Kermit Ruffins

Last updated

Kermit Ruffins
Kermit Ruffins.jpg
Ruffins at the 2007 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Background information
Birth nameKermit Ruffins
Born (1964-12-19) December 19, 1964 (age 58)
Origin New Orleans, Louisiana U.S.
Genres Jazz
Rhythm and blues
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Trumpet
vocals
Years active1973–present
Labels Basin Street, Putumayo, Justice

Kermit Ruffins (born December 19, 1964) is an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer from New Orleans. He has been influenced by Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan and says that the highest note he can hit on trumpet is a high C. He often accompanies his songs with his own vocals. Most of his bands perform New Orleans jazz standards though he also composes many of his own pieces. Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote, "Mr. Ruffins is an unabashed entertainer who plays trumpet with a bright, silvery tone, sings with off-the-cuff charm and never gets too abstruse in his material." [1]

Contents

Early life

He started playing trumpet in 8th grade at Lawless Junior High School in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. He attended Joseph S. Clark High School in the 6th Ward and St Peter Claver Church in Tremé. [2] In high school, he played a little bit of classical music at the behest of a strict band teacher. [3]

He developed an appreciation for cooking from his grandmother, observing her movements in the kitchen. [4]

Career

Rebirth Brass Band

Ruffins co-founded the Rebirth Brass Band in 1983 while attending Clark High School in the Tremé neighborhood. [5] He made his first recordings with the Rebirth band in 1984. The group was inspired by The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, a band of slightly older musicians credited with bringing influences of funk and contemporary bebop into New Orleans style brass bands. Before they achieved the popularity which allowed them to play regularly in local music venues, the Rebirth often busked around the French Quarter for tips. They soon became a "house band" at the Glass House, previously the Dirty Dozen's home venue. Rebirth once had a gig in New York City at Lone Star Cafe, but they were hassled by police for having no permit when they began marching outdoors as is common practice in New Orleans. [2]

Barbecue Swingers

Ruffins founded the Barbecue Swingers in 1992, a traditional jazz quintet. He is known for cooking on a barbecue at his shows. Every Thursday since the early 1990s, they played a show at Vaughan's Bar in the Bywater neighborhood which was very popular with both locals and visitors. His 2007 Basin Street Records release, Live at Vaughan's was recorded during one of his performances there. They currently play a regular Thursday night gig at Bullet's Sports Bar on AP Tureaud Ave. [6]

He has also performed at hundreds of funerals during his career in the Crescent City. [3] In 2003 the band received a nomination at the Big Easy Entertainment Awards, which recognizes local talents.

Other work

Ruffins is interviewed on screen and appears in performance footage in the 2005 documentary film Make It Funky! , which presents a history of New Orleans music and its influence on rhythm and blues, rock and roll, funk and jazz. [7] In the film, he performs "Skokiaan" as part of a trumpet challenge with Irvin Mayfield and Troy Andrews. [8]

He appeared as himself in HBO's Treme as a recurring character. [9]

Ruffins also performed a rendition of The Bare Necessities for Disney's 2016 remake of The Jungle Book , alongside actor Bill Murray. [10]

Discography

YearAlbumNotesLabel
1993World on a Stringdebut albumJustice
1994The Big Butter and Egg Man–Justice
1996Hold on Tight–Justice
1998The Barbecue Swingers Live– Basin Street
1999Swing This–Basin Street
20011533 St. Philip Street–Basin Street
2002Big Easy–Basin Street
2005Throwback–Basin Street
2007Live at Vaughan's–Basin Street
2009Livin' a Treme Life–Basin Street
2009Have a Crazy Cool Christmas–Basin Street
2010Happy Talk–Basin Street
2013We Partyin' Traditional Style–Basin Street
2015#imsoneworleans–Basin Street
2017A Beautiful World–Basin Street

Filmography

Awards

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tremé</span> New Orleans Neighborhood in Louisiana, United States

Tremé is a neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. "Tremé" is often rendered as Treme, and the neighborhood is sometimes called by its more formal French name, Faubourg Tremé; it is listed in the New Orleans City Planning Districts as Tremé / Lafitte when including the Lafitte Projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebirth Brass Band</span> American brass band from New Orleans, Louisiana


