Kermit Ruffins
Kermit Ruffins | |
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Kermit Ruffins at the 2007 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
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Background information | |
Birth name | Kermit Ruffins |
Born | December 19, 1964 |
Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana US |
Genres | Jazz Rhythm and blues |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instruments | Trumpet vocals |
Years active | 1973–present |
Labels | Basin Street Records Putumayo Records Justice Records |
Associated acts | Rebirth Brass Band Danny Barker Dr. Michael White Irvin Mayfield |
Kermit Ruffins (born December 19, 1964) is an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. 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.[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
Kermit 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 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 allowing 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 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 have played a show at Vaughan's Bar in the Bywater neighborhood which is 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.
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. He appeared as himself in HBO's Treme as a recurring character.[6]
Gallery
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Kermit Ruffins at Tipitina's, February 2006
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Kermit Ruffins at Old Mint, shown before a set at the Satchmo SummerFest
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Trumpeter Kermit Ruffins playing at Cafe Brasil in New Orleans
Discography
Year | Album | Notes | Label |
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1993 | World on a String | debut album | Justice Records |
1994 | The Big Butter and Egg Man | – | Justice Records |
1996 | Hold on Tight | – | Justice Records |
1998 | The Barbecue Swingers Live | – | Basin Street Records |
1999 | Swing This | – | Basin Street Records |
2001 | 1533 St. Philip Street | – | Basin Street Records |
2002 | Big Easy | – | Basin Street Records |
2005 | Throwback | – | Basin Street Records |
2007 | Live at Vaughan's | – | Basin Street Records |
2009 | Livin' a Treme Life | – | Basin Street Records |
2009 | Have a Crazy Cool Christmas | – | Basin Street Records |
2010 | Happy Talk | – | Basin Street Records |
2013 | We Partyin' Traditional Style! | – | Basin Street Records |
Filmography
- New Orleans Music in Exile (2006)
- Treme (2010)
- After the Catch (2007)
- The Real World New Orleans (2010)
Awards
- 2003 – Offbeat's Best of The Beat Awards in Best Traditional Jazz Band or Performer for Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers
See also
References
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External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]]. |
- Satchmo.com profile
- Basin Street Records page
- The Best New Orleans Jazz Musicians
- Jazz Musicians Ask if Their Scene Will Survive, Kermit Ruffins quoted in the New York Times about Hurricane Katrina's effect on the New Orleans jazz scene
- Kermit Ruffins Kermit Ruffins MusiCodex Page
- Pages with broken file links
- Use mdy dates from January 2015
- Articles with hCards
- Commons category link from Wikidata
- Jazz musicians from New Orleans, Louisiana
- African-American musicians
- American jazz composers
- American jazz trumpeters
- American jazz singers
- 1964 births
- Living people
- R&B musicians from New Orleans