Celebrating the Birthday of Buddy Bolden

Cornetist Charles Joseph “Buddy” Bolden was born in New Orleans on September 6, 1877, was one of the founding fathers of jazz. Many jazz musicians, including Jelly Roll Morton and the great trumpeter Louis Armstrong, acclaimed him as one of the most powerful musicians ever to play jazz. Little is known about the details of Bolden’s career, but it is documented that by about 1895 he was leading a band. Acknowledged as the cornet king of New Orleans, Bolden often worked with six or seven different bands simultaneously. In 1906 his emotional stability began to crumble, and the following year he was committed to the East Louisiana State Hospital, where he died on November 4, 1931. Today we remember, celebrate and appreciate Buddy Bolden’s musical legacy!

Celebrating the Birthday of Louis Armstrong

Trumpeter and vocalist Louis Armstrong, also known as Satchmo, Satch, and Pops, was born in New Orleans on August 4, 1901. He is the most famous and influential jazz musician of all time, and was a beloved American icon and cultural ambassador. He was born into poverty, learned to play the coronet at the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys in 1913, and emerged as a trumpet virtuoso whose highly inventive, improvised solos transformed jazz. His distinctive, gravelly voice and charismatic stage presence propelled him to great popularity, both at home and internationally, and not just with his musical recordings, but on radio, films and television. He has innumerable popular songs, but he is best known for the heartwarming “What A Wonderful World” and the cheerful “Hello Dolly”, for which he won a Grammy in 1964. Armstrong passed away in his sleep from a heart attack, a month before his 70th birthday, on July 6, 1971. A 12-foot statue of Armstrong, trumpet in hand, is located in Louis Armstrong Park, located in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, just across from the French Quarter.

Satchmo Summerfest is the premier American festival dedicated to the life, legacy, and music of New Orleans' native son, Louis Armstrong, and it takes place at the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the U.S. Mint the first weekend of August.

Celebrating the Birthday of Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong, also known as Satchmo, Satch, and Pops, was born in New Orleans on August 4, 1901. He is the most famous and influential jazz musician of all time, and was a beloved American icon and cultural ambassador. He was born into poverty, learned to play the coronet at the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys in 1913, and emerged as a trumpet virtuoso whose highly inventive, improvised solos transformed jazz. His distinctive, gravelly voice and charismatic stage presence propelled him to great popularity, both at home and internationally, and not just with his musical recordings, but on radio, films and television. He has innumerable popular songs, but he is best known for the heartwarming “What A Wonderful World” and the cheerful “Hello Dolly”, for which he won a Grammy in 1964. Armstrong passed away in his sleep from a heart attack, a month before his 70th birthday, on July 6, 1971. A 12-foot statue of Armstrong, trumpet in hand, is located in Louis Armstrong Park, located in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans, just across from the French Quarter.

Celebrating the Birthday of Pete Fountain

Jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain (Pierre Dewey LaFontaine, Jr.) was born in New Orleans on July 3, 1930. He played traditional Dixieland jazz and was noted for his sweet fluid tone. Fountain started playing clarinet as a child after a doctor recommended he play a wind instrument to treat a chronic lung condition. At first, Pete was unable to produce a sound, but with practice he eventually made music and improved the health of his lungs. While he did take lessons, he also learned by playing along with jazz records of Benny Goodman and Irving Fazola. As a teenager, he played with bands in Bourbon Street bars, and later with the Basin Street Six, as well as the Dukes of Dixieland in Chicago. Fountain was later featured on the Lawrence Welk Show and made numerous guest appearances on the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. He recorded over 100 LPs and CDs, and performed regularly in New Orleans, being featured in nearly every New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival since its inception in 1970. He was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2008. Fountain passed away on August 6, 2016, survived by his wife of 65 years, Beverly, and their three children. Today we remember Pete Fountain and celebrate his legacy as a true ambassador of New Orleans music around the world.

Photo: I, Sumori

Happy Birthday, 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. In a life filled with music and achievement, we are fortunate to celebrate this day with Leo. Happy Birthday!

Photo by: Francisco Daum

Celebrating the Birthday of Sidney Bechet

Sidney Bechet was a jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer who was born in New Orleans on May 14, 1897. Bechet is considered one of New Orleans’ greatest jazz musicians, along with King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. By the age of 13, Bechet was a professional jazz musician, and by 16 he was touring the South with pianist and singer Clarence Williams. In 1919, Bechet began touring with trumpeter King Oliver, eventually going on to Chicago, New York and Europe. He was a master of improvisation, becoming one of the first important soloists in jazz, playing lead parts that were usually reserved for trumpet. Known for his heavy vibrato, his unequaled energy made him king of the soprano saxophone, and also one of the most original and innovative clarinetists in jazz. From 1925 to 1931 Bechet lived and played in Europe, playing in England, France, Germany and Russia, and it was there where he achieved his greatest success. Bechet has had a deep and lasting influence on the way jazz clarinet and soprano saxophone are played, inspiring countless musicians along the way. Sidney Bechet passed away in Paris, France, on May 14, 1959, on his 62nd birthday. On the date of his birth, we celebrate his life.