Church Clergy
Clergy of The Church
Clergy of the Church of New Orleans are ordained to serve the needs of its members through their inimitable talents, presiding over the rituals, doctrines and practices of the Church through their unique Crescent City artistry.
A
Photo by: I, Information - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Infrogmation
TROY “TROMBONE SHORTY” ANDREWS
Trombone and trumpet player, singer songwriter, producer, actor and philanthropist Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews was born in New Orleans on January 2, 1986. Andrews grew up in Tremé and comes from an exceptional New Orleans musical family, including his grandfather, singer songwriter Jessie Hill, older brother, trumpeter and bandleader James Andrews, and cousins, trombonist Glen David Andrews and the late Travis “Trumpet Black” Hill. He appeared onstage with Bo Diddley at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at age 4, was a bandleader by age 6, and was a member of the Stooges Brass Band in his teens. He attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) with fellow New Orleans musician Jon Batiste. In 2005, Andrews toured with Lenny Kravitz as a featured member of the horn section, and since 2009 he has toured with his own band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. Notably, in 2010, Andrews released the album Backatown, which was No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Contemporary Jazz Chart for nine consecutive weeks and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Andrews added “actor” to his resumé in 2010, and in 2013, when he appeared in seven episodes of HBO’s Treme series. In 2011, he released For True, in 2013 Say That to Say This, and in 2017 Parking Lot Symphony. In 2018, Andrews received a Blues Foundation Award in the Blues Instrumentalist, Horn Category.
Andrews has performed with a Who’s Who of musical talent, including The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, U2, Green Day, Rebirth Brass Band, Maceo Parker, Jeff Beck, Dave Matthews Band, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gary Clark Jr., Janelle Monáe, Madonna, Queen Latifah, and many, many more. Since 2014, he has built a friendship with Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters that has seen them sit in on each other’s performances throughout the years. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue’s annual Tremé Threauxdown (New Orleans) and Voodoo Threauxdown (worldwide) tours bring his amazing music to fans every year.
Andrews collaborated with former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to form the Horns For Schools Project, which ultimately evolved into the Trombone Shorty Foundation, which works "to preserve and perpetuate the unique musical culture of New Orleans by passing down its traditions to future generations of musicians." In 2012, the Foundation, in partnership with Tulane University, created an After School Academy in New Orleans to mentor aspiring, high school musicians. In 2016, Andrews received the Heinz Award in Arts and Humanities for “his achievements as a musician and for his community work to preserve and pass on to youger generations the rich musical heritage of his native New Orleans”.
B
Photo: Montclair Film
JON BATISTE
Pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and television personality Jonathan Michael Batiste was born on November 11, 1986, in Metairie, Louisiana, into a legendary musical family that included Lionel Batiste and Harold Battiste. He started playing percussion and drums at the age of 8 in his family’s Batiste Brothers Band, and by 11 he switched to piano at his mother's suggestion. Jon developed his piano skills by taking classical music lessons and transcribing songs from video games. At 17, Batiste released Times in New Orleans. He attended St. Augustine High School and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts with Trombone Shorty, and went on to receive a bachelor's and master's degree from the Julliard School. While at Juilliard, he released his second album, Live in New York: At the Rubin Museum of Art. By the end of 2006, Batiste had been a featured performer in the U.S. and internationally. He has recorded and performed with accomplished artists in various genres of music, released his own recordings, and performed in over 40 countries. Batiste regularly tours with his band Stay Human, and appears with them every night as bandleader and musical director on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Batiste also serves as the Music Director of The Atlantic and the Creative Director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. He has been awarded the American Jazz Museum Lifetime Achievement Award, the Harry Chapin ASCAP Humanitarian Award and the Moved Future Legend Award. So much has been achieved by this incredible artist, but we know the best is yet to come!
Lagniappe: The name “Stay Human” comes from the band’s belief that human interaction during a live musical performance can uplift humanity in the midst of the "plug in/tune out" nature of modern society, resulting in the band leading impromptu street performances they call "love riots".
Photo by Masahiro Sumori
RUSSELL BATISTE, JR.
Drummer David Russell Batiste Jr., was born in New Orleans on December 12, 1965, and was brought up in a prolific musical family. Batiste started playing drums at the age of four, and also learned to play keyboards, saxophone, guitar and bass. At seven he started to play in the family band, David Batiste and the Gladiators, which as led by his father. He was playing saxophone by fifth grade and can hold his own on keyboards, trumpet, bass and guitar. Because he is a multi-instrumentalist, Batiste has a unique ability to complement and enhance all artists he collaborates with.
Batiste left college after two years to travel with Charmaine Neville's band, and left that band in 1989 to join the funky Meters, the reincarnation of the funk band The Meters. The funky Meters included the late Art Neville on keyboards and vocals, George Porter Jr. on bass, and Brian Stoltz on guitar. The remaining members of that band play under the name Porter Batiste Stoltz (PBS). He also plays regularly with keyboard player Joe Krown and guitarist Walter "Wolfman" Washington as the Krown Washington Batiste trio. Batiste has performed with wide range of musicians and bands including Papa Grows Funk, Vida Blue, Harry Connick Jr., Champion Jack Dupree, Robbie Robertson and Maceo Parker. In 1987 Batiste was in the New Orleans funk band Nuclear Rhythms featuring percussionist songwriter Rosie Rosato, psychedelic funk guitarist songwriter Dirk Billie and bassist songwriter Mark Adam Miller.
As a solo artist, he leads his own band Russell Batiste Jr. and the Orkestra from 'Da Hood and has released two albums under the name. The core band has eight members, but the group may grow to twelve or more at different times. They play all types of music including straight ahead and smooth jazz, funk, reggae, rock and even a cajun flavored waltz. Batiste writes and arranges all the music, including all of the intricate horn parts. Whether as a solo artist or as part of a musical ensemble, Russell Batiste is a musical tour de force not to be missed!
Lagniappe: Batiste played in the drum section of the nationally known Marching One Hundred Band and wrote cadences that can still heard be heard during Mardi Gras parade season!
Photo: Bengt Nyman
TAB BENOIT
Singer songwriter, guitarist, and drummer Tab Benoit was born November 17, 1967, in Houma Louisiana. A guitar player since his teenage years, he plays primarily Delta blues on his 1972 Fender Telecaster, but he’s skilled in a number of blues styles. Benoit learned from blues legends, and formed a trio in 1987, playing clubs in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Two years later he began touring other parts of the South, and started touring more of the United States in 1991. He landed a recording contract in 1992, and has been prolific since then, releasing 19 recordings between 1993 and 2012. In that time, he has collaborated and performed with countless legendary musicians including his regular crew, bassist Carl Dufrene and drummer Darryl White, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Cyril Neville, Brian Stoltz, George Porter, Jr.., Kenny Neal, Debbie Davies, Jimmy Thackery, Charlie Musselwhite, Tommy Shannon, Chris Layton, Anders Osborne, Michael Doucet, Ivan Neville, and more.