The Rebirth Brass Band is a New Orleans brass band. The group was founded in 1983 by Phillip "Tuba Phil" Frazier, his brother Keith Frazier, Kermit Ruffins, and classmates from Joseph S. Clark Senior High School, which closed in the spring of 2018, in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans. Arhoolie released its first album in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treme Brass Band</span> American brass band

The Treme Brass Band is a marching brass band from New Orleans, Louisiana led by snare drummer Benny Jones Sr. The band, which plays traditional New Orleans-style brass band music, features a shifting lineup that has included trumpeters Kermit Ruffins and James Andrews, tenor saxophonists Elliot Callier and Frederick Sheppard, trombonist Corey Henry, and sousaphonist Kirk Joseph. Prior to his passing in 2012, Lionel Batiste appeared consistently on the bass drum. They have released two albums, Gimme My Money Back on Arhoolie Records and I Got a Big, Fat Woman on the Sound of New Orleans Records label. The band takes its name from New Orleans' Tremé neighborhood; due to some historical confusion, the "Treme" in the name is sometimes spelled "Tremè" or "Tremé". In 2010 the Treme Brass Band performed with Uncle Lionel Batiste to play Voodoo Experience in New Orleans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirty Dozen Brass Band</span> American brass band from New Orleans, Louisiana

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a brass band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The ensemble was established in 1977, by Benny Jones and members of the Tornado Brass Band. The Dirty Dozen incorporated funk and bebop into the traditional New Orleans jazz style, and since has been a major influence on local music. They won the Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lionel Batiste</span> American jazz, and blues musician

"Uncle" Lionel Batiste was an American jazz and blues musician and singer from New Orleans. He began his music career at the age of 11 playing bass drum with the Square Deal Social & Pleasure Club. He was the bass drummer, vocalist and assistant leader of the Treme Brass Band; known for his kazoo playing and singing as well, and has recorded a CD as a vocalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voodoo Music + Arts Experience</span> Music and arts festival in Louisiana, US

The Voodoo Music + Arts Experience, commonly referred to as Voodoo or Voodoo Fest, was a multi-day music and arts festival held in City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana. First started in 1999, it was last held in October 2019, after being canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, and canceled in 2022 without explanation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trombone Shorty</span> American musician (born 1986)

Troy Andrews, also known by the stage name Trombone Shorty, is an American musician from New Orleans, Louisiana. He has worked with some of the biggest names in rock, pop, jazz, funk, and hip hop. Andrews is the younger brother of trumpeter and bandleader James Andrews III and the grandson of singer and songwriter Jessie Hill. Andrews began playing trombone at age four, and since 2009 has toured with his own band, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Sam (musician)</span> American musician and band leader

Sammie 'Big Sam' Williams is a trombonist and band leader from New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been a member of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and leads Big Sam's Funky Nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irvin Mayfield</span> American jazz musician, composer and bandleader (born 1977)

Irvin Mayfield Jr. is an American trumpeter, composer, bandleader and educator. On November 3, 2021, Mayfield was sentenced to 18 months in prison for defrauding the New Orleans public library system for over one million dollars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiger Onitsuka</span> Japanese jazz drummer

Tiger Onitsuka is Japanese jazz drummer, who holds the Guinness World Record for being "The World's Youngest Professional Jazz Drummer" after releasing his first album, Tiger! on the Columbia/Savoy label at the age of 9 years old in April 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shannon Powell</span> American jazz and ragtime drummer (born 1962)

Shannon Powell is an American jazz and ragtime drummer. He has toured internationally and played with Ellis Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr., Danny Barker, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Diana Krall, Earl King, Dr. John, Preservation Hall, Marcus Roberts, John Scofield, Jason Marsalis, Leroy Jones, Nicholas Payton, and Donald Harrison Jr. Powell toured and recorded with fellow New Orleans native, Harry Connick Jr.

