Celebrating the Birthday of "Big Al" Carson

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.

Photo: Infrogmation

Happy Birthday, 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. 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 dazzling fans and friends at Kermit’s 9th Ward 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. Happy Birthday, Kermit! All aboard!

Photo by: Derek Bridges New Orleans, LA - Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3920193

Celebrating the Birthday of "Big Al" Carson

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 whileon 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.

Photo: Infrogmation

Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival - 3/26 & 27/2022

It was in Congo Square that African slaves gathered on Sunday afternoons to practice their ancestral traditions. Their legacy lives on in our Treme Creole Gumbo / Congo Square Rhythms Festival, a free event that celebrates the music, food, and dance of our forebears, creating an event that is fun for the whole family.

We’ve combined two of our favorite festivals into one! The Treme Creole Gumbo and Congo Square Rhythms festivals sit on the outskirts of the French Quarter in Tremé, celebrating the neighborhood as a key proving ground in the birthplace of jazz!

Happy Birthday, 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. 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 dazzling fans and friends at Kermit’s 9th Ward 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. Happy Birthday, Kermit! All aboard!

Photo by: Derek Bridges New Orleans, LA - Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3920193

Celebrating the Birthday of "Big Al" Carson

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 whileon 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.

Photo: Infrogmation