In 2007, Benoit won his first B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award presented by the Blues Music Awards, the most prestigious recognitions afforded to Blues musicians. Benoit was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2010, and two years later, he won three separate Blues Music Awards: Contemporary Blues Male Artist; Contemporary Blues Album (for 2011's Medicine); and for the second time, B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. In 2013, the second year in a row, Benoit won the Blues Music Awards Contemporary Blues Male Artist.
In 2003, Benoit founded 'Voice of the Wetlands,' an organization promoting awareness of the receding coastal wetlands of Louisiana.He promotes the issues that plague Louisiana's imperiled coast to his national audience, and supports outreach and education about Louisiana's Wetlands loss and how Louisiana's rich culture is endangered as its wetlands disappear.In 2010, Benoit received the Governor's Award - Conservationist of the Year for 2009 by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation.
Photo by: jhderojas
TERENCE BLANCHARD
Trumpeter, composer and music educator Terence Blanchard was born in New Orleans on March 13, 1962, and began playing piano at age five, and trumpet at eight. His childhood friends in eluded Wynton and Branford Marsalis, and he studied at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. His composition teacher there was none other than Ellis Marsalis. Blanchard started his career in 1980 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.
He has composed more than forty film scores and performed on more than fifty. He received his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Score on Spike Lee's 2018 film BlacKkKlansman. From 2000 to 2011, Blanchard served as artistic director of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. In 2011 he was named artistic director of the Henry Mancini Institute at the University of Miami. In the fall of 2015 he was named a visiting scholar in jazz composition at Berklee College of Music. In 2019, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), named Blanchard their Endowed Chair in Jazz Studies, where he will remain until 2024.
The Metropolitan Opera announced it will stage Blanchard's opera Fire Shut up In My Bones in their 2021-2022 Season, which will be the first production by a black composer staged by the Metropolitan Opera in the organization's 136-year history. Blanchard is a six-time Grammy Award winning musician, composer, and educator whose powerful voice is universal, yet uniquely New Orleans.
Photo: Masahiro Sumori
BIG CHIEF MONK BOUDREAUX
Monk Boudreaux, born Joseph Pierre Boudreaux in New Orleans on December 7, 1941, is the Big Chief of the Golden Eagles, a Mardi Gras Indian tribe. He is widely known for his long-time collaboration with Big Chief Bo Dollis in The Wild Magnolias, which he joined in the late 1960s. Dollis and Boudreaux were close friends since their childhood. In 1970, Boudreaux appeared with the Wild Magnolias at the very first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. In that same year, the group released the single "Handa Wanda", the first studio recorded music by the Mardi Gras Indians. In 1974, he appeared with the Wild Magnolias on their debut album, which featured supporting musicians Snooks Eaglin and Willie Tee. Boudreaux is exclusively featured on Golden Eagles' 1998 live album Lightning and Thunder. In 2001, after 30 years with the Wild Magnolias, Boudreaux left the group. Since then, he has performed and recorded with artists such as Anders Osborne, Galactic and Papa Mali in addition to the Golden Eagles.
Boudreaux participated in the recording and tour of the Voice of the Wetlands All-stars, a band that also featured Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, and Dr. John among others. He is also featured on one track in Sing Me Back Home, the New Orleans Social Club's album released in 2006. In addition, he performs in New Orleans with John Lisi & Delta Funk, with whom he has also recorded. In 2010, Boudreaux appeared in the feature-length documentary Bury the Hatchet, which provides an intimate look at the Mardi Gras Indian tradition, following Boudreaux and several other Mardi Gras Indian Chiefs in the year before Hurricane Katrina, through the storm and the years after. In 2016, Boudreaux received a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship.
C
Photo by: Masahiro Sumori
JON CLEARY
Funk and R&B singer, songwriter, pianist and multi-instrumentalist Jon Cleary was born August 11, 1962, in Cranbrook, Kent, England, and was raised by a musical family. His father played guitar but it was his uncle, who brought recordings of Professor Longhair and others back from trips to the U.S., who inspired his love for R&B. Cleary's focus was always more on art and music and everything that goes with it, than academic pursuits and soon left school to develop a life in music. He came to New Orleans in 1981, and was hired as a piano player at the Maple Leaf Bar, despite guitar being his first instrument. Since arriving in New Orleans, Cleary has studied and immersed himself in the Big Easy’s musical culture and life. Word of Cleary’s talent spread throughout the city, and was noted by New Orleans luminaries and legends such as Snooks Eaglin, Earl “Trick Bag” King, Johnny Adams, Jessie “Ooh Poo Pah Doo” Hill, Dr. John, and Allen Toussaint.
Cleary's band, Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, consists of Cleary on keyboard and vocals; Derwin "Big D" Perkins on guitar; Cornell C. Williams on bass and backup vocals; and A.J. Hall on drums. All of the band members, except for Cleary, were born in New Orleans. The band’s album Go Go Juice won the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album in 2016. The band draws large crowds of locals at classic New Orleans venues like Tipitina's and the Maple Leaf Bar and are a mainstay at the annual Jazz and Heritage Festival. They have played at Bonnaroo as well as other music festivals. Cleary has performed with a number of music luminaries including Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, B.B. King, Ryan Adams, and Eric Burdon. Compositions by Cleary have been recorded by such notable musicians as Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt, and John Scofield. Cleary’s talent is undeniable, so do yourself a favor and catch him in concert!
Lagniappe: When Cleary arrived in New Orleans in 1981, he went directly from the airport to the Maple Leaf Bar where he got a job … as a painter. He was later hired as the piano player.
Photo by bg_nh2014 - Wikimedia commons
HARRY CONNICK, JR
Harry (Joseph Harry Fowler) Connick Jr. was born in New Orleans on September 11, 1967, to his mother Anita, a New Orleans lawyer and judge, and his namesake father, Orleans Parish District Attorney (1973 to 2003), and was raised with his sister Suzanna in the Lakeview Neighborhood. Connick started learning keyboards at age three, playing publicly at age five, and recording with a local jazz band at ten. His musical talents were developed at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and under the tutelage of Ellis Marsalis Jr. and James Booker.
