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Kermit Ruffins

New Orleans is the only place on the planet that could have produced native son Kermit Ruffins. Whether he's blowing trumpet on a Louis Armstrong classic or one of his own hot numbers, Ruffins embraces the tune with the true spirit of the city. Ruffins' music, like New Orleans itself, swings hard with a big heart as it remembers tradition and the importance of good-timin" fun. Born on Dec. 19, 1964 (sharing the birthdate with New Orleans' legend Professor Longhair!), Ruffins is a modern hipster in possession of an old soul.

There's a knowing grin on Ruffins' face and a smile in his voice and trumpet when the stylish leader steps out with his Barbecue Swingers. Formed in 1992, the band is aptly named as it reflects the two things for which Ruffins is highly noted—hot jazz and a smokin" barbecue. The smell of sizzling sausage browning on the grill set up in the back of the trumpeter's gleaming red pickup truck usually greets folks heading for Ruffins' shows. Meanwhile, inside the club, Ruffins brushes his own spicy sauce on uptempo favorites like 'swing This!" the title cut from his 1999 disc on Basin Street Records.

Ruffins learned to cook by his grandmother's side, chopping onions at the kitchen table, while observing her techniques at the stove. As a musician and chef, he believes that the arts of music and cooking share many qualities.

"Music is real real good for the soul and so is food super good for the soul," declares an enthusiastic Ruffins. "It's a spiritual thing too," he adds. "I mean when you put both of them together, I think you have the biggest party ever. And that's what New Orleans is famous for, putting that good food on the table at the same time while they have the hottest band in the city on stage."

Ruffins first gained recognition with the ReBirth Brass Band, one of New Orleans' hot young ensembles that helped shake up the traditional music. He and high school classmate, tuba player Phillip Frazier co-founded the group in 1982. Ruffins' strong musical presence and warm personality soon made him a crowd favorite. It was with ReBirth that Ruffins' talents as a composer emerged, contributing what would become brass band classics "Do Whatcha Wanna" and "Put Your Right Foot Forward." Like so many New Orleans trumpet players before him, Ruffins the musician also became Ruffins the vocalist.

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Album Review

Delfeayo Marsalis Uptown Jazz Orchestra: Crescent City Jewels

Read "Crescent City Jewels" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Among the four musically talented Marsalis brothers from New Orleans, Delfeayo is the one who plays trombone. He is also the one who leads the impressive Uptown Jazz Orchestra in Crescent City Jewels, an affable salute to his beloved home town. The playlist spans the gamut from blues to ballads, breezy bon bons to flat-out burners, and the UJO is brightly polished and at ease in every mood and at any tempo. The New Orleans vibe is ...

4
Album Review

Delfeayo Marsalis: Crescent City Jewels

Read "Crescent City Jewels" reviewed by Pierre Giroux


Delfeayo Marsalis' release Crescent City Jewels is a vibrant tribute to the resilience and spirit of New Orleans, expertly captured by his Uptown Jazz Orchestra. The album reads like a journal from Marsalis, full of musical moments that celebrate life's joys. Featuring an array of veteran musicians and rising stars from the Crescent City, it is a high-energy collection that showcases the vitality of big-band jazz with an infectious New Orleans flavour. The session's blend of jazz standards, original compositions ...

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Interview

Kermit Ruffins: Swingin' and Smilin'

Read "Kermit Ruffins: Swingin' and Smilin'" reviewed by Tod Smith


There's a rebirth occurring in New Orleans music, and trumpeter/vocalist Kermit Ruffins finds himself front and center. While the post-Katrina recovery has meant many things for the Crescent City, in a number of ways it's been musicians who have taken the lead in bringing the city back to its traditions. Prior to the storm, many musicians and fans of the traditional New Orleans sound spoke despairingly about the musical future for the city that many considered to be the place ...

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Album Review

Kermit Ruffins: Live at Vaughan's

Read "Live at Vaughan's" reviewed by Henry Smith


Trumpeter/vocalist Kermit Ruffins sure knows how to throw a party, and frankly, he should. As the founder of two great New Orleans jazz bands, the Rebirth Brass Band and the Barbeque Swingers, Ruffins has become somewhat of a New Orleans musical diplomat, embracing a vigorous touring schedule that has brought him further from home than many of the city's mainstays.

