Onward Brass Band: News

I received an inquiry whether Onward Brass band ever had any association with a " Paul Simon" in a 1973 album, and the band did not, to my knowledge.

R. Kurt Nicewander

EVERYBODY WAS IN THE QUARTER   

On Wednesday, the French Quarter Festival announced a new attendance record based on the calculation that approximately 533,000 people attended it last weekend. This year's attendance was enhanced by the addition of Thursday, making the festival four days long for the first time underline;" "The French Quarter Festival is great for New Orleans in so many ways - as a celebration of a one-of-a-kind neighborhood in America, as a showcase for our city's wonderful music, cuisine and architecture, and as a boost to our local economy," said Steve Hemperley, Greater New Orleans Market President for presenting sponsor Capital One Bank. ----Offbeat Online-4/14/2011

We hope that outdoor Jazz and Louisiana music fans will visit the festival next year. This is a family-friendly festival also, and that was evident by seeing smiling, hapy children everywhere in the French Quarter.

Tom Jacobsen is  no longer  serving in an official capacity with the Onward Brass Band, but we remain close friends and supporters of New Orleans Traditional Jazz. He is devoting much of his time to promoting his new book, which has now been published. He has been of invaluable assistance in the continuing task of reestablishing Onward in New Orleans and the brass band community in New Orleans.I cannot thank him enough for the work he has done for us.

Check out his website, http://www.neworleansnotes.com/ for a growing wealth of New Orleans music information. I feel his site will continue to grow in popularity among the traditional jazz fans around the U.S. and internationally.

Also check out his new book, "Traditional New Orleans Jazz: Conversations with the Men Who Make the Music."  It is very well written, full of information about many well-known musicians, and one you won't want to put down once you start reading.