The New Orleans Style Jazz Funeral New Orleans Jazz Bands

New Orleans

A party of explorers sent by the French King Louise XIV sailed up the Mississippi river for ninety miles in March 1699, before finding the first piece of suitably sized dry land to build a port. This was to become the city of New Orleans.

This land was bordered by the Mississippi on the south west and swamp on the other three sides. The highest point was about 6 feet above the river level, since then the river banks (Levees) have been built up to protect the city from flooding. This raised area is what is now called “the French Quarter”.

As the water level in the city is between 300mm and 500mm below the ground level it was impossible to bury the dead in European fashion. A system of burial was developed whereby tombs were raised above ground (and flood) level. Due to the high ambient temperature the body decomposed so that after a year and a day there were only the bones left. The bones were then pushed into a pit at the back of the tomb to allow another body to be interred in front.

Those with money had family tombs or, if you were a member of one of the many “friendly societies” (sometimes called social and pleasure societies) then you could be interred in one of their grand structures. If you were poor or there were more deaths in a year than the family tomb could handle - then you could rent space for a year in the tombs that were built into the walls of the cemetery.

The Musical Funeral

During the 1800’s the tradition of the funeral procession was born. This involved mourners walking from the deceased’s house to the cemetery, with a band playing spirituals and dirges. Traditional pieces of music would have included “Flee as a Bird” or “Just a closer walk with thee”.

After the interment the band would lead the mourners back to the house but playing happier music, including the popular songs of the time. Originally the band was of military style with trumpets, trombones, clarinets, saxophones, tubas and drums that very often belonged to a “friendly society”.

During the early 1900’s they changed from playing straight music to playing the jazz that is seen today.

These bands are called 'Brass Bands' but bear no relation to the British brass band.

The YouTube clip above shows that the tradition is still alive and well, with a funeral being a big social event.

Until the 1970’s they were known as 'musical funerals' but that changed when the James Bond film “Live and Let Die” (1973) was released, and the tradition spread to the rest of the world.

They are now commonly called Jazz Funerals.

The UK Jazz Funeral Band style

In the UK some people want the jazz funeral to be conducted traditionally, but with the general shift of funerals being a celebration of life rather than the mourning of loss, it has become popular to have up-tempo, happy music both sides of the interment/committal.

I believe this was also helped by the James Bond film “Live and Let Die” where they carried the body off to “Joe Avery’s piece” (a precursor to “Rock Around the Clock”) rather than continue the dirge, in this case “Just a closer walk with thee” played as a slow march.

There is at least one big New Orleans style brass band in the UK but as it has some eight or nine members and includes bass and side drummers (required as they don’t have a chord producing instrument) - the cost to hire them can be prohibitive for some people.

The New Orleans Jazz Funeral Band

My four piece band, which consists of a trumpet, clarinet, banjo and Sousaphone - has performed at many funerals. We try to keep the walking and playing to half a mile, and as far as possible on the flat (New Orleans doesn’t have hills). The tunes we usually play are “Just a closer walk with thee”, “Just a Little while to stay here”, “Lily of the Valley”, “Walk through the streets of the city” and any of the New Orleans parade tunes like “The Second Line” and “Bourbon Street Parade” (this latter tune, composed by Drummer Paul Barbarain, has become the theme tune to New Orleans and is played by bands of all genres).

To date we have led the cortege from the house to the church/crematorium, we have played during the service and from the church to graveside, through the lowering of the coffin, and from the crematorium to the flower viewing area. Sometimes also at the wake afterwards.

At a Natural Burial Ground near Havant, we escorted the party to the grave with the usual tunes, then played "Smile" and "Unforgettable" - both originally sung by Nat King Cole, with a thick mist rolling in from the sea on a cold Decembers day.

How to hire a New Orleans style Funeral Jazz Band

The New Orleans Jazz Funeral Band offers a New Orleans style funeral jazz band service which is personally tailored to each customer. Our musicians are highly professional, respectful and experienced in delivering a memorable musical send off for your loved one.

Please get in touch with Alive Network to make an enquiry.