Connick moved to New York City to study at Hunter College and the Manhattan School of Music where he met a records executive who persuaded him to sign with Columbia. His first record, Harry Connick Jr., was a mainly instrumental album of standards. He soon acquired a reputation in jazz because of extended stays at high-profile New York venues, and for his next album, 20, his vocals were featured, adding to this reputation.
With Connick's reputation growing, he was asked to provide a soundtrack for the romantic comedy, When Harry Met Sally... (1989), which consisted of several standards, including "It Had to Be You", "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". The soundtrack achieved double-platinum status in the United States, and Connick won his first Grammy Award for Best Jazz Male Vocal Performance for his work on it. His 1990 big-band album We Are in Lovewent double platinum and earned him his second consecutive Grammy for Best Jazz Male Vocal. Songs I Heard, his 2001 big band re-working of children's show themes, won Connick another Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Album. Connick has sold over 28 million albums worldwide and is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States. He has had seven top 20 US albums, and ten number-one US jazz albums, earning more number-one albums than any other artist in US jazz chart history.
"Promise Me You'll Remember", his contribution to the Godfather III soundtrack, was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award in 1991. That same year, he was also nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Performance in a Variety Special for his PBS special Swingin' Out Live. Connick earned a Tony Award nomination for writing the score for the Broadway musical Thou Shalt Not, which premiered in 2001.
As if a wildly successful music career wasn’t enough, Connick began his acting career in 1990 with the World War II film Memphis Belle. Since then he has performed in numerous films, various genres, and in both leading and supporting roles. He has appeared on Broadway and on television, including helping to organize and appearing in a live telethon concert for relief in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, as well ashosting his own talk show.
On a personal note, Connick married former Victoria's Secret model Jill Goodacre in 1994; the song "Jill" on his 1991 album Blue Light, Red Light is about his her. The couple has three daughters. Connick is a founder of the Krewe of Orpheus, a music-based New Orleans krewe, that parades on St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street on Lundi Gras (Fat Monday)—the day before Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday).
Connick is a Grammy and Emmy-award winning singer, composer, pianist, actor, and television star … and a diehard Saints fan! Who Dat!
Photo: Facebook
DAVELL CRAWFORD
Pianist, vocalist, composer and arranger Davell Crawford was born in New Orleans on September 3, 1975, began playing piano when he was seven, and first toured Europe in his early teens. Crawford brings a synthesis of styles (jazz, funk, R&B, and gospel) to his piano playing, singing and songwriting. Fats Domino, Sarah Vaughan, Patsy Cline and Liberace are among his many influences, and he believes in the art of entertainment, occasionally leaving his piano to talk and joke with his audience. Acclaimed as the “Piano Prince of New Orleans,” Crawford brings equal exuberance to both modern and classic jazz, rhythm and blues, funk, blues, gospel, soul, pop, American folk and touches of country-western.
However, Gospel is at the heart of everything that Crawford does. As a child, Crawford attended both Baptist and the Catholic churches and watched the pipe organist so attentively that when he first sat in front of the impressive instrument he already knew the function of the stops and pedals. The organ at his church was the first he ever played and throughout his life he’s continued to man the organ in both church and club settings. At just 10 years old, he took on the position of accompanist to the St. Peter Claver Catholic Church choir, and by the time he was 11, he became the youth choir director, pianist and organist to the sanctuary and men’s choruses at the St. Joseph Baptist Church. Since then Crawford has traveled the world conducting choral workshops and making appearances in gospel music. He has also hosted award winning gospel ensembles and formed The Davell Crawford Singers, who continue to perform and can be heard on his CD, My Gift To You. That being said, Crawford is also fully versed in the traditional jazz songbook of New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz. Crawford plays and sings the music of his passion—the music of his life. He has soaked up the surrounding rhythms and harmonies of New Orleans that were his deep musical roots and nurtured his natural talent. In the inimitable New Orleans tradition, Crawford is a passionate performer who has a flair for the art of entertainment, engaging the audience with his winning personality and sense of humor. Happy Birthday, Davell!
Lagniappe: Crawford is the godson of Roberta Flack and the grandson of vocalist/pianist/composer James “Sugar Boy” Crawford of “Jock-A-Mo” fame.
D
E
F
G
Photo: Facebook
JOHN “PAPA” GROS
Singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist and French horn player John “Papa” Gros was born in New Orleans on September 9, 1966, began playing gigs when he was just fifteen years old, and graduated from Loyola in 1989 with a degree in French Horn performance. For years he performed solo on Bourbon Street and developed a reputation as a talented sideman, backing up New Orleans legends. But it was as an organist and pianist for George Porter Jr.’s Runnin’ Pardners in the 1990s that he really kicked off his career. In 2000, after a series of impromptu jam sessions with friends, Gros formed Papa Grows Funk with guitarist June Yamagishi, sax player Jason Mingledorf, bassist Marc Pero and drummer Russell Batiste, Jr., who was later replaced by Jeffery "Jellybean" Alexander. For 13 years, the legendary band performed weekly at the famous Maple Leaf Bar, mixing the smooth sophistication of a jazz quintet with the wild, anything-goes spirit of Mardi Gras. Papa Grows Funk performances became a staple for locals and tourists alike, and eventually led to six albums and an international tour. In 2004, he kicked off his solo career with the album Day's End, while continuing to perform with PGF. The band called it quits in 2013, but continues to reunite for an annual performance on the Monday following the second weekend of Jazz Fest.
After PGF’s run ended, Gros continued working as sideman for New Orleans artists, as well as and playing organ during a pair of all-star tributes to Dr. John and the Neville Brothers. The 2014 Dr. John tribute, The Music Mojo of Dr. John, was later released as a critically-acclaimed live album that featured Gros playing with Bruce Springsteen, Mavis Staples, Jason Isbell, and John Fogerty. The tribute concerts allowed him to play alongside his two biggest influences, Doctor John and Art Neville, both of whom passed in 2019. After the tribute concerts, Gros focused again on his solo career and released his second solo album River’s On Fire in 2016. And in 2020, he released his third solo album Central City, which is a collection of Gros’ feel good originals alongside his takes on beloved classic songs, and featuring numerous New Orleans luminaries including Ivan Neville, Don Vappie, Brian Stoltz, Mark Mullins, and George Porter Jr.
Gros has brought his city’s celebratory culture to listeners around the world, mixing all the sounds of New Orleans – funk, trad jazz, brass band, blues – and making it his own. He’s said his goal is to honor the music he's been living his whole life, and to add his own page to New Orleans' history book. Papa John Gros is doing just that.