Keith Frazier is one of the founding members of Rebirth Brass Band. In the band, Frazier plays the bass drum with a cymbal mounted on top. He plays the drum with one hand and the cymbal with the other, using a flathead screwdriver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basin Street Records</span> American record label

Basin Street Records is a Grammy Award-winning independent record label based in New Orleans, Louisiana, that specializes in jazz, funk, and rhythm and blues (R&B).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph S. Clark Sr. High School</span> Defunct high school in Louisiana, United States

Joseph S. Clark Sr. High School was a high school in Tremé, New Orleans, Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satchmo SummerFest</span> Music festival in New Orleans, Louisiana

Satchmo SummerFest is an annual music festival held in New Orleans, Louisiana, in celebration of the jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong. It is held in early August in order to coincide with August 4, Armstrong's birthday. It was founded in 2001, in conjunction with Armstrong's centennial celebration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calvin A. Johnson Jr.</span> Musical artist

Calvin A. Johnson Jr. is an American saxophonist, bandleader, composer, producer, and actor from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known as a tenor and soprano saxophone player but also performs and records on alto and baritone saxophones, clarinet, and flute. Johnson has worked with many of the biggest names in New Orleans music, including Aaron Neville, Harry Connick Jr., the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Mystikal, Irvin Mayfield, Mannie Fresh, and others. Johnson is the nephew of New Orleans clarinetist Ralph Johnson, a longtime member of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Johnson began playing saxophone at the age of seven, and since 2008 has been playing with his own band, Calvin Johnson & Native Son. In 2015, he started a new band with Dirty Dozen Brass Band founding member and sousaphone player, Kirk Joseph, called Chapter:SOUL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl LeBlanc</span> American guitarist and banjo player (born 1955)

Carl LeBlanc is an American guitarist and four-string banjo player. LeBlanc is most striking for his work in both avant garde jazz and traditional jazz—being the only musician to work with famed afrofuturist keyboardist/bandleader Sun Ra and Preservation Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derrick Tabb</span> American musician from New Orleans

Derrick Tabb is an American musician, a long-standing member of the Rebirth Brass Band and a co-founder of The Roots of Music, a non-profit organization that sponsors an after-school academic and music program for children in New Orleans. For onstage performances, Tabb plays the snare drum with cymbals mounted on stands. He was born and raised in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans.

James Andrews is an American musician from New Orleans. He is from a musical family; he is the grandson of Jesse Hill, the older brother of Troy Andrews, and cousin of Glen David Andrews and the late Travis "Trumpet Black" Hill. A trumpeter and vocalist, Andrews has the nickname "Satchmo of the Ghetto". Raised in the Tremé neighborhood, Andrews played in a number of brass bands, including the Treme Brass Band, Junior Olympia Brass Band and the New Birth Brass Band, before launching his own band, James Andrews and the Crescent City Allstars. He also played with the multi-instrumentalist Danny Barker. In 1998, he released the album Satchmo of the Ghetto, which was produced by Allen Toussaint and featured Dr. John on all eleven tracks.

<i>Make It Funky</i> (film) 2005 American documentary film

Make It Funky! is a 2005 American documentary film directed, written and co-produced by Michael Murphy. Subtitled in the original version as "It all began in New Orleans", the film presents a history of New Orleans music and its influence on rhythm and blues, rock and roll, funk and jazz. The film was scheduled for theatrical release in September 2005, but was pulled by distributor Sony Pictures Releasing so that they did not appear to take commercial advantage of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

References

  1. ↑ Pareles, Jon (July 16, 2001). "The Good Times of Way Down Yonder..." The New York Times. Retrieved May 31, 2007.
  2. 1 2 Lichtenstein, Grace (1993). Musical Gumbo: The Music of New Orleans. W.W. Norton & Company Inc. p.  239. ISBN   0-393-03468-2.
  3. 1 2 "Kermit Ruffins: Trumpeter of Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers". Archived from the original on February 10, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2007.
  4. ↑ Ruffins, Kermit. "Kermit Ruffins at All About Jazz". Archived from the original on October 4, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2007.
  5. ↑ Edge, John T. (2003). New Orleans. Lonely Planet. p.  30. ISBN   1-74059-193-3.
  6. ↑ https://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/bullets-sports-bar/Location?oid=1274091 [ dead link ]
  7. ↑ "IAJE What's Going On". Jazz Education Journal. Manhattan, Kansas: International Association of Jazz Educators. 37 (5): 87. April 2005. ISSN   1540-2886. ProQuest   1370090.
  8. ↑ Make It Funky! (DVD). Culver City, California: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2005. ISBN   9781404991583. OCLC   61207781. 11952.
  9. ↑ Simmons, David Lee. "Keys to the Kingdom". Archived from the original on July 9, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2007.
  10. ↑ "Bill Murray and Kermit Ruffins Perform "The Bare Necessities" for THE JUNGLE BOOK". April 18, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.