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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!

 

Filtering by Category: NOLA musician

Celebrating the Birthday of Jelly Roll Morton

John Dunlop

Ragtime and early jazz pianist and composer Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was born in New Orleans on October 20, 1890 (though some say 1885). He was a pivotal figure in early jazz. He was the first arranger in this genre rooted in improvisation, proving that jazz could retain its essential characteristics and spirit even though notated. 

Morton learned to play piano at age 10, and within a few years he was playing in the red-light district bordellos, where he earned the nickname "Jelly Roll." Blending the styles of ragtime and minstrelsy with dance rhythms, he was at the forefront of a movement that would soon be known as "jazz." His composition "Jelly Roll Blues", published in 1915, was the first published jazz composition.

Jelly Roll Morton passed away on July 10, 1941, in Los Angeles, California. Whether or not Morton invented jazz, as he had claimed, he is regarded as one of its great innovators. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him in 1998, and he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

Happy Birthday, Wynton Marsalis!

John Dunlop

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. Happy Birthday to one of the all time greats!

Eric Delmar - Given with permission from author

Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival - 10/13 - 15/2023

John Dunlop

Our Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, established in 2006, continues New Orleans’ historic role in making the blues and R&B among the most influential sounds in the world. The Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival presents many of the top performers from southern Louisiana and Mississippi, plus delicious food and unique visual art. Remember, without the blues, there would be no jazz or R&B.

Happy Birthday, Cyril Neville!

John Dunlop

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. Happy birthday, Cyril!

Photo by: Bruce Tuten

Happy Birthday, Doreen Ketchens!

John Dunlop

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, for four U.S. Presidents, and on Royal Street in the French Quarter with her band, Doreen's Jazz New Orleans. Ketchens 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 in high school in, 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 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!

Photo by: Aris Vrakas

Celebrating the Birthday of "Big Al" Carson

John Dunlop

Blues and jazz singer Alton "Big Al" Carson was born in New Orleans on October 2, 1953, playing tuba as well as performing as a singer. Carson studied music in the New Orleans school system and at Xavier University, and began his career playing tuba with renowned brass bands. During his life, he performed and recorded with multiple jazz and brass bands in New Orleans, as well as with his own band, the Blues Masters. In 1994, he performed for the Dutch royal family while on a New Orleans music tour that included Aaron Neville and Ernie K-Doe. Carson performed annually in the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the French Quarter Festival, as well as appearing as Santa Claus at the New Orleans Riverwalk Marketplace. Sadly, Carson died on April 26, 2020, at the age of 66 after a heart attack. Today we celebrate the joy he brought to his fans in his beloved New Orleans and around the world.