The 25th annual Satchmo SummerFest, a two-day celebration honoring New Orleans jazz legend Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, kicks off Saturday, Aug. 2 at the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
The event will feature live music across two stages, food from local vendors, and a lecture series exploring Armstrong’s life and legacy.
Emily Madero, CEO of French Quarter Festivals, Inc., joined Louisiana Considered to discuss the festival’s cultural significance and what attendees can expect. For more information on the music lineup, food vendors, transportation and more, head to satchmosummerfest.org.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
DIANE MACK: So tell me, what are your thoughts as you reach this silver anniversary and look back at the growth of this celebration to a cultural icon?
EMILY MADERO: You know, Satchmo SummerFest really is a family reunion. It's a beloved special event. Of course, you know, New Orleans being the birthplace of Louis Armstrong, who is I think probably the most remarkable and well-known artists to come out of the United States even, I think you could say. So it's a special thing for us to be able to come together on an annual basis and to do that at the Jazz Museum.
The first Satchmo SummerFest was hosted to honor what would have been his 100th birthday. So, 25 years later it was such a success. We are still continuing that celebration. We have an annual tradition with St. Augustine Church, which is in the Treme neighborhood, and we'll be presenting a special Jazz Mass. So if you'd like to participate in that, that will be Sunday at 10 a.m., and Treme Brass Band will be performing during that mass, and then leading our Satchmo Salute Parade, which will of course go from St. Augustine Church down shady Esplanade Avenue right into the festival grounds at the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
And we're really happy to partner with the Jazz Museum. They have put together a retrospective. David Kunian has curated an exhibit, and it's called “Brother, Can You Spare A Quarter: Satchmo SummerFest Turns 25,” and you can come and see 25 years of Satchmo SummerFest artwork and posters and memorabilia. So that will be a really fun way to compliment the music on the stage and sort of see visually how the event has evolved over the last 25 years. And some incredible artists that come out of New Orleans, like Ayo Scott and Mario Padilla, who have, you know, been among many of the artists to create some really beautiful poster artwork.
MACK: Let's talk a little bit about Louis Armstrong's youth and growing up in New Orleans. He came from very humble beginnings.
MADERO: He did. He had a rough start to life, got himself into some trouble. But he created some relationships here in New Orleans, where he discovered his love of music and was able to really develop his musical talent and become the star and influencer that he is.
MACK: Now, how did he get that nickname Satchmo, and what does it mean?
MADERO: Well, he had a distinctive way of playing the trumpet. It's short for “satchel-mouth” and at some point, it got shortened to just Satchmo, and that was a nickname that he went by. Not everybody knows that the name Satchmo SummerFest is really a tribute to that endearing nickname of his, something that you know, just stuck.
MACK: The celebrated trumpeter and singer's music left an indelible mark in New Orleans and the world. Let's talk more about some of his contributions and how his legacy will be remembered and celebrated at Satchmo SummerFest. I understand you have a lecture series. What are visitors likely to learn and do you have any special guests?
MADERO: We do. We have Armstrong scholars, authors, and historians that come from throughout the New Orleans area and really travel in from throughout the world. We're really grateful to have these discussions where people can learn about Louis Armstrong and his life and his music and legacy. Of course, we always have our partner, Ricky Riccardi, who is the curator of the Armstrong House in New York. He often comes down and shares really incredible video footage, which is a unique opportunity that you can only have at the festival. And we've got some really fun interviews lined up.
David Kunian, who of course is the curator at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, is going to be interviewing Roger Dickerson, who is a composer music educator and has received numerous honors. That's gonna be an exciting interview. This year, folks can come and see Ricky Riccardi, not only on the legacy stage–which features these interviews and conversations and lectures–he will be playing at the Gallatin Street Records piano sessions, so on the second floor of the Jazz Museum. We started a fun thing a few years ago where we brought in piano musicians from around New Orleans to play in the exhibit space. You know, it's a great opportunity to take advantage of being at the museum.
Of course, there's no admissions during the festival, so the festival is free, which makes the museum free, and it really fills up the incredible exhibit space that they have with beautiful music. But Ricky is going to be playing this year with Wendell Brunious, and we have some just incredible artists that are from all different kinds of genres of music.
And I definitely encourage folks to come inside the museum and cool off and check out some of the things that are going on with the lectures on the third floor and the piano series on the second floor.
MACK: So now ground zero is the Old U.S. Mint in the French Quarter, which is where the Jazz Museum is. Now, are there gonna be acts that are gonna be both inside and outside?
MADERO: Yes, we have two outdoor stages, which of course are tented to keep people cool and comfortable. In the summer, there is a stage right on Esplanade Avenue that you can come and enjoy. The Delta Utility Stage, there are some really incredible acts playing there on Saturday and Sunday. The ones that I'm looking forward to are, of course, Doreen's Jazz. She's just an incredible musician and icon.
We've got Robin Barnes & The Fiya Birds. Joe Lastie is gonna be doing a tribute to Armstrong's Hot Five. And Jelly Joseph will be making her festival debut right before The Original Pinettes Brass Band plays on Saturday.
And then on the other side of the Jazz Museum, you can check out the Fidelity Bank Stage. John Boutté will be playing this year. Shamarr Allen will have Cyril Neville playing with him, so that's gonna be a really fun collaboration to watch.
I love James Andrews. He'll be there with the Sons of Satchmo and Delfeayo Marsalis, and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra are doing a collaboration featuring Corey Henry and Tonya Boyd-Cannon, two incredible musicians in their own right. So that should be really fun to watch.
Outside, it's gonna be a lively atmosphere. We've got misting tents, two outdoor music stages and we've got some really incredible food vendors that you can come and enjoy everything from a snowball to a cold açaí bowl or smoothie.
We also have some of our favorites returning so that you can come check out the red beans and rice. Of course, Tia Henry will be there with Cafe Dauphine, and she does some really incredible dishes and stuffed peppers, which I look forward to every year.
MACK: Now we all know how fond Louis Armstrong was of red beans and rice. Are there gonna be some special preparations of that dish?
MADERO: Well, I think everybody has their own recipe. I believe there's gonna be a classic New Orleans-style red beans and rice, and an opportunity to enjoy a vegetarian dish as well. I think we should, you know, maybe have a write-in recipe contest and everybody can share their, their home kitchen or their grandma's recipe.
