Celebrating the Birthday of Huey "Piano" Smith

R&B pianist and singer Huey Pierce Smith, known as Huey "Piano" Smith, was born in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans on January 26, 1934. He wrote his first song on the piano at age eight, and began working in clubs and recording at 15 years old, signing a recording contract at 18. Influenced by the innovative work of Professor Longhair, Smith also incorporated boogie, jazz and rhythm-and-blues styles in his piano playing, and his sound was ultimately influential in the development of rock and roll.

Smith became the piano player with Little Richard's first band in 1955, and he also played piano on several studio sessions that resulted in hits for Earl King ("Those Lonely Lonely Nights") and Smiley Lewis ("I Hear You Knocking"). In 1957, he formed Huey "Piano" Smith and His Clowns, which hit the Billboard charts with several singles, including "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu", which sold over one million copies, achieving gold disc status. The Clowns' most famous single, "Don't You Just Know It", released in 1958, hit number 9 on the Billboard Pop chart and number 4 on the Rhythm and Blues chart. It was their second million seller.

In 1959, Ace Records erased Smith's vocal track from "Sea Cruise", the now-classic single Smith had composed, arranged and performed, and replaced it with a vocal track by the white singer Frankie Ford, which was a hit for Ford. Smith left Ace Records for Imperial Records, to record with noted producer Dave Bartholomew, but the hits did not follow, and Ace Records again overdubbed new vocals on another of Smith's unreleased tracks, to produce "Pop-Eye", the last hit single credited to Smith.

In the years following, Smith made several comebacks, and in 2000, he was honored with a Pioneer Award by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. Smith became known for his shuffling right-handed break on the piano, and at the peak of his game, Smith epitomized New Orleans R&B at its most infectious and rollicking. Sadly, Smith died at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on February 13, 2023, aged 89. Huey “Piano” Smith was a New Orleans original and innovator, and on his birthday we celebrate his many contributions to music!

Photo: source & disclosure

The New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar Festival - January 18 - 20, 2024

Join us for the 8th annual CBG Festival at the New Orleans Jazz Museum! More than twenty professional acts will perform, making the event the largest of its type in the world. The New Orleans Cigar Box Guitar Festival is a unique celebration of the art, music, and cultural history of homemade stringed instruments in the city where those rudimentary devices played a key role in the early development of both the jazz and blues musical traditions. But, one of the keys to the uniqueness of the festival is that it's not a Jazz festival or a Blues festival .... not a Folk festival or a Rock festival. It's a music festival performed on unique instruments. The cigar box guitar world is populated by musicians of almost every inclination, representing the various genres, sub-genres and combined genres of today's music. The CBG festival reflects that wide array. Only 100 seats are being sold, guaranteeing each and every attendee a comfortable and intimate experience in the New Orleans Jazz Museum's state-of-the-art 3rd floor Performance Center. Enjoy this unique music festival!

Mardi Gras Rock Show of New Orleans on November 16!

“If you can’t go to New Orleans, let us bring New Orleans to you!”

Big Mardi Gras Rock Show of New Orleans is a rock & roll show, featuring Big Chief Alfred Doucette and Lani Ramos of Big Pearl & the Fugitives of Funk. Chief Doucette is the oldest living Mardi Gras Indian Chief at 82 years young, and Lani Ramos, known to some as Big Pearl, sings rock, blues & some killer Janis too! The force behind the show is the bond of family between Doucette and Ramos. An 18 year partnership formed through friendship, love of music, that feeds souls and each other’s spirit in performing can be the only explanation to their long and endearing partnership. And it shines through into the audience helping people to forget their troubles for a New Orleans minute and dance the night away. Enjoy the show!

Thursday, November 16 · 7:30 - 10pm PST at the El Portal Theater, 5269 Lankershim Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 91601

Happy Birthday, Frank Ocean!

Singer songwriter, rapper, record producer and photographer Frank Ocean (Christopher Breaux) was born in New Orleans on October 28, 1987. He is known for his idiosyncratic musical style, introspective and elliptical songwriting, unconventional production techniques, and wide vocal range. Music critics have credited him with revitalizing R&B, with his distinctive sound and style influencing numerous artists of various music genres.

Ocean began his musical career as a ghostwriter, and joined hip hop collective Odd Future in 2010. He released his debut mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra, achieving critical success, with the single "Novacane" peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 82, and later achieving platinum certification. In 2012, Def Jam Recordings signed Ocean to a recording contract., and in July of that year, he released his debut studio album Channel Orange. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was soon certified platinum. The album received universal acclaim from critics and won Ocean his first Grammy Award, for Best Urban Contemporary Album. 

Ocean’s second album, Blonde, was released in 2016 as was his visual project Endless. Blonde debuted at number one in several countries and was also highly acclaimed by critics. In 2017, he was featured on the Calvin Harris single "Slide", opposite Migos, which became Ocean's highest charting song in the US, peaking at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Happy Birthday to a true NOLA original talent!

Photo by: Rory - https://www.flickr.com/photos/73714450@N08/9280513387

Happy Birthday, Wendell Brunious!

Singer songwriter and trumpeter Wendell Brunious was born in New Orleans on October 27, 1954. Brunious began playing trumpet at 11, and both his father (John “Picket” Brunious) and brother (John Brunious, Jr.) were accomplished trumpeters. He sang in Chief John and the Mahogany Hall Stompers in the 1960s, a group in which his father was also a member. He performed with Danny Barker and played dance music in clubs on Bourbon Street in the mid-1970s. Wendell followed his brother John as bandleader of Preservation Hall Jazz Band in 1987, and was followed as bandleader by his nephew Mark Braud. Brunious has also played with the Eureka Brass Band, Lionel Hampton, Michael White, and Don Vappie. Happy Birthday to a true New Orleans luminary!

Photo by Charles Mims, at https://www.flickr.com/photos/11248189@N02/31430410655/

Celebrating the Birthday of Mahalia Jackson

Mahalia Jackson, vocalist was born in New Orleans on October 26, 1911. She was referred to as “The Queen of Gospel” and possessed a powerful contralto voice. She experienced great success in 1947 with “Move On Up a Little Higher” which sold millions of copies. Her success led to radio and television, as well as a tour that included performing at Carnegie Hall in 1950 to a racially integrated audience. She became one of the most influential gospel singers in the world and was heralded internationally as a singer and civil rights activist. At the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, Jackson performed before King gave his ”I Have a Dream” speech. Mahalia Jackson passed away on January 27, 1972. Read more about her in the “Saints” page. We remember her immense talent on this day!