August 4, 2009 (Louis Armstrong’s Birthday), New Orleans, Louisiana – French Quarter Festivals, Incorporated (FQFI) closed the ninth annual Satchmo SummerFest on August 2nd at Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint in the French Quarter. The 2009 festival was made possible by support from the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, under the leadership of Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu.
This year’s attendance figures indicate that over 26,000 festival-goers gathered together to pay tribute to the life, legacy and music of Louis ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong as well as to immerse themselves in the culture, food, music, and everything that New Orleans has to offer. Even with early afternoon rain on Saturday and Sunday, the attendance numbers mirrored those of the 2008 festival. French Quarter Festivals, Inc. organizers have already started planning the 10th anniversary celebration, which will take place August 5 – 8, 2010.
With the success of this year’s festival, it is evident that Satchmo SummerFest has become a cherished event for locals and visitors, including a great number of international travelers. This year’s festival featured three stages of music throughout the grounds of the Louisiana State Old US Mint which included genres such as traditional jazz, contemporary jazz, and brass bands.
Much of the success of this year’s Satchmo SummerFest can be attributed to the uniquely New Orleans events that took place during the festival weekend. Beginning with the Satchmo Art show on Wednesday, incredible crowds were seen at all events. Over one hundred attendees gathered in Armstrong Park to celebrate at the Satchmo Birthday Party. On Sunday, patrons packed into St. Augustine Church to participate in the heralded Jazz Mass where, upon conclusion, crowds flocked into the streets to join in the second-line parade to the festival. With the closing of another successful festival it is clear that Satchmo’s influence, as an artist and cultural icon, is universal, unmatched, and very much alive today.
Happy Birthday Satchmo!
Satchmo SummerFest is scheduled annually to coincide with Armstrong’s actual birthday on
August 4th. Armstrong often stated in public interviews that he was born on July 4, 1900 (Independence Day in the USA), a date that has been noted in many biographies. Armstrong died in 1971. It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that his true birth date of August 4, 1901 was discovered.
About Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong was born in a poor section of New Orleans known as “the Battlefield” or ‘Back o’ Town’. Throughout his career, he entertained millions – from heads of state and royalty to the kids on his stoop in Corona, New York. Despite his fame, he lived a simple life in a working-class neighborhood. The man known around the world as ‘Satchmo’ was widely recognized as a founding father of jazz – a uniquely American art form. Armstrong was a charismatic, innovative performer whose improvised soloing was the main influence for a fundamental change in jazz. One of the most famous musicians of the 20th century, he was first known as a cornet player, then as a trumpet player, and toward the end of his career he was best known as a vocalist and influential jazz singers. The nickname ‘Satchmo’ is short for ‘Satchelmouth’. In 1932, Melody Maker magazine editor Percy Brooks greeted Armstrong in London with “Hello, Satchmo!” and the nickname stuck.
Sponsors and Community Partners for the 9th annual Satchmo SummerFest include: The State of Louisiana – Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Abita Brewing Company, Louisiana State Museum, French Market Corporation, Louis Armstrong International Airport , Higher Ground Relief Fund, the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Rhodes Funeral Home, BMI, WWL-TV, nola.com, offBeat Magazine, Where Y’At Magazine, Marriott New Orleans, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, New Orleans Jazz National Park, Hard Rock Café, Harrah’s New Orleans, Bernard Productions, Rouses, Lousiana Association for the Education of Young Children, Target, NOLA Box Company, New Orleans Levee, WWOZ, NewOrleans.com, New Orleans Jazz Centennial Celebration, the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, North Rampart Main Street, Inc., Aidan Gill for Men, and the Contemporary Art Center (CAC).
For more information on all FQFI festivals and events, call 504-522-5730 or visit online at www.fqfi.org.
New Orleans, Louisiana – French Quarter Festivals, Incorporated (FQFI) will celebrate the ninth annual Satchmo SummerFest July 30th through August 2nd at Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint in the French Quarter. This free family-friendly Jazz Festival is dedicated to the life, music and legacy of New Orleans’ native son, Louis ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong.
Live, Local Music and Family Activities
Two stages of music on the grounds of the Mint, and one indoor stage will feature traditional jazz, contemporary jazz, and brass bands. Indoor children’s activities include collage art projects, Zulu coconut and second-line umbrella decorating, a daily children’s second line parade and more. In addition, screenings of Armstrong animations and family friendly films in which he appeared will be shown inside the Old U.S. Mint.
Inside the Mint, an impressive array of speakers will host seminars, discussions, music, and movies. Presenters include Professor Robert O’Meally of Columbia University; George Avakian – Armstrong’s record producer and friend; Michael Cogswell of the Armstrong House and Archives; noted Armstrong scholar and Grammy award winner Dan Morgenstern; writer and Armstrong film collector Ricky Riccardi; and Yoshio Toyama, aka “Satchmo of Japan”, who will also perform with his Dixie Saints on the Traditional Jazz Stage.
Satchmo SummerFest Keynote Speaker, Professor Robert O’Meally of Columbia University, will speak on Thursday, July 30 at 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint, 2nd floor. This event is free and open to the public.
