBC) Brass Band is a splendid example of the latest generation of New Orleans–style brass bands. Borrowing instruments from the George Washington Carver Senior High School band, this group of Seventh and Ninth Ward young men impressed folks at Carver, and the band began playing professionally in 2002. Hurricane Katrina devastated the band, destroying their homes and instruments. Members worked hard to recover from the storm—a recovery that was detailed in the 2010 documentary From the Mouthpiece and Back. The band is seen here in 2010, playing a second-line parade for the Valley of Silent Men Social & Pleasure Club. (Courtesy of Derek Bridges.)

ACTIVISM. Since 2006, a group of committed activists and bloggers has sponsored the Rising Tide conference. Billed as a “conference on the future of New Orleans,” it features panel discussions, breakout sessions, workshops, and entertainment. The TBC Brass Band performed at Rising Tide 6, held at Xavier University in 2011. (Courtesy of Bart Everson.)

SALUTING THE PAST. Matthew “Fats” Houston (1911–1981) leads the Olympia Brass Band at the funeral of clarinetist George Lewis in 1968. The role of grand marshal is often assumed by an older member of the brass band who is either retired from playing or physically unable to play but can still march. Houston’s style and presence earned the band a role in the James Bond film Live and Let Die. (Courtesy of LSM.)

OLYMPIA. While Fats Houston might have been the public face of the Olympia Brass Band, its leader was Harold Dejan (1909–2002). When interest in traditional jazz and brass bands was at an all-time low in the late 1960s to early 1970s, Dejan’s Olympia was a forceful and visible presence that inspired the next generation of players. (Courtesy of NOPL.)

SHORTY. A very young Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews marches in a second-line parade around the fairgrounds at Jazz Fest in 1994. In addition to the acts booked for the various Jazz Fest stages, the festival schedules daily second-line parades featuring brass bands and social-aid club marching bands. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

ALL ON A MARDI GRAS DAY. Carlos “Froggy” May plays trombone with the Storyville Stompers Brass Band and other friends in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans on Carnival Day in 2009. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

COMMUNITY. WWOZ, founded by Brock brothers Walter and Jerry, took to the airwaves of New Orleans on December 4, 1980. The 4,000-watt station (90.7 FM, streaming at wwoz.org) is a community-oriented, nonprofit entity offering jazz programming as well as R&B, Celtic, Latin, ethnic, and world music. The station also does live broadcasts of local music events, particularly the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage festival. WWOZ DJs Tom Morgan and Valerie “the Problem Child” Kacprzak are shown here, broadcasting during Jazz Fest 2007. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

STOMPIN’. The Storyville Stompers lead off a second-line parade on a sunny day at Jackson Square to open French Quarter Fest in April 2010. French Quarter Fest is different from the larger Jazz & Heritage Festival in that all the music is free; musicians perform at various stages set up around the French Quarter. Restaurants and other food vendors set up in Jackson Square and in Woldenberg Park along the river. Sponsors and sales of food help fund the annual event, held in mid-April. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

COFFINS. Musician, author, and photographer Louis Maistros sings at a book reading/signing in 2009 for his novel The Sound of Building Coffins at Octavia Books, located on Laurel Street in Uptown. Set in the Storyville era, Coffins is historical fiction narrative with a unique twist. A fictional Buddy Bolden is one of the lead characters in this fascinating look at turn-of-the-century New Orleans. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

JAZZ CAMP. The mission of the New Orleans Traditional Jazz Camp, founded by Leslie Cooper, Banu Gibson, and Anita Hemeter, is to bring together musicians from around the world who are interested in learning to play traditional New Orleans jazz or who want to continue developing their skills. Students come to New Orleans for a week to study under jazz masters before performing at various clubs and, finally, at Preservation Hall by the end of the week. Here, students from the 2013 camp show off their talents at Palm Court Jazz Café. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

BOSWELL HOMAGE. From left to right, Holley Bendtsen, Yvette Voelker, and Debbie Davis are known as the Pfister Sisters. The trio has been singing traditional jazz standards in the style of the 1940s sister act from New Orleans, the Boswell Sisters, since 1979. The “sisters” are shown here in 2007, singing at the Cabildo celebration for the centennial of Connee Boswell’s birth. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

INFLUENCE. “Uncle Lionel” Batiste (1932–2012) was the bass drummer for the Treme Brass Band, as well as an inspiration and role model to several generations of New Orleans jazz musicians. As such, Batiste was nominated as king of the Krewe de Vieux parade for Carnival 2003 and appeared in the pilot episode of the HBO series Treme. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

GOIN’ HOME. Unidentified members of the Algiers Brass Band march in a jazz funeral procession in the late 1980s. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)

PRESERVATION ON PARADE. While the original incarnations of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band consisted of mostly older musicians who stayed at the hall, the current band gets out and about. Here, the band winds its way through the crowd gathered on Frenchmen Street for Carnival Day, February 12, 2013, breathing an incredible amount of new life into a New Orleans institution. (Courtesy of Carlos May.)