Saturday, August 11, 2007

Brassy legends

Al Hirt and Pete Fountain, two New Orleans legends of jazzy make a brassy appearance down in the French Quarter at Legends Park, 311 Bourbon Street. Alios Maxwell Hirt was born in New Orleans and went to Cincinatti to study at the Cincinatti Conservatory of Music. He played with a lot of local bands before opening his own club in the Quarter. Who can forget his golden horn in the hit "Java?"

Pete Fountain is legendary with his licorice stick -- the clarinet that can sing. He played with Lawrence Welk and the Dukes of Dixieland before opening his own club in the Quarter. Pete was a founder and is the most prominent member of The Half Fast Walking Club, maybe the best known marching Krewes that parades down St. Charles Avenue on Mardi Gras Day. The self-proclaimed "Prince of Mardi Gras" has done command performances for four president. If you have heard his rendition of "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" then you have been blessed.

They're part of a three-statue display. Just off screen to the right is Fats Domino -- more on him another time.

--steve buser

11 comments:

Jilly said...

Great tribute to jazz legends.

lv2scpbk said...

I bet that took alot of work.

Janet said...

I can hear them playing now!

Anonymous said...

Al Hirt I liked. Didn't know he was in Cincinnati though. That's just down the road. A hateful place to drive through on the way to anywhere south on I-75. Maniacs drive there everyday on the interstate. It is a nightmare.

Love your post today. Brought back lots of memories.

Abraham Lincoln
Brookville Daily Photo

NorthBayPhoto said...

Great info and photo.

Thanks for visiting my NorthBayPhoto blog.

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

i want to see New Orleans so badly!!!! and partly because of the famed jazz scene ....hope the plan materializes later this year!!!

Annie said...

I'm hirtin' here. I want to be there.

Jules said...

AAAhhhh - my kinda' music!!!!

Lavenderlady said...

Wouldn't it have been wonderful to have heard them in person.

GMG said...

Hi Steve, a terrible week (and continuing) left me out of my favourite blogs, and look what I was missing: some wonderful posts, including Beignets at the Café du Monde and Brassy Legends... AT least I managed to have a break last night and attended a fantastic concert: Ornette Coleman in Lisbon at the Gulbenkian Foundation!!!
Thanks for your visits and comments to Blogtrotter. Take care
Gil

lv2scpbk said...

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