H
Photo by Derek Bridges
DONALD HARRISON
Saxophonist and composer Donald Harrison, Jr, was born in New Orleans on June 23, 1960. He started in New Orleans secondline culture and studied New Orleans secret tribal culture under his father, Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr.. Harrison Jr. is currently the Chief of Congo Square in Afro-New Orleans Culture. He studied at the Berklee College of Music. As a professional musician he worked with Roy Haynes and Jack McDuff before joining Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers with Terence Blanchard and recorded albums in a quintet until 1989. Two years later Harrison released a tribute album to Blakey. This was followed by an album that reached into Harrison's New Orleans heritage with guest appearances by Dr. John and Cyrus Chestnut and chants by the Guardians of the Flame Mardi Gras Indians. He devoted half the album Nouveau Swing (1997) to mixing the swing beat of modern acoustic jazz with modern dance music and half to mixing the swing beat with Caribbean-influenced music. On the next album his experiments continued by mixing modern jazz's swing beat with hip hop, Latin music, R&B, and smooth jazz.
His albums, 3D Vols. I, II, and III, present him in three different musical genres. On Vol. I he writes, plays, and produces smooth jazz and R&B style. On Vol. II he writes, produces and plays in the classic jazz style. On Vol. III he writes plays and produces hip hop. His group, Donald Harrison Electric Band, has recorded popular radio hits and has charted in the top ten of Billboard magazine. He performs as a producer, singer, and rapper in traditional New Orleans jazz and hip hop genres with his group, The New Sounds of Mardi Gras. The group, which has recorded two albums, was started in 2001 and has made appearances worldwide. Harrison is the Big Chief of the Congo Nation Afro-New Orleans Cultural Group, which keeps alive the secret traditions of Congo Square.
In 2016 Harrison recorded his first orchestral work with The Moscow Symphony Orchestra. He followed up the piece for the MSO by writing classical orchestral works for the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, The New York Chamber Orchestra, and The Jalapa Symphony Orchestra in 2017. Harrison has nurtured a number of young musicians including trumpeter Christian Scott (Harrison's nephew), Mark Whitfield, Christian McBride, and The Notorious B.I.G. Harrison was in Spike Lee's HBO documentary When the Levees Broke and has appeared as himself in eleven episodes of the television series Treme. Harrison was chosen Person of the Year by Jazziz magazine in January 2007.
CLARENCE “FROGMAN” HENRY
Clarence Henry was born in New Orleans, in 1937, moving to the Algiers neighborhood in 1948. He started learning piano as a child, with Fats Domino and Professor Longhair being his main influences. When Henry played in talent shows, he dressed like Longhair and wore a wig with braids on both sides. He joined Bobby Mitchell & the Toppers in 1952, playing piano and trombone, before leaving when he graduated in 1955 to join saxophonist Eddie Smith's band. He used his trademark croak to improvise the song "Ain't Got No Home" one night in 1955. Chess Records' A&R man Paul Gayten heard the song, and had Henry record it in Cosimo Matassa's studio in September 1956. Initially promoted by local DJ Poppa Stoppa, the song eventually rose to number 3 on the national R&B chart and number 20 on the US pop chart. The gimmick earned Henry his nickname of 'Frogman' and jump-started a career that endures to this day. Henry toured nationally with a six-piece band until 1958, and continued to record. A cover of Bobby Charles' hit "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do", and "You Always Hurt the One You Love", both from 1961, were his other big hits. In April 2007, Henry was honored for his contributions to Louisiana music with induction into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Henry opened eighteen concerts for the Beatles across the US and Canada in 1964, but his main source of income came from performing on Bourbon Street, where he played for nineteen years. His name continues to draw hordes of fans, and if you’re lucky, you can catch this enduring performer at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
I
J
K
Photo by: Aris Vrakas
DOREEN KETCHENS
Jazz clarinetist, singer, bandleader and music educator Doreen Ketchens was born in New Orleans on October 3, 1966, and performs Dixieland and Trad Jazz. Ketchens has performed at concert halls and music festivals, at U.S. Embassies and on Royal Street in the French Quarter with her band, Doreen's Jazz New Orleans. Ketchens has performed for four U.S. Presidents: Bill Clinton, George Bush Sr., Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, and is widely considered one of the cultural ambassadors of New Orleans and of the traditional music.
Ketchens grew up in the Tremé, studied clarinet in elementary school, played for John F. Kennedy High School in New Orleans, and was accepted to NOCCA, Louisiana's Arts Conservatory in New Orleans. She attended Delgado Community College, Loyola University of New Orleans, Southern University In New Orleans, and the University of Hartford's The Hartt Schoolin. Ketchens worked her way through conservatories and college as a chef, and met her husband, arranger and sousaphonist for Doreen's Jazz New Orleans, Lawrence Ketchens at Loyola.
Ketchens performed her first jazz gig with Lawrence in 1987, and ran a plate lunch eatery called "Doreen's Sweets" for a time. She and Lawrence saw musicians working the streets of New Orleans, and determined that they could make money doing that as well. The couple began performing on the streets of New Orleans in 1987, playing in Jackson Square with her first band, the Jackson Square All-Stars. Their band evolved into "Doreen's Jazz New Orleans," and, after struggling with the chauvinism of traditional Jazz and club owners, they found their stride playing and entertaining crowds at street shows, Jazz festivals, and ultimately through direct sales of their music and videos on the Internet. Ketchens has been sharing traditional American Jazz in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, South America, Russia and the United States. They have performed with programs sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center and The US Department of State. Ketchens' group appears at Jazz Festivals in New Orleans and at music festivals, fairs, and showcases throughout the world.
Ketchens has performed with Ellis Marsalis, Trombone Shorty, Al Hirt, and Dr. John, and has been seen around the world by millions of people via media and fan videos of her performances. She has been featured in numerous documentaries about New Orleans, its music, and its heritage, and she has been seen on television in shows like HBO's Tremé. Ketchens embodies so much of what we love about New Orleans and its culture!
Lagniappe: Ketchens is nicknamed "Lady Louis" because of her ability to hit and hold powerful high notes, and her love of Armstrong's performance style.
