4th  ANNUAL DANNY BARKER BANJO AND GUITAR FESTIVAL KICKS OFF TUESDAY, JANUARY 9TH

2018 FESTIVAL FEATURES 6 DAYS OF LIVE MUSIC, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, INTERVIEWS, FILMS AND MORE CELEBRATING THE LIFE, LEGACY AND MUSIC OF NEA JAZZ MASTER DANNY BARKER

The Danny Barker Banjo and Guitar Festival 2018 is set for a six-day run in New Orleans January 9,^, 2018  through January 14, 2018 – and will again offer a mix of school clinics, workshops, panel discussions, interviews, films and live music performances at a variety of venues, including  the New Orleans Jazz Museum, the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, Snug Harbor, Rhodes Family Services, Bullet’s Sports Bar, Prime Example, Kermit’s Treme Mother-in-Law Lounge, NOCCA, UNO and the George and Joyce Wein Center. The live music performances will feature an all-star array of New Orleans artists – and international special guests  – including legendary Haitian guitarist and educator Claude Carre` (www.claudecarre.com ) and Senegalese kora master Morikeba  Kouyate.  A complete schedule of festival events is attached and included below. Advance tickets for many festival events are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-danny-barker-banjo-and-guitar-festival-15976177854  – see the full schedule below for details.

The mission of the Danny Barker Banjo and Guitar Festival is to showcase and highlight the many contributions and accomplishments of NEA Jazz Master Danny Barker:  musician, singer, songwriter, raconteur extraordinaire and author – who played guitar and banjo with many top jazz artists over the course of his 70 year plus career – and served as a mentor to numerous young New Orleans artists who have since come to prominence, including Wynton Marsalis, Herlin Riley, Leroy Jones, Gregg Stafford, Dr. Michael White and Lucien Barbarin.

Sponsors of the Danny Barker Banjo and Guitar Festival 2018 include WWL-TV,  OffBEAT, The New Orleans Jazz Museum,  National Park Service, Baylee Badawy,  Out Of The Box, Two Chefs and a So Called Chef, The Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic and Assistance Foundation, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation, The Historic New Orleans Collection, Rhodes Family Services, Vaucresson Sausage, Newcorp.inc, NOCCA,Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, UNO Jazz Studies Program, WWOZ, Kermit’s Mother-in-Law Lounge, Prime Example, Louisiana Music Factory, J.R. Thomason Video/Photography, Ebonimages and Eric Waters, Maurice Williams: Attorney at Law, Bullet’s Sports Bar and Brian Perkins. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available.  For complete sponsorship information please contact festival Executive Producer Detroit Brooks –  504-452-6705 – detroitbrooks@yahoo.com..

The Danny Barker Banjo and Guitar Festival 2018 gets underway on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 – with the  PATRON PARTY AND FESTIVAL KICKOFF CONCERT – Tuesday, Janaury 9, 2018 – 5PM – 8:00PM  – ELLIS MARSALIS CENTER FOR MUSIC – 1901 Bartholomew Street 70117 – (504)940-3400 –– The Patron Party – 5:00 pm – 5:45pm – will feature live music from Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes and Detroit Brooks,  a screening of  choice video segments with Danny and Blue Lu Barker by filmmaker Matt Martinez – plus food and spirits – by admission – tickets available in advance  – https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-danny-barker-banjo-and-guitar-festival-15976177854 – or at the door.

The Kickoff Concert – 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm – will include solo piano from Ellis Marsalis – and  a set from an all-star quartet: Herlin Riley/drums, Mitchell Player/bass, Detroit Brooks/guitar and banjo, and trumpeter Will Smith – plus special guest Dr. Michael White –as well as a short presentation by music journalist Gwen Thompkins about the revised edition (published in 2016) of Danny Barker’s autobiography, A Life In Jazz – also a special appearance by  the Ellis Marsalis Kids – by admission – tickets available in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-danny-barker-banjo-and-guitar-festival-15976177854 – or at the door. _________________________________________________________

 DANNY BARKER: MUSICIAN, MENTOR, HISTORIAN, RACONTEUR! – Wednesday, January 10, 2018  – 3PM – 5PM –  NEW ORLEANS JAZZ MUSEUM AT THE MINT 400 Esplanade Avenue – third floor auditorium. Interviewer Fred Kasten talks with artists and community leaders – including Gregg Stafford,  Fred Johnson, Herlin Riley, Detroit Brooks, Molly Reid, Scott Billington, Ellis Marsalisand Roger Dickerson – about their experiences with Danny Barker – and his profound contributions to New Orleans music and culture. The presentation will include excerpts from several remarkable interviews with Mr. Barker. By admission – $15 in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-danny-barker-banjo-and-guitar-festival-15976177854 –  $20 at the door – which includes admission to the Kid Merv performance to follow.

KID MERV AND ALL THAT JAZZ – Wednesday, January 10, 2018 – 5PM – 7PM –  NEW ORLEANS JAZZ MUSEUM AT THE MINT –2^ND FLOOR PERFORMANCE SPACE – By admission – $15 in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-danny-barker-banjo-and-guitar-festival-15976177854 –  $20 at door – which also includes access to the interview sessions that precede it.

