CATHERINE RUSSELL with the DANNY BARKER TRIBUTE BAND featuring DETROIT BROOKS

Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, New Orleans

Each year, Snug Harbor and the New Orleans Jazz Museum pay tribute to one of New Orleans' most influential musicians, Danny Barker, on his birthday month, and his departure month. Barker is dear to Snug Harbor, as his band Danny's Jazz Hounds played at Snug Harbor in the 1980s – Sundays being their residency for several years, prior to his passing on March 13, 1994. 

Detroit Brooks – guitar, banjo, bandleader  

Dr. Michael White – clarinet 

Gregg Stafford – trumpet, vocals  

Frank Naundorf – trombone 

Steve Pistorius – piano 

Mitchell Player – bass 

Jerry Anderson – drums 

Vocalist Catherine Russell is a native New Yorker, born into musical royalty. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was a legendary pianist / composer / bandleader, and Louis Armstrong's long-time musical director. Her mother, the late Carline Ray, was a pioneering vocalist / guitarist / bassist who performed with International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary Lou Williams, and Sy Oliver. Catherine’s professional life began early. After graduating with honors from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she toured and recorded with Carrie Smith, Steely Dan, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, Levon Helm, Toshi Reagon and Rosanne Cash, among others, appearing on over 200 albums.

Daniel Moses Barker (January 13, 1909 – March 13, 1994) was an American jazz musician, vocalist, and author from New Orleans. He was a rhythm guitarist for Cab Calloway, Lucky Millinder and Benny Carter during the 1930s. One of Barker's earliest teachers in New Orleans was fellow banjoist Emanuel Sayles, with whom he recorded. 

Danny Barker came up in New Orleans at a time when jazz was just getting started. Over the course of a more than 70-year career, he played with Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday, Wynton Marsalis and Dr. John. In his later years, Barker started a youth band in New Orleans that would help bring the brass band tradition into the 21st century.

He came from one of the great musical clans of New Orleans, the Barbarin family. His grandfather Isidore Barbarin played in a brass band with some of the early greats of jazz: King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and his uncle Paul Barbarin made his way in the blues scene in Chicago, which is where a young Danny learned to play guitar, after already establishing himself as a banjo player. As a songwriter, "Save The Bones For Henry Jones" is probably his best known song, as it was recorded and made popular by Nat King Cole. 

Barker was also one of the earliest jazz and blues musicians to pen and publish his own memoir, "A Life In Jazz," though it took him until 1986 to get it published, and it was then out of print for many years. Thankfully, the Historic New Orleans Collection re-issued the book in 2016. 

But perhaps his greatest legacy is the inspiration and mentorship he provided the next generations of New Orleans musicians, who would join his Fairview Baptist Church Brass Band in the 1970s and 1980s, his community contribution after time spent in New York. Players like the Marsalis brothers, members of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Dr. Michael White, Leroy Jones, Lucien Barbarin, Gregory Davis, Shannon Powell, Herlin Riley and Nicholas Payton all came up in Barker's FBC Brass Band. 

More at https://www.dannybarkerfestival.com

Shows at 8pm & 10pm. 

Doors at 7:00pm & 9:30pm. 

Restaurant is Open 6pm – 10pm for dinner before or after your showtime: 

Advance Ticket Holders can now automatically make dinner table reservations for the Dining Room online via OpenTable here! 

Advance Ticket-Holders can also make table reservations for dinner by Emailing info@snugjazz.com after your tickets have been purchased online. All dinner table reservations must be attached to advance concert tickets. Dinner Service without Advance Concert Tickets is first-come, first-served based on availability upon arrival. 

Full Bar is Open 6pm – Midnight for all, on show nights, with or without tickets. 

Kind Reminder:  Snug Harbor does not serve food inside the Music Room. In order to preserve the integrity, quiet and focus of our world class intimate concerts, only cocktails and soft drinks are available for table service inside the Music Room. However, we encourage you to arrive 90 Minutes prior to your showtime in order to enjoy full, relaxing dinner service in the Dining Room right next door, before getting seated in the Music Room for the show. 8pm ticket holders can also enjoy dinner, dessert or appetizers after the show, with Dining Room seating only guaranteed by submitting your table request before 8pm. 

As announced by the City of New Orleans, as of March 24th, Snug Harbor is no longer requiring valid proof of Covid vaccination or negative test for entry, and while masks are still suggested while not eating or drinking indoors, they are now optional for all. We are now seating at just under our regular audience capacity. 

However, with our intimate venue's regularly limited seating capacity, advance tickets are still strongly suggested in order to guarantee seats for this acclaimed show!