Jazz Funerals in the Crescent City

I remember being in the French Quarter and hearing the solemn beat of the drum as a funeral marched through through the streets of New Orleans taking the body to the grave. Sometimes a song would be played like "A Closer Walk with Thee." A band would be part of the funeral march. Often the Band would be the Eureka Band or the Olympia Band. Everyone would become still because a jazz funeral was in the process. It was unique. It was New Orleans. It was like no other place in the world.

When the body was interred, then the band would break forth in joyous rhythm and song. The funeral party then would rejoice and there would be dancing in the streets. It always seemed that one of more of the participants was carrying an umbrella and the umbrella would go up almost as a sign that the rains of life could not touch the soul of the departed any more and that God provided a covering to the participants as the soul entered heaven. Then there was dancin' in the streets.

Jazz funerals were rare; but for whatever reason I was able to watch many of them. But then I spent a lot of time in the Quarter in those days.

If you saw the James Bond movie Live and Let Die, there was a jazz funeral in it. It was realistic and that is pretty much how they were done. In that movie they used one of real bands that had done many of the jazz funerals, the great Olympia Band. If you have not seen a jazz funeral, rent Live and Let Die and watch it.

The Olmpia Brass Band was led by "Duke" Dejan. Dejan passed away in 2002. Read his obituary for a short history of New Orleans jazz in the 20th century.

There is not many books or pictures on the jazz funeral but an extremely good book on it is Rejoice When You Die. It has some extraordinary photographs. Go to his index, and to "Second Line", page 128 for a great photo. There is also a CD on jazz funerals if you want to hear the music.

There is something very Christian in the jazz funeral. There is the slow movement to the cemetary. The black men and women of our country know pain. They know the hardships and cares of life. All of us who share the deep pains of life, both know that "this world is not our home, we are just a passin' through." Instead we look to heaven as our home. In the jazz funeral, immediately after the funeral there is rejoicing and dancing. Heaven is our home and when a soul enters into it there is rejoicing and happiness. And life for the rest of us goes on. Life now and hopefully eternal life afterwards. We remember that the Bible says that there is a tree in Heaven that brings healing to the nations. The cross of Jesus truly is alive and like Aaron's rod of old, it buds and blossoms bringing comfort to those of us who hurt.

It is the deep faith in God that birthed gospel music. And it is the gospel music that gives comfort to the "blues." Dixie Land too is born from the Gospel music.

It is time to sign off, I think I hear Satchmo and Al Hurt tuning up their trumpets to play "When the Saints go Marching In" .

In New Orleans, the music gets into your soul.

HarleyDad