Blue Nile Celebrates Black History - Kermit Ruffins' Co-Founding of the Rebirth Brass Band

“Right about 1981 or 1982, I went to high school in the Tremé. The second I got there, I noticed a lot of second-line parades going up the street at any given time. Me and Phil Frazier, we decided to start the Rebirth Brass Band. We started studying the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and the Olympia Brass Band, and we played in the French Quarter for tips. One day I heard Louis Armstrong on the jukebox — I was about 18 years old and had no idea about Louis — and I just lost it.” - Kermit Ruffins

While still in high school, Kermit Ruffins co-founded the Rebirth Brass Band – a group that revolutionized the brass band community in New Orleans with songs like “Do Watcha Wanna” that have become anthems. Rebirth’s growth and success bolstered the rejuvenation of the New Orleans second-line culture that now flourishes.

Still, after less than a decade fronting the band and touring the world, Ruffins tired of the road. He missed the culture at home so much that he traveled, like fellow New Orleans icon Fats Domino, with cooking equipment and prepared his favorite foods in hotel rooms far and wide.  He made a bold and risky decision to leave Rebirth and go solo, having no guarantees the public would embrace his new direction. At the time there were very few young musicians playing traditional jazz. Nearly all the backing musicians on his first album were decades older.

Now, Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers are a beloved institution – a must-see for every New Orleans visitor and a favorite of local critics and music lovers. As he’d helped spur the formation of new brass bands in his 20s, he’s since influenced the city’s musical direction in the 21st century. Dozens of young musicians and bands are essentially playing the same music Ruffins pioneered with his solo act. They sing into retro microphones, dress in dandy suits and perform the timeless tunes that defined a decades-past era.
Read more.

You can find Kermit at our house most Fridays and we couldn’t be happier ‘bout dat!

We celebrate Kermit’s amazing New Orleans history and look forward to PARTYIN’ with him way on down the road!