NEW ORLEANS – The 16th annual Satchmo SummerFest presented by Chevron is starts today, Friday, August 5, and runs through Sunday, August 7, 2016.
Produced by French Quarter Festivals, Inc. (FQFI), Satchmo SummerFest is New Orleans' only celebration of the life, legacy, and music of Louis Armstrong and is held annually on the weekend closest to his August 4th birthday. In 2016 the event grows by relocating to Jackson Square and Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré and adding a new stage inside the Louisiana State Museum's Arsenal, 600 St. Peter St.
"Spirit of Satch" awards, Birthday Bash
Opening day festivities include will include the 2nd annual "Spirit of Satch" awards, Louis Armstrong's birthday bash and a press conference.
Gates to Jackson Square will open at 11:00 a.m. when FQFI will honor Louis Armstrong's legacy by presenting the "Spirit of Satch" awards to winners in seven categories; attendees will include Jay Banks King Zulu 2016, Andrew Pete Sanchez King Zulu 2015, Mark Samuels of Basin Street Records, and others. Armstrong's birthday bash takes place after the press conference and ushers in the 16th Anniversary Satchmo SummerFest presented by Chevron. At noon, PresHall Brass kicks off three days of music. At the Satchmo Symposium inside Le Petit Théâtre Du Vieux Carré, keynote speaker Gary Giddins will present Pops and Bing: A Real Mutual Admiration Society; the talk will explore the long friendship and mutual regard between Crosby and Armstrong, from their first meeting in 1926 to Pops' death in 1971.
Introducing the New 'Back o' Town' Stage
This year Satchmo SummerFest welcomes the new indoor Fleurty Girl 'Back o' Town' stage located inside the air-conditioned Louisiana State Museum's Arsenal. 'Back o' Town' will feature a dance floor, swing dance lessons and performances from NOLA Jitterbugs, and live dance music on Saturday and Sunday. Additionally, in Jackson Square, FQFI welcomes new 'Red Beans and Ricely Yours' stage sponsor: Cornet Restaurant. The restaurant is owned by descendants of the Karnofsky family, Jewish immigrants who hired Louis Armstrong as a delivery boy when he was just seven years old, and then took him under their wing as a member of the family and gave him money to purchase his first cornet – setting the stage for his future.
Musical debuts include Grammy artist Catherine Russell, daughter of Louis Armstrong's former bandleader Luis Russell, and clarinetist, saxophonist, educator and New Orleans native, Victor Goines; Goines has been a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis Septet since 1993. The lineup also includes Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Bill Summers & Jazalsa, Brass-A-Holics, The Soul Rebels, Yoshio Toyama and the Dixie Saints, Jeremy Davenport, Trumpet Tribute to Louis Armstrong featuring James Andrews, Wendell Brunious, and many more.
View the full music schedule here
Satchmo Symposium to Include Pulitzer Panel Celebrating the 100-Year Anniversary of the Pulitzer
The Satchmo Symposium, three days of fascinating seminars with internationally-respected Satchmo scholars and musicians, will be held inside Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré. This year's Symposium includes a special panel developed in partnership with the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize Centennial Campfires Initiative: Celebrating 100 years of Pulitzer – From New Orleans to the World Stage: The Artistic Journeys of Louis Armstrong and Wynton Marsalis. The panel will explore and contrast the approaches, outlooks, and outputs of both artists – as well as how they were influenced by New Orleans; it will be moderated by New Orleans journalist (NOLA.com |Times-Picayune) and historian James Karst.
This year's keynote presentation, Pops and Bing: A Real Mutual Admiration Society, will be delivered by award-winning journalist, author, and biographer of Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby, Gary Giddins. Giddins will explore the long friendship and mutual regard between Crosby and Armstrong, from their first meeting in 1926 to Pops' death in 1971.
On Friday, August 5, Grammy Award-winning artist Catherine Russell will present From Satchmo's Knee to a Grammy. Russell's father was pianist, bandleader, and longtime Louis Armstrong musical director Luis Russell; Catherine, who met Louis Armstrong when she was very young, has toured the world as a backup singer with such top artists as David Bowie, Jackson Browne, and Cyndi Lauper.
Author Mick Carlon presents A Conversation with Jack Bradley. Bradley was one of Pops' most trusted friends as well as the 'photo-taker' of some of the most beautifully candid Armstrong photographs ever captured. Bradley traveled with Armstrong for years, taking photos and collecting an incredible collection of artifacts which were recently donated to the Louis Armstrong House Museum and Archives in New York. Jack, now 82 and retired on Cape Cod, sat down for a wide-ranging interview with Carlon about his deep friendship with the man the world knew and loved as 'Satchmo.' The recently-recorded interview will be shown on Sunday, August 7.
