Kermit Ruffins Lights Up Vaughn's

I finally made it down to hear one of New Orleans' premier trumpeters, Kermit Ruffins, last night. He and his band brought Vaughn's, a little old creole store nestled deep in the Marigny, to life as they have been for years.

Here's a sampling.

Ruffins' playing and distinctive voice definitely evoke the late Louis Armstrong, but with a bit more of a funky Brass Band vibe thrown in (see "If You Want Me to Stay" and "Palm Court Strut" on his Myspace page, which he featured last night).

The evening also included extended jam riffs on Armstrong's swinging "Skokian" and Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" - which both included a number of samples of other memorable songs, like "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."



It was great fun. The packed house ate it up and moved, drinks in hand, in homage to the do-rag and fedora.

I'm now convinced.

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