LITTLE FREDDIE KING
Delta Blues guitarist Little Freddie King, born Fread Eugene Martin, was born on July 19, 1940, in McComb, Mississippi. He moved to New Orleans at age 14, and performed in juke joints with legendary blues artists, playing with luminaries Bo Diddley and John Lee Hooker, as well as playing bass for Freddy King. Style comparisons between the two artists led to his use of the name “Little Freddie King”, though his playing sounds more like his cousin, Lightnin’ Hopkins, He is a three-time New Orleans “Blues Performer of the Year”, and a member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
Photo: Masahiroi Sumori
JOE KROWN
Keyboardist Joe Krown was born on March 26, 1958, in Long Island, New York, and started playing piano in his childhood. He discovered the Hammond organ while in college, which he left to pursue career as a professional musician. In the 1980s, he joined Chuck Berry's back up band and toured with him on the East Coast. In 1991, Krown moved to New Orleans to join legendary Louisiana blues musician Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown's band, Gate's Express, recording four albums with him and touring across the U.S. and overseas, including as an opening act for Eric Clapton’s world tour in 1995. In 1998, he released the solo album Just the Piano...Just the Blues.
The Joe Krown Organ Combo was formed in 1999 and performed every week at one of the many New Orleans nightclubs, as well as making regular appearances at the French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Krown also played with guitarist John Fohl and harmonica/accordion player Johnny Sansone in 2000, releasing a self-titled album in 2004. Krown has been a headline performer at WWOZ's Piano Night during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival every year since 1997, producing it for the first time in 2017, and then every year since, with great success.
Krown’s trio with Johnny Sansone & John Fohl won a 2004 New Orleans Big Easy Award in the Blues category. In 2005, he formed the Joe Krown Trio, featuring Joe on the Hammond B-3 organ, legendary Louisiana guitarist Walter Wolfman Washington on guitar & vocals, and Russell Batiste, Jr. on drums. In the spring of 2007, the trio started playing every Sunday night at the Maple Leaf Bar. The Sunday nights were so successful that the trio released a live CD, Live at the Maple Leaf, in Oct. 2008. They won a 2009 New Orleans Big Easy Award in the Blues Category and a 2009 Offbeat Award for Best R&B/Funk Album. In April 2014, Joe was honored with a Piano Legacy Award, presented by the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and for being a "Master of Piano".
In June 2017, Krown joined the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, and tours all over the U.S. and the world as the organ/piano player for this multi award winning, chart topping band. Krown continues to perform solo and with his trio, and he has played the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival as a featured artist every year since 2001 and the French Quarter Festival every year since 1998. Today we wish this supremely talented musician a very happy birthday!
Lagniappe: After the untimely passing of the legendary great Allen Toussaint in November 2015, Joe was selected to fill the maestro's chair by playing piano with Toussaint's band backing up greats like Bonnie Raitt, Aaron Neville, Irma Thomas, Dr. John, Cyril Neville and more at the 2016 New Orleans Jazz Fest, Hollwood Bowl, Midsummer Night Swing at Lincoln Center and more.
L
M
Photo by: darlene susco - https://www.flickr.com/people/63102512@N06
BRANFORD MARSALIS
Branford Marsalis was born on August 26, 1960, in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, to one of the premier musical families in the world. Branford is an saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque. He is the son of Dolores, a jazz singer and substitute teacher, and Ellis Louis Marsalis, Jr., an acclaimed pianist and music professor. His brothers Jason Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, and Delfeayo Marsalis are also world famous jazz musicians.
Photo: Delfeayo Marsalis
DELFEAYO MARSALIS
Trombonist, producer and educator Delfeayo Marsalis was born in New Orleans on July 28, 1965, and is the son of Ellis Louis Marsalis, Jr., a pianist and music professor. He is also the grandson of Ellis Marsalis, Sr., and the brother of Wynton Marsalis (trumpeter), Branford Marsalis (saxophonist), and Jason Marsalis (drummer). Delfeayo also has two brothers who are not musicians, Ellis Marsalis III and Mboya Kenyatta. Delfeayo founded the New Orleans-based Uptown Music Theatre in 2000, which has trained over 300 youth and staged eight original musicals, all of which are based upon the mission of "community unity". Delfeayo has recorded 8 of his own albums and is known for his work as a producer of acoustic jazz recordings. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, and in 2004 received an MA in jazz performance from the University of Louisville. Marsalis, with his father and brothers, are group recipients of the 2011 NEA Jazz Masters Award. Count yourself among the truly fortunate if you see this incredibly talented artist perform.
Lagniappe: Delfeayo’s younger brother Mboya Kenyatta is autistic and was the primary inspiration for his founding of the New Orleans-based Uptown Music Theatre in 2000.
Photo by: Eric Delmar - Given with permission from author
WYNTON MARSALIS
Trumpeter, composer and teacher Wynton Marsalis was born in New Orleans on October 18, 1961, into a family of musical royalty. He is the son of jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr., and brother of saxophonist Branford, trombonist Delfeayo, and drummer Jason. While sitting at a table with trumpeters Al Hirt, Miles Davis, and Clark Terry, his father jokingly suggested that he might as well get Wynton a trumpet, too. Hirt volunteered to give him one, so at the age of six Marsalis received his first trumpet. Since that time, he has been awarded nine Grammy Awards and was the first jazz composition to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. In addition, Marsalis is the only musician to win a Grammy Award in jazz and classical during the same year. The artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, he also promotes classical and jazz music, often to young audiences.
Photo by Carnaval.com Studios
ZIGABOO MODELISTE
Drummer and songwriter Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste was born in New Orleans on December 28, 1948, and is best known as a founding member of New Orleans funk band The Meters. He grew up in New Orleans’ 13thWard and was nicknamed Zigaboo at 10 by his teens the name had stuck. His first drum set was a three-piece bought by his grandmother, and he learned by watching and emulating New Orleans drum greats such as Smokey Johnson. He started playing gigs at an early age, including with Art Neville’s band that evolved into The Neville Sounds, and ultimately, The Meters in 1965. Allen Toussaint’s record label eventually signed The Meters, and in 1975 and 1976 they opened for the Rolling Sotnes, and they also backed acts such as Dr. John, Robert Palmer, Lee Dorsey, and Paul McCartney. In the late 1970s when The Meters disbanded, Modeliste toured with various musicians, including The New Barbarians, featuring Keith Richards and Ron Wood.
Modeliste's work is credited on hundreds of recordings by a variety of artists, including hip hop artists such as Run DMC, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah and Salt-N-Pepa, who have all sampled his drum patterns. Modeliste released three studio albums and a live album as a leader, and in 2011 he collaborated with producer-musician Mark Ronson, Erykah Badu, Mos Def and Trombone Shorty for the song "A La Modeliste", named his influence on funk drumming and the New Orleans sound.
In the 1980s Modeliste moved to California, ultimately settling in Oakland He got involved in the business side of the music industry, starting the label, JZM Records, and a music publishing company, Jomod Music. Fortunately for music fans, he continues to perform regularly, and in 2018, as the Recording Academy honored Modeliste and The Meters with a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.
