Event
French Quarter - New Orleans Jazz NHP 30th Anniversary Celebration
Fee:
Free. Free and open to the publicLocation: LAT/LONG: 29.954800, -90.064754
National Park Service French Quarter visitor center - 419 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70130. (Near the statue of Bienville.)
Dates & Times
Date:
Time:
Duration:
Type of Event
12:00 noon to 3:00 pm Central Time (ending time is apprximate)
Description
The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
and the
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve
present a
30th Anniversary Celebration
of the Founding of the
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
featuring
Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band
Thursday, 10/31 at 12:00 pm & 1 pm
and the
Arrowhead Jazz Band All Stars
with Special Guests
Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes, Sam Kuslan, and Aurélien Barnes
Thursday, 10/31 at 2:00 pm
At the National Park Service French Quarter Visitor Center
419 Decatur St, New Orleans
This program is free and open to the public.
Dr. Michael White, a multifaceted New Orleans clarinetist, bandleader, composer, musicologist, jazz historian, and educator, is celebrated as a leading authority on traditional New Orleans jazz. With over 50 recordings, international performances, and numerous accolades, he is a prominent figure in preserving and sharing the city's jazz heritage.
Raised in New Orleans' Carrollton neighborhood, White's professional musical journey began in 1975, with his first gig as part of Ernest "Doc" Paulin's Brass Band during a church parade. He continued to perform in social club parades, jazz funerals, and alongside musicians like Danny Barker and George "Kid Sheik Cola."
He drew inspiration from clarinet legends, including Sidney Bechet, Johnny Dodds, Barney Bigard, Paul Barnes, Willie Humphrey, and George Lewis. In 1981, White formed his first group, the Original Liberty Jazz Band, which regularly performs in New Orleans and held an annual residency at The Village Vanguard in New York. He also leads two smaller groups, the Liberty Brass Band and the Michael White Quartet. His affiliation with the Young Tuxedo Brass Band, founded by clarinetist John Casimir, allowed him to collaborate with traditional jazz veterans born between 1890 and 1910. White's clarinet is featured on Wynton Marsalis' acclaimed 1989 album, "The Majesty of the Blues," and he has worked closely with Marsalis on various projects, including tributes to Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, and Sidney Bechet.
The Arrowhead Jazz Band brings together National Park Service Rangers and local musicians to perform traditional New Orleans jazz, blues, gospel, and original compositions. Join New Orleans Jazz NHP park rangers Jade Perdue (vocals/piano), Hunter Miles Davis (drums), and Kerry Lewis (bass), intern Saskia Walker (vocals), and special guest musicians Sam Kuslan (piano/vocals), Aurélien Barnes (trumpet/percussion/vocals) and Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes (accordion/harmonica/vocals) for an exploration of jazz music styles.
Sam Kuslan, rising star in the New Orleans Jazz community, brings his piano and vocal skills to bear in a wide variety of musical stles. Sam, a graduate of Loyola University, has worked with the New Orleans Jazz National Park on many ventures including the Junior Rangers Volume 2, The Centennial Edition, album.
Aurélien Barnes is a New Orleans trumpet player steeped in the tradition of the city. Born in 1995, he is part of the young generation of musicians carrying on the legacy of the trumpet and the blues in New Orleans. From an early age, he learned from some of the best musicians and teachers in the city, including the Tremé Brass Band, Leroy Jones, Gregg Stafford, Kent Jordan, the New Orleans Jazz NHP’s Music For All Ages Program, and many others. He is the son of Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes. Aurélien performs with several bands in New Orleans and around the world, including The Rumble, Kings of Brass, the Palmetto Bug Stompers, and more. He has performed with a wide range of artists across several genres, such as Marcus King, Nicholas Payton, Solange, Dr. John, and Carlos Vives. In addition to his musical diversity, Aurélien is a French citizen and speaks French, Spanish, and Portuguese fluently.
Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes is truly a Renaissance man. Known primarily for his work as a musician, Barnes is also a former National Park Service ranger (retiring after 30 years), ethnographic photographer, actor, author, former high school biology teacher, former pro football player (Kansas City Chiefs), and current Big Chief of the Northside Skull and Bones Gang Mardi Gras group. His engaging personality and deep knowledge, combined with his consummate musical talent and creativity, place him among New Orleans’ best-loved personalities.
Barnes’ work as a park ranger and naturalist brought him to Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve and then to the Jazz National Historic Park in New Orleans. He began gigging at night – old school musicians like Fats Domino and Boogie Bill Webb appreciated his straight-up blues chops – and inhaling the music in the clubs and around the region, especially zydeco. He learned accordion from the legendary Clayton Sampy, picked up the rub board, and mined the Lafayette area for members of his early band, Sunpie and the Creole Zydeco Fanners. In 1991, he broke out Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots, initially with former War drummer Harold Brown.
With the Sunspots, Barnes developed his unique blend of zydeco, blues, and Afro-Cuban music he calls “Afro Louisiana.” He headlines at festivals and concerts around the globe with the band, and has released six CDs. His compositions are heard in Hollywood films, and he has had roles in commercials and in feature programs such as HBO’s “Treme.” Barnes has also toured as a member of Paul Simon’s band, including a 34-country tour with Simon and Sting in 2014-15.
Over the years Barnes has become dedicated to New Orleans’ parade culture. He belongs to the second line parading group, Black Men of Labor and is the Big Chief of the North Side Skull and Bone Gang, one of the oldest Black Carnival groups in the city. In 2015 he co-authored the book, “Talk That Music Talk,” a celebration of brass band music, which included over 300 of his photos.
Barnes most recently did a deep dive into the musical ethnography of Creole Louisiana, and, along with co-author and anthropologist Rachel Bruenlin, published the 2019 book/CD, Le Kèr Creole (The Creole Heart): Creole Compositions and Stories from Louisiana, with original music by Barnes and traditional Creole music featuring musicians from Preservation Hall and Panorama Brass Bands, among others.
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