View the full Satchmo SummerFest Symposium schedule here
Opening Night Festivities
On Thursday, August 4, Satchmo SummerFest presented by Chevron held a fundraiser to benefit French Quarter Festivals, Inc. Organizers showcased Tom McDermott and friends at the historic Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré for a special Louis Armstrong set, Satchmo from the 1920's-1960's, at 6:30 p.m. Immediately following the Tom McDermott concert, guests held a second line through the French Quarter to the Opening Night Reception at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, the official hotel of Satchmo SummerFest. Special guests included the world-famous Satchmo Symposium presenters, along with music from the Lars Edegran Trio, heavy hors d'oevres, and a full open bar.
Family Fun at Pops' Playhouse
Throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday, children and parents can relax in air-conditioning on the first floor of the Louisiana State Museum's Arsenal and enjoy an array of educational, entertaining family activities, movies, and exhibits. Pops' Playhouse for Kids features a variety of activities that teach the next generation about New Orleans traditions. Children can make crafts like second line umbrellas, homemade instruments, and Zulu coconuts, visit the Satchmo Book Nook sponsored by the New Orleans Public Library, or attend Learning from Louis, an interactive presentation by author and schoolteacher Mick Carlon where kids will learn the fine art of "scattin' like Louis."
On Saturday and Sunday, a special second line for kids will roll from Pops' Playhouse to the Cornet Chop Suey stage in Jackson Square. Pops' Playhouse and the parade are sponsored by Hard Rock Cafe. Be sure to visit them at 125 Bourbon St. and check out Satchmo's very own trumpet! Present your Satchmo Summerfest wristband or brochure for a special offer anytime during the month of August!
Jazz Mass and Other Special Events
In addition to music and education, Satchmo SummerFest presented by Chevron showcases New Orleans' most important indigenous traditions, such as a Sunday morning Jazz Mass at the historic St. Augustine Church in Treme; a traditional second line parade; and traditional jazz dance lessons. New Orleans cuisine also takes center stage with the Hotter than Hot Menu (formally Red Bean Alley), bringing delicious fare from over a dozen of New Orleans' finest restaurants, including new vendors Cornet Restaurant, Koz's Restaurant, Muriel's Jackson Square, and Petite Rouge Café Camionette.
Daily admission to Satchmo SummerFest is $5 (kids 12 and under are free).
Happy Birthday, Satchmo!
Louis Armstrong was raised in a poor section of New Orleans known as "Jane Alley." The man known around the world as "Satchmo," short for Satchelmouth, was widely recognized as a founding father of jazz – a unique American art form. In 1932, Melody Maker magazine editor Percy Brooks greeted Armstrong in London with "Hello, Satchmo!" and the nickname stuck. His influence, as an artist and cultural icon is universal, unmatched, and very much alive today.
Throughout his career, he entertained millions – from heads of state and royalty to the neighborhood kids on his stoop in Corona, New York. Despite his fame, he lived a simple life in a working-class neighborhood.
Satchmo SummerFest presented by Chevron is scheduled annually to coincide with Louis Armstrong's birthday on August 4th. The artist often stated in public interviews that he was born on July 4, 1900 (Independence Day), a date that has been noted in many biographies. Armstrong died in 1971 and his true birthdate, August 4, 1901, was not discovered until the mid-1980s.
Sponsors
Satchmo SummerFest’s Title Sponsor is Chevron and other Sponsors and Community Partners include:
Abita Brewing Company, Amtrak, The Berger Company, Biz New Orleans, Bombay Club, Broussard's, Brown-Forman, Buffa's Bar & Restaurant, Chevrolet, City of New Orleans Parks and Parkways, Cornet Restaurant, Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts, Downbeat Magazine, Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, Finlandia, Fleurty Girl, French Market Corporation, French Quarter Business Association, Hard Rock Cafe, Harrah's New Orleans, Harrelson Trumpets, In the NOLA, Jack Daniel's, JAX Parking, Korbel, Joseph K. & Inez Eichenbaum Foundation, La Divina Cafe Gelateria, Laurel Communications, Le Petit Theatre, Louisiana Cookin', Louisiana Cultural Vistas, Louisiana Life, Louisiana State Museum, Mardi Gras World, 92.3 Nash, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, New Orleans Magazine, New Orleans Original Daiquiris, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, NOLA Defender , NOLA Jitterbugs, OffBeat, Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery, Old School 106.7, Omni Royal Orleans, Pepsi, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Power 102.9, The Pulitzer Prizes, Rhodes Funeral Home, The Ritz-Carlton, Rolland Safe and Lock, Rouses, Solomon Group, Sonoma Cutrer, Spotted Cat Music Club, St. Charles Magazine, State Farm, Tequila Herradura, TravelHost Magazine, Vinyl District, WBOK, Westin Canal Place, WHERE Magazine, Where Y'at, Windsor Court Hotel, WWL Channel 4, WWNO 89.9 FM, WWOZ, Zapp's Potato Chips, Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club.
