Do You Know What It Means?

Kermit Ruffins pays tribute to Louis Armstrong.

- Stacey Leigh Bridewell

When Louis Armstrong left New Orleans to go to Chicago in 1922, he joined up with his mentor, Joe “King” Oliver, and from there he went on to become one of the most influential, revered musicians of the twentieth century. But what if he didn’t leave? What if he had stayed in New Orleans? It’s hard to imagine a world without Louis Armstrong, but it’s interesting to imagine how Louis would have lived, worked and played in New Orleans.

If you’ve ever wondered what that would be like, look no further than trumpeter Kermit Ruffins. There is perhaps no one in New Orleans who so truly embodies the Satchmo way of living. When I met with him at his bar/home/headquarters, Kermit’s Treme Mother-in-Law Lounge, he was cooking lunch in a big skillet, sipping on a Bud Light, and exuding that infectious kind of positivity that Louis was so famous for. While he does often travel for gigs in Houston, Atlanta and New York, he clearly relishes being home. When he’s not at the Mother-in-Law Lounge, or on a gig at the Blue Nile or the Little Gem, he likes to bar-hop around the city listening to live music. He laughs easily, loves cooking, gives generously, and certainly isn’t shy about his love for New Orleans and Louis Armstrong.

Can you tell us a little bit about Louis and the birth of jazz in New Orleans?