Celebrating the birthday of Ellis Marsalis!

Pianist, composer and music educator Ellis Marsalis was born in New Orleans on November 14, 1934. Marsalis was the patriarch of a musical family, with internationally famous sons, saxophonist Branford and trumpeter Wynton, as well as accomplished jazz musicians, trombonist Delfeayo and drummer Jason. Marsalis played with Al Hirt and other musicians in the 1950s and ‘60s, and in the ‘70s he taught at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and became a leading educator there, as well as at the University of New Orleans and Xavier University of Louisiana. His students have included New Orleans musicians Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick Jr., Donald Harrison,  Marlon Jordan, and Nicholas Payton. Marsalis recorded numerous albums and was featured on the recordings of many musicians, but he focused his efforts on teaching, encouraging students to listen and experiment. As a result, he influenced the careers of many musicians, and in 2007 he received an honorary doctorate from Tulane University for his contributions to jazz and musical education. And, in 2008, Ellis Marsalis was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. A further honor was bestowed on him when the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music at Musicians' Village in New Orleans was named in his honor, and in 2011 he and his sons were group recipients of the 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award. Sadly, Marsalis passed away on April 1, 2020, at 85. Ellis Marsalis was beloved by all, not just for his musical talent, but his gift to his students, his City, and the world. He was a truly great musician and educator, and he is sorely missed. Today we celebrate his life, and we are thankful to have had him as part of our lives.

Photo by: Leepaxton at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4375231

Happy Birthday, Jon Batiste!

Pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and television personality Jonathan Michael Batiste was born on November 11, 1986, in Metairie, Louisiana, into a legendary musical family that included Lionel Batiste and Harold Battiste. He started playing percussion and drums at the age of 8 in his family’s Batiste Brothers Band, and by 11 he switched to piano at his mother's suggestion. Jon developed his piano skills by taking classical music lessons and transcribing songs from video games. At 17, Batiste released Times in New Orleans. He attended St. Augustine High School and New Orleans Center for Creative Arts with Trombone Shorty, and went on to receive a bachelor's and master's degree from the Julliard School. While at Juilliard, he released his second album, Live in New York: At the Rubin Museum of Art. By the end of 2006, Batiste had been a featured performer in the U.S. and internationally. He has recorded and performed with accomplished artists in various genres of music, released his own recordings, and performed in over 40 countries. Batiste regularly tours with his band Stay Human, and appears with them every night as bandleader and musical director on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Batiste also serves as the Music Director of The Atlantic and the Creative Director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. He has been awarded the American Jazz Museum Lifetime Achievement Award, the Harry Chapin ASCAP Humanitarian Award and the Moved Future Legend Award. In 2020, Batiste co-composed the score for the Pixar animated film Soul with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, for which they received an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award and a BAFTA Film Award. In 2022, he was nominated for 11 Grammy Awards, winning five, including an Album of the Year win for his album We Are. So much has been achieved by this incredible artist, and we cannot wait for what is yet to come! Happy Birthday, Jon!

Celebrating the Birthday of Beau Jacque

Zydeco musician and songwriter Beau Jocque (born Andrus Espre) was born on November 1, 1953, in Duralde, Louisiana, to a father who was a well-respected accordion player. He played guitar in a high school band, and his early influences were not zydeco musicians but rather acts such as War, ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, and Santana. After high school, he spent nine years in the Air Force, and then worked at an oil refinery, where in 1987, he experienced a work-related accident that left him temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. He began playing his father's button accordion as part of his therapy, gaining proficiency and studying the styles of C. J. Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco, Boozoo Chavis, John Delafose.

He grew up speaking Louisiana Creole French fluently, and took the stage name "Beau Jocque," meaning "Big Guy," because he stood 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighed 270 pounds. In 1991, he put a band together, including his wife Shelly on rubboard, playing a few gigs in small clubs and parties. Along with his bass vocals and growling lyrics, he incorporated guitar solos, blues-rock beats, and rap lines into his songs, appealing to crowds and causing word to spread quickly about his band. Beau Jocque's first recording My Name is Beau Jocque was issued in 1992, and he sent cassettes to area radio stations and also sold them at his gigs, creating a buzz. Within a short amount of time, Beau Jocque was playing clubs four to five nights a week and was one of the biggest draws on the Louisiana zydeco circuit. Rounder Records took notice and signed him, releasing Beau Jocque Boogiein 1993, which contained the song "Give Him Cornbread”, his first hit and ultimately his signature song. In 1995, Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers were the headliners on the Rounder Records "Louisiana Red Hot Music Tour". In June 1999 they were a featured band at the first annual New Jersey Arts and Music Festival. Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers won the Big Easy Music Awards three times as Best Zydeco Artist. 

Beau Jocque recorded five studio albums for Rounder, with a sixth live album and two compilation albums released posthumously. All were financial successes for both the label and the artist. His contract with Rounder was not exclusive, so Beau Jocque also recorded two albums for New Orleans-based Mardi Gras Records, as well as a mini-CD on his own label. Sadly, Beau Jocque passed away at home in Kinder on September 10, 1999, the day after he and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers performed a two-set show at the Rock n' Bowl in New Orleans. He was at the height of his career when he passed, and his music will always be remembered and enjoyed by his many fans.

Photo: Masahiro Sumori

Happy Birthday, Cyril Neville!

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!

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

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