DEACON JOHN MOORE
Bandleader, singer, guitarist, Blues, R&B, and Rock n Roll musician Deacon John Moore was born in New Orleans on June 23, 1941, and grew up in the 8th Ward. Moore was active on the New Orleans R&B scene since his teens, and was a session player on many hit recordings of the late 1950s and the 1960s, including those by Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Lee Dorsey, Ernie K-Doe, and others. His band The Ivories at New Orleans' Dew Drop Inn attracted an enthusiastic following, sometimes upstaging visiting national acts Moore was hired to open for. While highly regarded locally and by his fellow musicians, lack of hit records under his own name kept him from the national fame achieved by a number of his peers. Regardless, in 2000 Moore was inducted into the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame. Moore has acted in films and television, and was featured in the documentary segment Going Back to New Orleans: The Deacon John Film and the concert CD, Deacon John's Jump Blues (2003). On July 25, 2006 Moore became president of the local branch of the American Federation of Musicians. Deacon John remains a local favorite on the New Orleans music scene. If you have the chance, be sure to catch one of his fantastic shows!
Lagniappe: Dubbed "Deacon" by one of his band members, he disliked the name, concerned people would assume he was a gospel singer and gigs would be hard to get. However, based upon his early reputation, and at the urging of a music promoter, he decided to keep it and has been "Deacon John" ever since.
Photo by Sam Friedman
STANTON MOORE
Funk, jazz, and rock drummer Stanton Moore was born in New Orleans on July 9, 1972, and was raised in the suburb of Metairie. Most widely known as a founding member of Galactic, Moore has also pursued a solo recording career and recorded with bands as diverse as jazz-funk keyboardist Robert Walter and heavy metal act Corrosion of Conformity. He also travels internationally to teach New Orleans drumming, writes regularly for drumming magazines, and releases instructional books and videos. In 2017 Moore established the Stanton Moore Drum Academy, and in December of 2018, Moore and his Galactic bandmates bought Tipitina’s, New Orleans’ most revered music club.
Moore's other projects include the Stanton Moore Trio, Garage A Trois and the Midnite Disturbers. The Stanton Moore Trio includes a variety of local and visiting musicians in New Orleans. As a trio he has toured nationally with keyboardist Robert Walter and guitarist Will Bernard. Garage A Trois consists of Moore, Skerik, Mike Dillon and Marco Benevento. Moore organized the all-star brass band Midnite Disturbers with drummer Kevin O'Day, and other members include Trombone Shorty and Jamelle Williams on trumpets, Big Sam and Mark Mullins on trombones, Ben Ellman and Skerik on saxophones, and Jeffery Hills on sousaphone. Other ongoing collaborations include bands such as Dragon Smoke and MG5. Dragon Smoke features Eric Lindell, Robert Mercurio, Ivan Neville and Stanton Moore. MG5 (formerly Frequinox) features Robert Walter, Robert Mercurio, Will Bernard, Donald Harrison, Jeff Coffin and Stanton Moore.
Moore has his own brand, The Stanton Moore Drum company of New Orleans, and was also co-owner of the Crescent Cymbals brand. His signature cymbal series was incorporated into the Stanton Moore Crescent Series cymbals, now produced by Sabian. Moore won the Modern Drummer 2011 reader polls in both the Educational Book, and Educational DVD, categories for his Groove Alchemy educational series. In 2017 Moore launched the Stanton Moore Drum Academy as a forward thinking online educational community for drummers and teachers of all levels and styles. The Academy places a strong emphasis on community and offers members various interactive opportunities, including a monthly Facebook chat with Moore himself, a user forum, and a blog.
Lagniappe: In 2009, Moore collaborated with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Boots Riley of the Coup on a project called the name Street Sweeper Social Club.
N
AARON NEVILLE
R&B and soul vocalist Aaron Neville was born in New Orleans on January 24, 1941, into one of the most prolific music families of the City. Neville has recorded as a solo artist, with his brothers Art, Charles and Cyril as The Neville Brothers, and he is the father of singer and keyboard player Ivan Neville, and vocalist and rap artist Jason Neville. In addition, his uncle, George "Big Chief Jolly" Landry, was lead singer of the Mardi Gras Indian group The Wilde Tchoupitoulas.
Neville’s debut single, “Tell It Like It Is”, was #1 on the Soul chart for five weeks in 1967. During the course of his career, he has had four platinum albums and four Top 10 hits, including three that went to #1 on the Billboardcharts. In 1989, Neville recorded the album Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Windwith Linda Ronstadt, which included the #1 Grammy-winning hits “Don’t Know Much” and “All My Life”. In 1991, his cover of “Everybody Plays the Fool” reached #1, and some of his other hits include “Don’t Take Away My Heaven”, “Can’t Stop My Heart From Loving You (The Rain Song)”, and “Hercules”. In 1993 and 1994, Neville ventured into country music, and recorded Patsy Cline’s 1961 hit “I Fall to Pieces” with Trisha Yearwood, resulting in a Grammy Award for the duo in in 1995. As a result, Neville became one of the only African American recording artists to win a Grammy in the Country category.
Neville’s home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, moving to Nashville after the storm. He ultimately returned to New Orleans, but while he was away, he recorded the albumBring It On Home … The Soul Classics, released in 2006, featuring songs by Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and others, and featuring collaborations with his brother Art, Chaka Khan, Mavis Staples, and David Sanborn. In 2013, he released My True Story, a collection of doo-wop songs from his youth, including backup by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Neville continues to perform and tour to the delight of his league of fans worldwide!
Lagniappe:Neville wears a Saint Jude Medal as a left earring because he credits the saint for his success and survival, and he got his facial tattoo (of a cross) when he was 16 years old.
Photo by: Bruce Tuten
CYRIL NEVILLE
Singer songwriter and percussionist Cyril Neville was born in New Orleans on October 10, 1948, to a family of musical royalty. He was a member of the legendary NOLA funk band The Meters, along with his brother Art Neville, and later became a member of the Neville Brothers band along with his older brothers Aaron, Charles and Art. Neville has collaborated with numerous artists including Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson, Willie Nelson, and Dr. John. In 2005, Neville joined up with Tab Benoit, Waylon Thibodeaux, Johnny Sansone, Anders Osborne, Monk Boudreaux, George Porter, Jr., Johnny Vidacovich, and Dr. John to form the Voice of the Wetlands Allstars, bringing awareness to the loss of wetlands along the Gulf Coast. In 2010, Neville toured with New Orleans funk band Galactic, and in 2012, he formed blues-rock supergroup Royal Southern Brotherhood along with Devon Allman, Mike Zito, Charlie Wooton, and Yonrico Scott. Whether performing solo or with collaborators, Cyril Neville always leaves his audiences wanting more.
