On Tuesday, August 11, 2020, 17-piece Trumpet Mafia gave a socially-distant, live-streamed performance from all three levels of the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Photography by Eliot Kamenitz for New Orleans Jazz Museum.

Dear Friends,

As we approach fall in New Orleans, I would like to reflect on a successful, albeit unusual, summer and share with you our plans for the remainder of 2020. The COVID-19 crisis has heavily impacted Louisiana and has changed the way we celebrate music and culture every day. We have momentarily exchanged in-person festivals and performances in favor of virtual gathering. The New Orleans Jazz Museum recognizes the great need for live programming to support both the cultural economy of our city and the spirit of our community. We hope you enjoy our many virtual offerings, which are free and available to everyone on our Facebook page.

We are excited to announce a new chapter in our partnerships with OffBeat Magazine and the ELLA Project. Both organizations will permanently join us in the Jazz Museum’s administrative offices to enable a closer collaborative effort in support of New Orleans’ music community. OffBeat Magazine is the definitive guide to Louisiana and New Orleans music, and the ELLA Project provides pro bono legal assistance and arts business for New Orleans and Louisiana artists, musicians, and grassroots nonprofits. Together, we will be an invaluable resource to help artists and music industry professionals through the challenges presented by COVID-19.

Lastly, we bid a boisterous and bittersweet farewell to our longtime friend and Curator Emeritus Don Marquis. At 87, Marquis has dedicated his life to the celebration of jazz music in New Orleans. On August 5, he left his adopted city of 58 years to join family in Indiana. His departure was celebrated by a joyful performance by the Tremé-Lafitte Brass Band livestreamed from the Jazz Museum’s Balcony on Tuesday, August 4.

I hope that you are staying well and safe in these difficult times, and I am deeply appreciative of your support of the New Orleans Jazz Museum. We will continue to rise to the occasion by promoting live music in safe and accessible ways to audiences around the globe.

With Gratitude,

Greg Lambousy

Director | New Orleans Jazz Museum

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

The New Orleans Jazz Museum is excited to continue and expand programming in the time of COVID-19.

NOLA RIVER FEST NOLA River Fest will virtually celebrate the environmental, cultural, and economic impact of the Mississippi River and the land it built through live music, presentations, panels, and potential walking tours. It will include a six-day series of panels and performances dedicated to the legacy of the Mississippi River, its culture, and its inhabitants. Livestreamed from the Jazz Museum’s Facebook page, NOLA River Fest will be a virtual space for connection and conversation, exploring why the Mississippi River should be conserved and celebrated while investigating and celebrating the connections that waterways enable between cultures. Watch on Facebook and nolariverfest.org from September 22 to September 27.

LIVE FROM THE JAZZ MUSEUM BALCONY! Enjoy Jazz Music from home with the New Orleans Jazz Museum! Join us on Facebook every Tuesday at 5pm for the weekly Balcony Livestream Concert Series, in which dynamic jazz musicians perform an hour-long set live from the Jazz Museum’s balcony! Upcoming performances: Nayo Jones Experience on 9/8, Honey Island Swamp Band on 9/15, and Cha Wa on 9/29.

JAZZ FOUNDATION OF AMERICA ALL-STAR JAZZ ENSEMBLES The New Orleans Jazz Museum and Jazz Foundation of America have partnered to present an all-star jazz ensemble virtual performance series. Livestreamed from the Jazz Museum’s Jazz Education Center every Wednesday and Thursday, musicians include Thais Clark, Mem Shannon, and Louis Ford. Upcoming performances: 9/9, 9/10, 9/16, 9/17. Watch on Facebook.

QUARANTUNES Every Friday at 2 PM on Facebook, the New Orleans Jazz Museum hosts short virtual concerts with an exciting mix of talented Jazz musicians, all performing from their homes. This free online series, broadcasting to music fans around the world, highlights the rich culture and history of New Orleans. Upcoming artists include Meghan Swartz with special guest Mark Braud on 9/11. Tune in on Facebook.

ADDITIONAL STREAMS Join us on Sunday evenings for live performances streamed from the Allways Lounge. Past performances include Dinosaurchestra and Ben Fox Band. Watch on Facebook

Bon Bon Vivant performs from home every Sunday at 7pm CDT.

On Saturdays at 4 pm, join us for Porch Fest. Anaïs St. John and Harry Mayronne perform on Facebook Live @AnaisStJohnJazz from Anaïs' front porch in Algiers Point. Each week features different musical themes. Watch all programs on facebook.com/nolajazzmuseum/live

EXHIBITS

The New Orleans Jazz Museum kicked off 2020 with the opening of Cherchez la Femme: New Orleans Women, a photography exhibit adapted from Cheryl Gerber’s book of the same name. New Orleans native Cheryl Gerber captures the vibrancy and diversity of New Orleans women in Cherchez la Femme. Drawing from her own archives as well as new works, Gerber’s selection of photographs in Cherchez la Femme highlights the contributions of women to the city, making it one of the only photographic histories of modern New Orleans women. The Cherchez la Femme exhibit will close on September 17 in preparation for the upcoming exhibit Rick Olivier’s Great-ish Hits. Guests may enjoy this exhibit and others during normal operating hours, Tuesday through Sunday 9:30am-3:30pm.

Earl King, Manny Fresh, and Irma Thomas by Rick Olivier

JAZZ EDUCATION CENTER & JAZZ LAB

The Jazz Museum continues to expand its newly opened Jazz Education Center to create dynamic virtual programming in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful to the Herb Alpert Foundation, whose generous gift will allow the Museum to further expand the Jazz Education Center. Next month, the Jazz Museum will continue to build out the Ruth U. Fertel Jazz Lab, made possible by a major gift from Randy Fertel.

With grants from the Gia Maione Prima Foundation and the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, the Jazz Museum looks forward to developing virtual educational programs to improve access to music education for students schooling from home.

FUNDRAISING

The Herb Alpert Foundation gift will also create a music performance fund and will support the design of the first phase of the Jazz Museum’s permanent exhibit. Additionally, the Museum received a grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities to assist with revenue lost from COVID-19 closures.

The Jazz Museum continues to move forward with design and facility planning for an exciting building expansion to include a gated courtyard, sculpture garden, and café funded by Louisiana State Capital Outlay.

IN MEMORIAM

Sylvester Francis On September 1, our dear friend Sylvester Francis, founder of the Backstreet Cultural Museum, passed away at age 73. We are grateful for his contributions to our great city. His legacy will leave an indelible impact on the cultural fabric of New Orleans for years to come.

Ronnie Cole We are heartbroken by the passing of beloved New Orleans pianist, Ronnie Kole. At 89, Kole led a wildly successful career as an internationally known entertainer who captured the spirit of jazz music.

John Heller On Saturday, September 5, John Heller passed peacefully in his home after a difficult battle with cancer. A great friend to the Jazz Museum and husband to artist Emilie Rhys, whose works are included in the Museum’s New Orleans Music Observed exhibit, John will be deeply missed by the New Orleans community.

Kim Boutté The Jazz Museum is brokenhearted at the tragic and senseless loss of Kim Boutté, Big Queen of the Mandingo Warriors. Our hearts go out to her family and loved ones, Big Chief Victor Harris and the entire Masking Indian community. She was 55.

SUPPORT THE JAZZ MUSEUM

The New Orleans Jazz Museum’s success is made possible only by the generosity of supporters, sponsors, and partners. To help us achieve our mission, please consider making a donation to the New Orleans Jazz Museum here.

2020 at the Jazz Museum