Carver Theater, 2101 Orleans
Avenue at 5 p.m. The following
day, Saturday, May 23, 2015 a
musical tribute (rather than a
formal funeral service) will be
held in honor of Travis
“Trumpet Black” Hill beginning
at 10 a.m. Following the intern-
ment, there will be a repast at
the Ooh Poo Pah Doo Bar.
Because Travis Hill left us so
suddenly, at the young age of 28
and when he was so far away,
it’s been especially important to
New Orleans’ close-knit musical
community to keep his spirit
close by until we have a chance
to say goodbye. His smile, talent
and passion for the music will
always be with those he men-
tored, performed with and enter-
tained. James Andrews even
announced that the Trumpet
Black Fest will
become an
annual event on
Orleans Avenue.
It will be held
each May right
next door to the
club that cele-
brates Travis
Hill’s grandfa-
ther, the great
Jessie Hill, that
is named after
his biggest hit,
“Ooh Poo Pah
Doo.” Jessie
and Travis —
two of New
Orleans’ great
— memorialized side-by-side.
Times of events and perform-
ers may change so check for
updates.
◊
By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer
When vocalist/trombonist
Glen David Andrews
and
the
New Breed Brass Band
perform at this Thursday’s
(May 21) edition of the
Jazz in the Park series, the
show will stand as a natural
continuum of the over two-
weeks of celebrating the
life of
Travis “Trumpet
Black” Hill
. Hill, who died
on May 4, 2015 at the age
of 28 and will be interred at
Mt. Olivet’s Musicians
Mausoleum on Saturday,
May 23, 2015, was
Andrews’ cousin. Hill also
mentored and often played
with the upcoming New
Breed Brass Band.
The free,
weekly Jazz in
the Park pro-
grams are pre-
sented at Arm-
strong Park. For
this edition the
New Breed kicks
off at 5 p.m. fol-
lowed by the
always energized
Glen David
Andrews.
The New
Breed, which
was formed in
2013, has been a
major participant
in the nightly
second lines that
have weaved
through the Tremé
streets since the announcement
of Hill’s tragic death. Trumpeter
James Andrews
, whose son,
Jenard Andrews
, plays drums
in the band, has been tireless in
leading and organizing the
parades and other events pre-
sented in remembrance of Hill.
The New Breed also includes
other members of New Orleans
musical families including tuba
player
Desmond Provost
who is
the nephew of banjoist/guitarist
Carl LeBlanc
and trumpeter
Aurelien Barnes
, the son of
accordionist/vocalist
Bruce
“Sunpie” Barnes
.
The New Breed was one of
the many brass bands and musi-
cians from all over town who
participated in the Monday,
May11
Trumpet Black Fest
held on a big, outdoor stage
erected next to Orleans
Avenue’s Ooh Poo Pah Doo Bar.
rumpeter
Derrick “Kabuki”
hezbie
, who recently resigned
rom the Rebirth Brass Band,
at in with the group — one of
any mix and matches of musi-
ians during a concert that last-
d more than four hours. For
nstance, guitarist/vocalist
Walter “Wolfman” Washing-
ton
’s rhythm section included
drum master
Herlin Riley
, who
is also kin to Hill through the
Lastie family tree, and Wolf-
man’s longtime bassist
Jack
Cruz
. From smiling glances, it
was obvious that Washington
and Cruz were digging Riley’s
intricate stick work.
Naturally brass bands were
there in force including the Hot
8 with whom Hill performed as
a youngster. Downtown was well
represented with acts such as
trumpeter/vocalist
Kermit
Ruffins & the Barbecue
Swingers
and trombonist/vocal-
ist
Corey Henry’s Treme
Funktet
of which Hill was a
member. Both bands and leaders
played their hearts out in honor
of Trumpet Black.
The outpouring of love and
respect for Hill and the Andrews
family came from all over the
City. Uptown turned out too
including vocalist/percussionist
Cyril Neville
who always
enjoyed close ties with the
Andrews clan. That’s also true
of vocalist/rubboard player
Rockin’ Dopsie Jr.
who has
danced at center stage with
many of his down-
town musical
friends.
“It has always
been embedded in
us to play music,”
Hill once said of his
musical family that
included his grand-
father Jessie “Ooh
Poo Pah Doo” Hill
plus the Andrews,
Lastie and Nelson
clans. That state-
ment also rings true
in the way — par-
ticularly in the
Tremé neighbor-
hood — that New
Orleans musicians
respond to learning
of the death of one
of their own. It is
“embedded” in them to pick up
their horns, their drums, their gui-
tars and play.
James Andrews, who gave a
very young Travis Hill his nick-
name Trumpet Black, has
announced that on Monday,
March 18, 2015, Hill’s body will
arrive at Louis Armstrong
International Airport from, pre-
sumably, Japan where he died. It
will then be taken directly to the
Ooh Poo Pah Doo Bar, the very
nightspot the trumpeter per-
formed at every Monday night.
Further remembrances and
music will ensue beginning,
James estimates, at around 8 pm.
On Tuesday night, yet even
more musicians including the
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
,
organist/vocalist
Ivan Neville
,
guitarist
June Yamagishi
, the
Wild Magnolias Big Chief Bo
Dollis Jr
. and other great names
from the New Orleans music
community will perform at
Tipitina’s to raise money for a
Trumpet Black Memorial Fund
that is in the making. Music
begins at 8 p.m.
On Friday night, May 22, a
memorial will be held at the
Page 18
THE LOUISIANA WEEKLY -
YOUR MULTICULTURAL MEDIUM
May 18 - May 24, 2015
Photo by Demian Roberts
NEW BREED BRASS BAND
usic community’s tributes to Trumpet Black
ill: Outpourings of love and respect
Photo by Demian Roberts
St. Mary’s Academy held its 56th Annual
Debutante Ball
recently at the Pontchartrain
Center in Kenner. The theme for the festivities was
“A Night of Egyptian Splendor,” a tribute to one of
the greatest and longest surviving civilizations in the
world. Reigning as the 2015 Debutante Queen was
Miss Madison Francis Miner, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Wayne Miner of Lacombe, LA. Members of
her Royal Court were Misses Kaitlyn Michelle
Dumas, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Dumas,
first maid; Raynice Alicia Crayton, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Reginald Crayton, second maid; Gabrielle
Logan Mims, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Garren
Thomas Mims, Sr., third maid; Crystal Dominique
Randolph, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Derek
Randolph, fourth maid; Leona Olivia Trepagnier,
daughter of Mr. Lavonne Leo Ratcliff and Ms.
Denise Trepagnier, fifth maid; and Miss Cierra Ariel
Frazier, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Lee
Frazier, Sr., sixth maid. Also pictured are the
Queen’s pages, Master Donald Christopher Gaspard,
III, son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Gaspard, Jr. and
Master Andrew Christopher Cox, son of Mr. & Mrs.
Christopher Cox.
GLEN DAVID ANDREWS