Photo by Newber Machado
IVAN NEVILLE
Ivan Neville was born in New Orleans on August 19, 1959, to one of the great musical families of the Big Easy. He is the son of Aaron Neville and nephew to members of The Neville Brothers, and has clearly inherited the family’s legendary musical talent. He is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter who has been performing in bands since 1977. Ivan has joined his father and uncles in The Neville Brothers, was a member of Bonnie Raitt’s band in the 1980’s, was a member of Keith Richards’ X-Pensive Winos tour, and has played with numerous musical luminaries including the Rolling Stones, Don Henley, Robbie Robertson, Delbert McClinton and Rufus. Neville and his cousin, Ian Neville (son of Art Neville) formed Dumpstaphunk in the early 2000s and play their own incomparable brand of funk and jazz. Neville is also a member of JazzFest phenom Dragon Smoke, along with Eric Lindell, Rob Mercurios and Stanton Moore. No matter who he is playing with, never miss an opportunity to see Ivan Neville perform!
Photo by: Francisco Daum
LEO NOCENTELLI
Singer songwriter and guitarist Leo Nocentelli was born in New Orleans on June 15, 1946. Best known as a founding member and lead guitarist of The Meters, he wrote the original versions of several funk classics such as "Cissy Strut" and "Hey Pocky A-Way". He has recorded with a variety of notable artists such as Dr. John, Robert Palmer and Etta James. In 2018, Nocentelli received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of The Meters.
Nocentelli grew up in the Irish Channel and Seventh Ward neighborhoods, started playing guitar at 12, and had his first professional gig at 13. Self-taught and influenced by jazz guitarists, by age 17 his reputation as a guitarist garnered him session work with the Temptations, Supremes, and Spinners. After serving in the army, he joined the seven-piece Neville Sounds band. By 1968, the band consisted of four members (Nocentelli, Art Neville, George Porter, and Ziggy Modeliste) who ultimately formed The Meters in 1965. The band had a fluid style and each instrument was free to go anywhere musically. Though the band gained notoriety in the music community, the lack of commercial success along with managerial and artistic factors gave way to their disbandment in late 1970s.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Nocentelli wrote, co-wrote and did session work, and in the early 1980s Nocentelli toured with Jimmy Buffett. He moved to Los Angeles in 1982, and over the years he performed regularly with former bandmates George Porter, Jr., and Zigaboo Modeliste. They performed in various quartet formations and at one of their shows in 1989, Nocentelli and Porter invited Modeliste and Neville on stage. The impromptu performance was the first reunion of the original Meters. The same year Nocentelli, Neville, and Porter formed The Funky Meters with Russell Batiste on drums. Nocentelli performed with the reincarnated lineup until 1993. He briefly moved back to New Orleans in the early 1990s and returned to Los Angeles in 1992. He continued to perform with two Meters-inspired lineups: The Meter Men and The Meters Experience.
In 2000 a big offer enticed all four original Meters to reunite for a one-night stand in San Francisco, but it wasn't until the 2005 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival that challenges were overcome and the reunion became “official.” In June 2011, The Original Meters, along with Allen Toussaint and Dr. John, played the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival; the Original Meters also played a set at the 2011 Voodoo Experience in New Orleans; they returned to New Orleans for a performance to a sold-out crowd at the Howlin' Wolf on May 5, 2012; and on June 25, 2017, the Original Meters performed at the Arroyo Seco Festival in Pasadena, California. Sadly, Art Neville passed away on July 22, 2019. The Funky Meters tour sporadically performing songs by The Meters. When not performing with them, Nocentelli leads his own group, The Meters Experience, which also performs the music of The Meters. No matter which group he’s performing with, a performance by Leo Nocentelli is a must-see!
O
Photo by: Mr.schultz
ANDERS OSBORNE
Singer-songwriter and guitarist Anders Osborne was born in Uddevalla, Sweden on May 4, 1966, and as a teen he started playing guitar and listening to Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Jackson Browne, and Joni Mitchell. He was influenced by the vocal styles of Ray Charles, Van Morrison and Lowell George, Robert Johnson and recordings of African drumming. He began playing in Open D tuning, giving his fretwork a signature sound and feel, after hearing it on Joni Mitchell’s album Blue. Osborne made his recording debut in 1989, and in addition to writing for his own albums, Osborne has had a number of his songs successfully recorded by other artists. Keb' Mo's 1999 Grammy Award winning album Slow Down, featured two songs co-written with Osborne.
Osborne worked as a professional songwriter in New Orleans and then in Nashville, first for PolyGram and then its successor Universal Music. His song, "Watch the Wind Blow By," was recorded by the country musician Tim McGraw, hitting No. 1 on the country charts for two weeks and selling over three million albums. Returning to New Orleans from Nashville, he recorded Coming Down (2007), a stripped-down semi-acoustic album which was nominated for the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards Folk/Singer-Songwriter Album of the Year. More recently, he has co-written with Tab Benoit, Mike Zito and Johnny Sansone, for whom he's also served as producer. In 2009, Osborne recorded a new, full band album called American Patchwork co-produced by Osborne, Galactic’s Stanton Moore and Pepper Keenan. All songs on the album were written or co-written by Osborne.
Since the release of American Patchwork, Osborne has toured virtually non-stop, performing with his own band, solo, with Keb Mo, with The Stanton Moore Trio, with Toots and the Maytals, alongside Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and with Luther Dickinson, as well as with The Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars. He appeared on Galactic’s song "Dark Water" from their Ya Ka Ma album, and in 2011 produced and played on critically acclaimed albums by Tab Benoit, Johnny Sansone and Mike Zito. In 2012, he played on and acted as associate producer of Billy Iuso’s Naked album. Osborne has appeared multiple times at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival as well as at Bonnaroo Music Festival, The High Sierra Festival, The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, The Hollowbaloo Music & Arts Festival in Honolulu, the Hangout Festival, WYEP Summer Music Fest, Central Park SummerStage, Miami Valley Music fest, as well as playing with Phil Lesh and others at Terrapin Crossroads. In addition, he often plays in North Mississippi Osborne (N.M.O), a group formed by Osborne and North Mississippi Allstars.
Whether solo, with his band, or with other artists, Anders Osborne is a musical force to be reckoned with. Don’t miss an opportunity to see him!
P
Photo by Masahiro Sumori
GEORGE PORTER, JR.