 INTERNATIONAL CULTURE NIGHT – Wednesday, January 10, 2018 – 8pm – 1am – Prime Example – 1907 N. Broad Street – (504)-701-9007 –– Featuring Carl LeBlanc, Detroit Brooks, Steve Masakowski – and special guest from Haiti – guitarist Claude Carre` – backed by a top-notch rhythm section – by admission – $20 – tickets available only at the door.

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BANJO AND GUITAR CLINIC – Thursday, January 11, 2018 ––11am – 12 noon – Bethune Elementary – 2900 Humanity Street 70122 –– David Bandrowski and Carl LeBlanc – clinicians – FREE.

THE LOUISIANA MUSIC FACTORY PRESENTS A LIFE IN JAZZ  – Thursday, January 11, 2018 – 1pm – 3pm – 421 Frenchmen Street 70116 – (504)-586-1094  – “Music Inside Out” host and award-winning journalist Gwen Thompkins leads a  discussion about the Historic New Orleans Collection’s acclaimed new edition of Danny Barker’s memoir/autobiography – A LIFE IN JAZZ – followed by a live set from the Danny Barker Banjo and Guitar Quartet – FREE.

MEMORIES AND STORIES: LET’S TALK ABOUT DANNY AND LU – Thursday, January 11, 2018 – 4pm – 7pm –– RHODES FAMILY SERVICES  – 3933 Washington Avenue, New Orleans 70125 – (504) 822-7162– Featuring  live music from the Harry Sterling Quartet – and great stories about Danny and Blue Lu Barker from a wide range of folks they deeply influenced – including Leroy Jones, Jon Pult, Jan Ramsey, Harry Sterling, Chris Sylvain andGreer Mendy.  By admission – $20 – tickets available in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-danny-barker-banjo-and-guitar-festival-15976177854 – or at the door.

DANNY BARKER BIRTHDAY BASH – Thursday, January 11, 2018 – shows at 8pm and 10 pm – Snug Harbor – 626 Frenchmen Street – (504)949-0696 – An all-star band plays a night a music associated with Danny Barker – featuring Gregg Stafford/trumpet and vocals, Freddy Lonzo/trombone, Bruce Brackman/clarinet, Detroit Brooks/banjo and guitar, Mari Watanabe/piano,Kerry Lewis/bass, Jerry Anderson/drums, Topsy Chapman/vocals – by admission – $15 – tickets available at the door and in advance at www.snugjazz.com  or (504)949-0696.

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BANJO AND GUITAR CLINICS – Friday, January 12, 2018 –  University of New Orleans – 2000 Lakeshore drive – 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm – hosted by Steve Masakowski – Carl LeBlanc and Seva Venet – clinicians. FREE.

NOCCA – 2800 Chartres Street – 2:30 pm – 3:45 pm – hosted by Michael Pellera – Don Vappie andDavid Bandrowski – clinicians. FREE.

DANNY BARKER “DON’T YOU FEEL MY LEG”  STRING ALL-STARS – Friday, January 12, 2018 – 5pm – 8pm – George and Joyce Wein Center – 1205 North Rampart, New Orleans, LA 70116 – (504) 558-6100 – featuring Detroit Brooks, Carl Leblanc, Steve Masakowski, Seva Venet, Don Vappie – plus special guests Haitian guitar great Claude Carre`and Senegalese kora master Morikeba Kouyate – by admission – $15 – available in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-danny-barker-banjo-and-guitar-festival-15976177854 – or at the door .

 SECOND LINE FOR DANNY – Saturday, January 13, 2018 – 12 noon – 2:30 pm – from New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Mint to Bullet’s Sports Bar – lead by the Hot 8 Brass Band andSons of Jazz Brass Band – also featuring various school bands and other young local musicians.

 DANNY BARKER BANJO AND GUITAR FESTIVAL GRAND FINALE – Sunday, January 14, 2018 – 11am – 5 pm –  New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Mint – by admission – $5 – tickets available in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-danny-barker-banjo-and-guitar-festival-15976177854 – or day of – featuring a wide range of activities on stages both inside and outside at the Museum – including:

11am – 1pm – DANNY BARKER IN SOUND AND IMAGE – Interviewer Fred Kasten plays highlights from an extensive set of interviews with Danny Barker – and conducts a live interview with former Fairview Baptist Church Christian Band member Dr. Michael White – followed by historic video segments featuring Danny and Blue Lu Barker – presented by filmmaker Matt Martinez.

1pm – 5pm – THREE STAGES OF MUSIC (two inside – one outside) – including sets from John Boutte, the UNO Jazz Ensemble (featuring Steve Masakowski), Topsy Chapman and Solid Harmony, Charmaine Neville and Amasa Miller, Claude Carre`, Kermit Ruffins, Leroy Jones Quintet, George French,  and more.