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Comfortably nestled in the Mid-City District of New Orleans, the historic Tremé neighborhood is one of America’s loudest.
Jazz music thrives in this 0.69-square-mile patch of NOLA, especially at Kermit Ruffins’s house. A brilliant composer, accomplished trumpeter, pot connoisseur, and masterful barbecuer, Ruffins grew up in the infamous Ninth Ward, picked up the trumpet when he was in the eighth grade, and has since become one of New Orleans jazz’s most influential contributors.
In the early ’80s, he cofounded Rebirth Brass Band, a legendary group known for blending traditional brass-band music with soul, funk, jazz, and hip-hop. These dudes were huge. But Ruffins split and formed a traditional jazz quintet, the Barbeque Swingers, in the early ’90s.
Since 1993, he has released 12 albums, including a Christmas LP and a few live records. However, Ruffins is far from a household name. Though he’s on par with some of the greatest horn players of all time, the 46-year-old isn’t widely known.
Sure, his numerous appearances on HBO’s Treme have helped raise his public profile. But he’s still a far second when it comes to famous Kermits. Nevertheless, we’re honored the trumpet man will bring A Night in Tremé to the MIA.