Live at Vaughan's is a different story though, as Ruffins brings his Barbeque Swingers back home for a Thursday night ...

319
Live Review

Kermit Ruffins Spreads the Word

Read "Kermit Ruffins Spreads the Word" reviewed by Franz A. Matzner


Demonstrating his flexibility as a performer, New Orleans trumpeter and vocalist Kermit Ruffins brought his Barbecue Swingers to the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage for a free concert last week and found himself greeted by the distinctive blend of audience members one can only find at the Kennedy Center's Millennium stage. Featuring free concerts daily, the Millennium Stage draws a diverse mix of tour groups, aficionados, students, families, retirees, opera fans arriving early, and sundry other individuals from ...

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Live Review

Kermit Ruffins: One Night in New Orleans

Read "Kermit Ruffins: One Night in New Orleans" reviewed by Franz A. Matzner


With the temperature plunging and the streets decked out in ice and snow, there were few better ways to warm up last weekend than heading to Blues Alley for some good, old-fashioned New Orleans jazz performed by revivalist Kermit Ruffins and his Barbecue Swingers. Hailing from the city of swing itself, Ruffins has dedicated his life to celebrating the music, food, and dance of his home town, and to Ruffins that means swingin' jazz Louis Armstrong style. ...

221
Album Review

Kermit Ruffins: Kermit Ruffins

Read "Kermit Ruffins" reviewed by Jim Santella


Featuring six tracks from Kermit Ruffins' out-of-print Justice releases, this compilation comes just in time for Mardi Gras. It's a celebration of trad jazz and everything else that has made New Orleans so special. All that's missing is the crawdads and gumbo. That, we'll have to find on our own.

Ruffins turned forty last year. His youthful voice and expressive trumpet remind you that the Crescent City isn't a place for stressing out. Forget the urban crawl and ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz This Week: Kermit Ruffins, Nora Germain, Good 4 the Soul, All That Tap XXI, Dave Dickey Big Band, and More

Jazz This Week: Kermit Ruffins, Nora Germain, Good 4 the Soul, All That Tap XXI, Dave Dickey Big Band, and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

The weekend starts early for fans of jazz and creative music in St. Louis, as Kermit Ruffins - trumpeter, singer, entrepreneur, bon vivant and ambassador of New Orleans music - will be playing at The Gramophone tonight and again on Thursday evening. While he's in town, Ruffins also will be doing a meet-and-greet and signing copies of his new album We Partyin' Traditional Style on Thursday morning at Vintage Vinyl. Ruffins, who helped found the Rebirth Brass Band and has ...

Video / DVD

STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Partyin' Traditional Style with Kermit Ruffins

STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Partyin' Traditional Style with Kermit Ruffins

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week, let's check out some video clips featuring trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, who's coming to St. Louis to play on Wednesday, July 24 and Thursday, July 25 at The Gramophone. The 48-year-old New Orleans native first gained fame for co-founding the Rebirth Brass Band while still a high-school student. He's gone on to establish a career as a solo performer and crowd-pleasing entertainer, playing weekly gigs in his hometown at Vaughan's and his own club, Kermit's Treme Speakeasy, and occasionally ...

Performance / Tour

Kermit Ruffins to Perform Wednesday, July 24 and Thursday, July 25 at the Gramophone

Kermit Ruffins to Perform Wednesday, July 24 and Thursday, July 25 at the Gramophone

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This just in: via the Twitter feed of Basin Street Records, StLJN has learned that New Orleans trumpeter and singer Kermit Ruffins (pictured) will be coming to St. Louis to perform on Wednesday, July 24 and Thursday, July 25 at The Gramophone. Ruffins is a fixture on the New Orleans scene, playing weekly gigs with his band the Barbecue Swingers at various spots, most notably Vaughan's Lounge, where he recorded a live album in 2007. Ruffins also has been a ...

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Event

Stephanie Jordan, Irvin Mayfield, Kermit Ruffins, And Leah Chase Share Stage With Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Stephanie Jordan, Irvin Mayfield, Kermit Ruffins, And Leah Chase Share Stage With Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Source: Sylvain Music Notes

Liberty Bank Celebrates the Holidays and its 40th Anniversary with The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra NEW ORLEANS - Liberty Bank and Trust will celebrate the holiday season and their 40th Anniversary with a special holiday musical extravaganza featuring the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and some very special guests. “A Liberty Bank Christmas" with the LPO will take place on Saturday, December 8, 2012, 8 p.m. at Xavier University' Convocation Center, their new 4,000 seat arena, located at One Drexel Drive. Guest artists ...

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Music Industry

Mardi Gras Ball: Kermit Ruffins, Bonerama, Marco Benevento

Mardi Gras Ball: Kermit Ruffins, Bonerama, Marco Benevento

Source: JamBase

6TH ANNUAL MARDI GRAS BALL EXPANDS TO TWO NIGHTS For the 6th year in a row, CEG Presents / NolaFunk.com—the New York-based event promoter that honors the musicians and spirit of New Orleans—will be bringing its annual Mardi Gras Ball to New York City, and for the first time, it will be a two-night event. On February 18 & 19, New Orleans royalty Kermit Ruffins and his band the BBQ Swingers will make a rare appearance at the Hiro Ballroom ...

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Recording

Kermit Ruffins's "Happy Talk" Due Out October 26, 2010 on Basin Street Records

Kermit Ruffins's "Happy Talk" Due Out October 26, 2010 on Basin Street Records

Source: Michael Ricci

Tremé Star and New Orleans Icon Announces First Album of Big Band Music “An unabashed entertainer who plays trumpet with a bright, silvery tone." —The New York Times ..."the trumpeter who as been a leading light on the NOLA music scene for years now." —Relix There's a point in the first season of HBO's “Tremé" where Steve Zahn's character remarks “America needs it some Kermit." This fall, America will get it some Kermit Ruffins with the release of his latest ...

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Contest

Enter the Basin Street Records "Kermit Ruffins - Livin' a Treme Life" Giveaway Contest

Enter the Basin Street Records "Kermit Ruffins - Livin' a Treme Life" Giveaway Contest

Source: All About Jazz

All About Jazz members are invited to enter the Basin Street Records “Kermit Ruffins - Livin' a Treme Life“ giveaway contest starting today. We'll select FIVE winners at the conclusion of the contest on September 29th. Click here to enter the contest

(Following Kermit Ruffins at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.)

Good luck! Your Friends at Basin Street Records

About Kermit Ruffins In a city where extraordinary musicianship is a routine assumption, the career ...

189

Interview

Trumpeter/Vocalist Kermit Ruffins Interviewed at AAJ

Trumpeter/Vocalist Kermit Ruffins Interviewed at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz

There's a rebirth occurring in New Orleans music, and trumpeter/vocalist Kermit Ruffins finds himself front and center. While the post-Katrina recovery has meant many things for the Crescent City, in a number of ways it's been musicians who have taken the lead in bringing the city back to its traditions.

New Orleans is Ruffins' muse and it provides the fuel for a creative fire that started years ago when he first discovered the music he so loves today. But more ...

528

Recording

Basin Street Records Releases Kermit Ruffins' "Livin' a Treme Life"

Basin Street Records Releases Kermit Ruffins' "Livin' a Treme Life"

Source: All About Jazz

Catch Kermit at the 2009 NOLA Heritage & Jazz Festival and Lincoln Center's Mid Summer Night Swing! Kermit is currently acting in and consulting for new HBO pilot Treme, created by David Simon (The Wire). “An unabashed entertainer who plays trumpet with a bright, silvery tone." --New York Times Make no mistake, everything about Kermit Ruffins exemplifies New Orleans. Residing in the town of Treme, former home of his predecessors Louis Prima and Louis Armstrong, he continues the big brass ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Crescent City Jewels

Troubadour Jass
2024

buy

Throwback

Basin Street Records
2018

buy

Happy Talk

Basin Street Records
2010

buy

Live at Vaughan's

Basin Street Records
2007

buy

Throwback

Nineteen-Eight Records
2005

buy

Kermit Ruffins

Putumayo World Music
2005

buy

I Got A Treme Woman

From: Happy Talk
By Kermit Ruffins

Videos

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