In honor of Satchmo SummerFest, the Louisiana State Museum has brought in a photo exhibit to the Old U.S. Mint. ‘Jam Session: America’s Jazz Ambassadors Embrace the World’ http://www.meridian.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=240&Itemid=153 will be exhibited in the Old during Satchmo Summerfest – free and open to the public. It contains 100 photographs along with narrative, from a time when the U.S. State Department sent famous jazz musicians (including Louis Armstrong, Dizzie Gillespie, Benny Goodman, and other greats) all over the world to act as ambassadors for the United States.
Happy Birthday Satchmo!
Satchmo SummerFest is scheduled annually to coincide with Armstrong’s actual birthday on August 4th. Armstrong often stated in public interviews that he was born on July 4, 1900 (Independence Day in the USA), a date that has been noted in many biographies. Armstrong died in 1971. It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that his true birth date of August 4, 1901 was discovered.
Merchandise including limited edition prints by Jackson Square artist, Stuart South, as well as books, Satchmo SummerFest t-shirts, and merchandise, will be available for sale at the festival and online. More than 25 food and beverage booths will be open at the Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint and will feature authentic local cuisine, drinks, Abita beer, and Plum Street Snowballs to create “Red Bean Alley.”
Sponsors and Community Partners for the 9th annual Satchmo SummerFest include: The State of Louisiana – Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Abita Brewing Company, Louisiana State Museum, Louis Armstrong International Airport , Higher Ground Relief Fund, WWL-TV, nola.com, offBeat Magazine, Where Y’at Magazine, New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, New Orleans Jazz National Park, New Orleans Levee, WWOZ, NewOrleans.com, New Orleans Jazz Centennial Celebration, the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, North Rampart Main Street, Inc., Aidan Gill for Men, the Contemporary Art Center (CAC), and Young Leadership Council.
New Orleans (October 16, 2008) – It was only a matter of time before people began to take notice. So it came as no surprise when New Orleans Magazine named French Quarter Festivals Executive Director, Marci Schramm to the 2008 class of People to Watch. The “People to Watch”, an award highly coveted amongst local professionals, is described as a new face who is doing something interesting with their lives that’s worthy of our awareness; or, in some cases, familiar faces moving in a different direction. People originally began taking notice when Marci was executive director with the New Orleans Opera and now she’s able to demonstrate her production skills and love of entertainment as director of French Quarter Festivals, Inc. Amelie Lebreton, New Orleans Magazine writer, had the following to say about Schramm: “Whether it’s the World’s Largest Jazz Brunch or second-lining at the Satchmo Club Strut, Schramm creates fun times for all. For the French Quarter Festival in April, she erected 18 stages of music, and then blended art, food and music during Satchmo SummerFest in August.” With Marci at the helm, it appears that French Quarter Festivals will continue defending the title of the “Largest Free Music Festival in the South” for years to come.
To read the full excerpt, visit NewOrleansMagazine.com.
French Quarter Festivals, Inc. welcomes new Entertainment Manager, Greg Schatz
October 13, 2008 – New Orleans, LA - French Quarter Festivals, Inc. is pleased to welcome Mr. Greg Schatz as Entertainment Manager for French Quarter Festivals, Inc. – producers of French Quarter Festival, Satchmo SummerFest , and Christmas New Orleans Style. With thirteen years of music industry experience in New Orleans, Greg has worked as a musician, producer, label founder, and band manager. As a bass player, accordionist, keyboard player and vocalist, he has performed with several local ensembles and also at clubs and festivals in Europe and around the U.S., including the French Quarter Festival and JazzFest. During 2005, he played with Jeremy Lyons and the Deltabilly Boys, touring the U.S. with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Greg then made his debut at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fischer Hall in 2006 during the CMJ Music Conference. As manager of ‘Schatzy’ and founder of Hot Spazz Records, Greg has overseen the release of multiple albums, wearing the hats of both musician and producer.
A graduate of Cornell University and native of Ithaca, New York, Schatz moved to New Orleans in 1995 to pursue a career in music. After honing his craft playing accordion on the streets of the French Quarter, he joined Jeremy Lyons and the Deltabilly Boys, a group he continues to play with. Greg has also performed with local favorites such as the Morning 40 Federation, Dave James Banned, Big Mess Blues Band, and others.
As Entertainment Managerr at French Quarter Festivals, Greg will have the impressive task of booking and coordinating over 450 musicians to perform more than 250 hours of music during French Quarter Festival, organizing programming for the Satchmo SummerFest stages and seminars, and providing support for Cathedral Concerts during Christmas New Orleans Style. French Quarter Festivals Executive Director Marci Schramm commented, “We are so excited to welcome Greg to our team. His talent, experience, enthusiasm, and great relationships in this community will help us take all of our festivals to the next level.”
French Quarter Festivals, Inc. annually produces three festivals: French Quarter Festival (the largest free music festival in the South), Satchmo SummerFest, and Christmas New Orleans Style. French Quarter Festivals, Inc. (FQFI) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2008.
For more information on French Quarter Festival, call 504-522-5730 or visit online at www.fqfi.org.