Bassist and songwriter George Joseph Porter, Jr, was born in New Orleans on December 26, 1947. Best known for his work in the Meters, progenitors of funk and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners, George has performed and recorded with a Who’s Who list of artists from around the world, as well as performing regularly in several bands.
Porter grew up in New Orleans next to Joe "Zigaboo" Modeliste, his future Meters bandmate, and as teenagers, they played jam sessions together with Porter playing a box guitar. Porter was inspired to play bass guitar by another New Orleans native, Benjamin "Poppi" Francis, and when Porter was still in his teens, he sat in with legendary New Orleans R&B and blues guitarist Earl King. The beginnings of The Meters came after one of those shows when Art Neville approached Porter to start a band called Neville Sound. After a short time, the band’s four core members - Art Neville, Zigaboo Modeliste, Leo Nocentilli and Porter Jr., played six nights a week at a bar called Ivanhoe on Bourbon Street. Allen Toussaint ultimately signed the band to a record deal, but changed their name to something that better reflected their sound, “The Meters”.
In 1975, they opened for the Rolling Stones, but by 1977, The Meters broke up, and Porter Jr. formed a band called Joyride. He played with Joyride and other New Orleans musicians in the 1980s, and in 1989 he reunited with Art Neville and Leo Nocentelli as The Meters, with Russell Batiste, Jr., on drums in place of Zigaboo Modeliste. In 1990, he started The Runnin Pardners, and he also became a highly sought after studio bass player. In 1994, Porter and Neville formed The Funky Meters to carry on The Meters sound, including Brian Stoltz on guitar and Russell Batiste Jr. on drums.
In 2000, the original four Meters reunited for a show, and they did not reunite again until the first New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival after Hurricane Katrina in 2006, which meant a lot to the city. Porter, Leo Nocentelli, Joe Modeliste, Phish keyboardist Page McConnell, have performed a limited number of shows as The Metermen in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Sadly, Meters keyboardist Art Neville passed away on July 22, 2019. Porter still performs with Joyride and The Funky Meters, and tours consistently with the Runnin Pardners. Porter also frequently collaborates with other musicians, many from New Orleans, to the delight of his many fans.
R
Photo by: Derek Bridges - https://www.flickr.com/people/derek_b/
KERMIT RUFFINS
Jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer Kermit Ruffins was born in New Orleans on December 19, 1964. Strongly influenced by Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, Ruffins personifies the laid-back New Orleans vibe, performing New Orleans jazz standards and his own music. His stage persona was developed by watching Satchmo and Cab Calloway, and by busking in the French Quarter. Ruffins was also talented and fortunate enough to perform with and learn from legendary New Orleans artists Danny Barker and “Uncle” Lionel Batiste. He co-founded the Rebirth Brass Band while he was still in high school, and they went on to revolutionize New Orleans brass bands and achieve great success and acclaim. After touring the world for about 10 years, Ruffins began to miss his hometown and decided to go solo. Over his career, he has put out over 15 albums, performed on the soundtrack to Disney’s Jungle Book, and played himself in the HBO series “Treme”. When he’s not at Kermit’s Treme Mother-in-Law Lounge, barbecuing outside or entertaining inside, or opening a new bar, Kermit’s 9thWard Juke Joint, he works to preserve and pass on the tradition of jazz. Wherever you may find him, he is always a passionate and tireless ambassador for the Crescent City. Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers are a must-see for every New Orleans visitor and local alike.
Lagniappe: Ruffins has traveled with cooking equipment and prepared his favorite foods in hotel rooms around the world.
S
Photo: Carl Lender
TERRANCE SIMIEN
Zydeco musician, vocalist and songwriter Terrance Simien was born September 3, 1965, in Mallet, Louisiana, and is an eighth generation Creole from one of the earliest Creole families that settled in St. Landry Parish. He was introduced to music via piano at home, Catholic Church choir, and playing trumpet in school band programs. He taught himself to play accordion in his teens and formed his first band Terrance Simien & The Mallet Playboys, playing regionally.
In the early 1980s, Simien was one of only two emerging zydeco artists performing and continuing the traditions of zydeco roots music. Simien and his group have toured internationally, presenting over 9000 live performances in more than 45 countries, and released dozens of solo recordings and collaborations. He has shared studio and stage with the likes of Paul Simon, Dr. John, The Meters, Marcia Ball, Dave Matthews, Stevie Wonder, Robert Palmer and Los Lobos. In 2008, Simien and his group won the Grammy Award for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album, and in 2013, he and several of his other band mates won their second Grammy for Best Regional Roots Record.
Simien has appeared on screen and contributed to the soundtracks of multiple movies, television films and commercials. He contributed to the soundtracks of the films, The Princess and the Frog, The Big Easy, Exit To Eden and A Murder Of Crows. In addition to being one of the most accomplished and respected artists in American roots music, Simien and his business partner/wife, Cynthia, are active in Creole music education and advocacy. They created the "Creole for Kidz & The History of Zydeco" performing arts program, and MusicMatters, Inc., a non-profit for education and advocacy.
Lagniappe: Simien helped establish the Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album Grammy category in 2007, and his group, Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience, were the first ensemble to win a Grammy in that category in 2008.
T
Photo by ETownHall - https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:ETownHall&action=edit&redlink=1
IRMA THOMAS
Singer songwriter Irma Thomas, known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans", was born on February 18, 1941, in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. She got her start as a teen singing in a Baptist church choir, and later sang at New Orleans’ Pimlico Club where she worked as a waitress … until she was let go for spending more time singing than waiting tables! Pimlico Club bandleader Tommy Ridley helped her land a record deal, and in 1960 her record “You Can Have My Husband (But Don’t Mess with My Man)” reached number 22 on the Billboard R&B chart. Thomas went on to collaborate with legendary New Orleans songwriter and producer Allen Toussaint, and later recorded “Break-a-Way” which was a huge radio hit in New Orleans. She also recorded “Time Is on My Side”, a cover of which became a massive hit for the Rolling Stones. Hurricane Camille hit, and Thomas relocated to California in 1969, ultimately returning to New Orleans in 1976. She and her husband opened the Lion’s Den club in New Orleans, where she headlined regularly while also accelerating her live schedule, including touring Europe. In 2007, Thomas won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for After the Rain. In 2008, she released Simply Grand, featuring preeminent piano players Dr. John and Ellis Marsalis. While she may not have achieved the commercial success of some of her contemporaries like Aretha Franklin, her talent is undeniable, and she has ascended to the pantheon of great American soul artists. Irma Thomas is one of New Orleans’ greatest musical ambassadors and has certainly earned the title of Soul Queen of New Orleans.
U
V
W
Photo: Derek Bridges