NOLA Community Blog
New Orleans is the city that lives in you, no matter where you live. And this website is for all of us who don’t live in New Orleans to stay connected with the Big Easy. Welcome to Church of New Orleans!
Celebrating the Birthday of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
John Dunlop
Guitarist, violinist and vocalist Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown was born on April 18, 1924, in Vinton, Louisiana, and raised in Orange, Texas. Brown was given the nickname “Gatemouth” by a high school teacher who said he had a “voice like a gate”. Known for his work as a blues musician, he also performed rock n roll and folk, and was an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist who played not only guitar and fiddle, but also mandolin, viola, harmonica and drums.
In 1974, he recorded as a sideman with the New Orleans pianist Professor Longhair on his album, Rock 'N' Roll Gumbo and moved to New Orleans in the late 1970s. In the 1980s, a series of releases on Rounder Records and Alligator Records revitalized his U.S. career, and he toured extensively and internationally, usually playing between 250 and 300 shows a year. He won a Grammy in 1982 for the album Alright Again! and was nominated for five more. He also won eight W. C. Handy Awards. In 1999, Brown was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
In his final years, Brown maintained a full touring schedule, and released his final record "Timeless" in 2004. Brown’s home in Slidell, Louisiana, was destoyed by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, though he’d had been evacuated to his childhood hometown of Orange, Texas. Sadly, he passed away there on September 10, 2005, at a relative’s home. Today we celebrate a gifted musician and appreciate his legacy.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival canceled for 2020
John Dunlop
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is canceled for 2020 out of an abundance of caution due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021 JazzFest scheduled for April 22 - May 2.
Stay safe and healthy so we can enjoy JazzFest in 2021!
Celebrating the Birthday of Cosimo Matassa
John Dunlop
Record producer Cosimo Matassa was born in New Orleans on April 13, 1926, and opened the J&M Recording Studio in 1945 at the age of 18, at the back of his family's shop on Rampart Street. In 1955, he moved to the larger Cosimo Recording Studio on Gov. Nichols Street, nearby in the French Quarter.
Matassa was crucial to the development of the sound of R&B, rock and soul of the 1950s and 1960s, often working as an engineer with producers Dave Bartholomew and Allen Toussaint. He recorded many hits, including Fats Domino’s "The Fat Man" (a contender for the first rock and roll record), Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti", and records by Ray Charles, Dr. John and many others. He was responsible for developing what became known as the New Orleans sound, with strong drums, heavy guitar and bass, heavy piano, light horns and a strong vocal lead.
Matassa retired from the music business in the 1980s to manage the family's food store, Matassa's Market, in the French Quarter. In 2007, Matassa was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, and was also given a Grammy Trustees Award that same year. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2013.
Cosimo Matassa passed away on September 11, 2014, aged 88, in New Orleans, but his musical legacy lives on forever. Today we celebrate him and all he gave music fans worldwide.
Celebrating National Beer Day!
John Dunlop
National Beer Day is celebrated every year on April 7, marking the day that beer was no longer prohibited in the U.S. Passed in 1920, The Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, commonly known as Prohibition, was a nationwide ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. On March 22, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Cullen–Harrison Act into law, legalizing low alcohol beer and wine, ultimately leading to the Eighteenth Amendment being repealed on December 5, 1933, with ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. So, do your patriotic duty and drink a beer today. Just remember, don’t be too patriotic and drive!
Celebrating New Beer's Eve!
John Dunlop
New Beer’s Eve is the day prior to National Beer Day, which commemorates the day in 1933 that beer was no longer prohibited in the U.S. Enjoy yourself tonight, but save some beer for tomorrow!
