Sunday, August 7, 2016
Leroy Jones, a veteran horn player, New Orleans ambassador, and man who’s good at connecting the dots in this historic city. "Give Me a Kiss That I Can Dream on"
“This is the kind of song that played a part in our rebuilding efforts after Katrina,” he says as an intro to this well-worn song. “Lots of the songs in the Armstrong catalog were made before we were born!”
“Paradise on Earth For Me,” a love song to the city Jones was born in, written by The Helsinki Connection, with local references to Donna’s Bar, and Creole food that tastes so good. Jones sang and played trumpet on this catchy number. originally recorded in New Orleans in the 1920s, and must have been known to Armstrong - Leroy Jones has plenty of respect for this song written in 1914.
This year, he’s the recipient of the Harrelson trumpet presentation, a handmade trumpet by the famous instrument maker Marcy Schramm (French Quartet Festivals, Inc) is one of the presenters (photo to follow)
Wendell Brunious Chop Suey Stage NO PHOTO
There are many trumpet princes in this town, Brunious is one of them, with a deep sense of New Orleans culture, history, and the legacy of Louis Armstrong. This isn’t a cursory acknowledgment, it’s coming right from the man’s heart. He knows how damn hard this city is for poor people and Louis was one of them, grew up the streets, was sent to reform school, found finding food in garbage cans. The whole story is improbable and true. And incredibly unlikely. No one on any stage today, including Brunios, will reach the status of a Louis Armstrong.
Brunious is still amazed that Armstrong was invited to play in Copenhagen in 1932. “Imagine that…being invited to travel and play that far away in that day and age!”
"That was Armstrong - What else can you say? My God!"
Ironically, Louis was derided at the end of his career, berated for being an Uncle Tom in the decade of the activist 1960s. Being an entertainer who could mesmerize an audience with his impromptu patter, inventive scat singing, saying paragraphs with the contortions of his eyes face and mouth, camaraderie with guests and his musicians. This is not to say he didn’t experience racism, see it, hear it, feel it. Listen to his song, “Shine.”
Red Beans and Rice Stage Last act of the day, James Andrews and the Baby Dolls and a bunch of all stars who’ve graced the stages all weekend long.
When a New Orleans band leader says, “Are you ready to sing?” it’s is a rhetorical question – you join a few thousand others and chime in on “Happy Birthday” to Louis Armstrong (a ten foot tall white birthday cake has been on stage all day) and “Ooo Pa Pa Do” and a score of other songs I've heard all weekend long.
Music is it participatory Sport here. Kid Merve, Yoshio Tamaya, a few trumpeters from Tremé Brass Band and between all of them they sing and play the most delightfully disjointed rendition of “Happy Birthday” you've ever heard.
My goodness, there's Yoshio Toyama, who just performed with James Andrews, walking from the Red Beans and Rice stage after the finale. I ask a spectator to take photo, priceless memento.
Photos by Paul A. Tamburello, Jr and one friendly stranger
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