Kermit Ruffins, Rebirth Brass Band

Biography

Kermit Ruffins, born December 19, 1964, in New Orleans, is a jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer who co-founded the Rebirth Brass Band in 1983 while attending Clark High School in the Tremé neighborhood. With high school classmate Philip Frazier on tuba and later Keith Frazier on bass drum, the band drew inspiration from the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Olympia Brass Band, revolutionizing New Orleans brass band music by infusing it with funk, bebop, and contemporary elements. They performed in second-line parades and the French Quarter, releasing early recordings like the 1984 album Here to Stay and hits such as 'Do Whatcha Wanna,' which became anthems for the second-line culture.[1][2][3][4][5]

Fun Facts

• Ruffins left the Rebirth Brass Band after nearly a decade of worldwide touring because he was a homebody who missed New Orleans culture so much that he cooked his favorite foods, like barbecue, in hotel rooms using portable equipment.
• He owns Kermit's Treme Speakeasy in New Orleans, where he performs weekly, and previously ran clubs like Sidney’s Saloon and the Mother-In-Law Lounge.
• On the night Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, Ruffins had his band play 'I Can See Clearly Now' on the sidewalk outside his club, a song Obama used at the Democratic Convention.
• The Rebirth Brass Band's first album Here to Stay was recorded in 1984 at the Grease Lounge on North Robertson Street, now the Candlelight Lounge.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Donald Richardson - Band director at Clark High School who mentored the founders in discipline and traditional brass band repertoire (School marching bands and community events) [early 1980s]
• Louis Armstrong - Major musical influence discovered at age 18, shaping his trumpet and vocal style (Inspired traditional jazz direction post-Rebirth) [1980s onward]
• Louis Jordan - Key stylistic influence on his jump blues and vocal approach (General career influences) [Ongoing]
• Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Older band that inspired Rebirth's modernization of brass band sound with funk and bebop (Influenced Rebirth's formation and style) [Early 1980s]
• Olympia Brass Band - Traditional group studied by Ruffins and Rebirth founders (Influenced early Rebirth repertoire) [Early 1980s]

Key Collaborators

• Philip Frazier - High school classmate and co-founder of Rebirth Brass Band on tuba (Rebirth Brass Band albums including Here to Stay (1984), Feel Like Funkin’ It Up (1989)) [1983-early 1990s]
• Keith Frazier - Brother of Philip, co-founder of Rebirth on bass drum (Rebirth Brass Band formation and early recordings) [1983-early 1990s]
• Barbecue Swingers - His band formed after leaving Rebirth, focusing on hot jazz and barbecue-themed performances (Multiple albums, live shows at Vaughan's and Kermit's Treme Speakeasy) [1992-present]

Artists Influenced

• Dozens of young New Orleans musicians and bands - Pioneered solo brass band style with retro microphones, dandy suits, and timeless tunes, spurring new acts (21st-century brass bands emulating his style) [2000s-present]
• New brass bands in his 20s - Helped spur formation during Rebirth era (Revitalization of second-line culture) [Late 1980s-1990s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia