This is the second time that I have attended and shot the Satchmo Jazz Mass at the St. Augustine Church in Treme. The event is part of the annual Satchmo Summerfest which is held every year at the old US Mint on Esplanade Ave. in New Orleans. To be perfectly clear last year I didn’t actually attend “all the way”, since I wasn’t expecting the church to be so crowded so early, I ended up getting there a bit too late to get in, so I was stuck outside waiting for the function to end so I could shoot the second line! As many of you know, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong was a native New Orleanian, and that is the reason why we celebrate his birthday with a Jazz Mass, second lines and music, (lots of it) . To see more pictures from the 2011 Satchmo Summerfest are here.
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Getting up “very” early allowed me to position myself close the brass band, on the exact side of the church where I had planned to be on…Actually when I got there, St. Augustine Church was still closed :). I’m pretty satisfied with the photos, hard work always pays off!
Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers playing at Lafayette Square in New Orleans on Wednesday October 13 during the Second Harvest Food Bank’s Harvest Concert Series in Lafayette Square. Click the images to purchase them on my other website at nolaPIC.com . Naydja CoJoe, the amazing vocalist, did also an awesome performance!
On Sunday August 8th, as part of the 2010 Satchmo Summerfest, held every year in New Orleans to celebrate the life, music and legacy of New Orleans’ native son, Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong, I had the privilege to attend and photograph another great event! Although the weather was 99F with heat index as high as 105F to 110F, after the parade started, everyone seemed to enjoy the second line and music as usual and forget how hot and miserable it was. Someone said once…If you don’t know why New Orleanians aren’t afraid to go to Hell, you never been down there in the middle of the summer! Please see some of the images I shot at the second line and do not forget that all comments are highly appreciated! These images and many more are available as fine art prints (also framed) at my other site nolaPIC.com.
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I will make sure next year to be there in time at 10 AM for the Jazz Mass, since this year I have only caught the end of it and I wished so bad I made it in…The church was packed!!! See the video below it’s the very end of the Satchmo Jazz Mass right before I sshot the image above of Jennifer Jones leading the Second Line out of the church. Video shot by Ricky Riccardi a Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong aficionado.
When I first heard that on April 30th the Treme Brass was going to be playing at the Preservation Hall in the French Quarter of New Orleans, my reactions were mixed: I got very excited, because I could see in my mind’s eye the unique pictures of the Treme Brass Band Band playing in that awesome and antique venue…Yay!!! What a perfect match I thought! What other Band would “blend in” and complement with the Preservation Hall atmosphere!?! Yet, I were mad because the following day I had already something else planned that would have required me to wake up very early in the morning, which that made me think there was no way I could have attended a concert that started at 12:00 AM and would have ended at about 2:00 AM, or possibly even later! I even tried to find out how often did the Treme Brass Band play there, since I knew they played every week at the Candle Light.
Click image to purchase a print on nolaPIC.com The Drum of the late “Uncle” Lionel Batiste before a performance of the Treme Brass Band at the Preservation Hall in New Orleans.
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More New Orleans Fine Art Photography available as fine art prints or licensing at nolaPIC.com
More New Orleans Fine Art Photography on nolaPIC.com
To cut the story short, I ended up going online and purchased myself a ticket for the event, which was sold out about a week before the performance (by the way I was in line and waiting to get it about 45 minutes in advance, pretty much first in pole position, since I wanted to have the very first choice in deciding where to sit and shoot from:).
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More New Orleans Fine Art Photography on nolaPIC.com
For those of you not familiar with the Preservation Hall, if you do happen to visit, do not forget to check it out. The place is “magic” and I guarantee, you won’t find anything this raw and funky anywhere in the world! You can’t describe the venue with words, you must and should experience it! In the meantime I hope you do enjoy my photos and if you decide to purchase yourself a picture or two click on any photos in here and you’ll be taken on my other site nolaPIC.com where prints can be purchased.
