DR. MICHAEL WHITE AND THE ORIGINAL LIBERTY JAZZ BAND

The Original Liberty Jazz Band was formed in 1981 by clarinetist Michael White as an effort to preserve and extend the authentic traditional New Orleans jazz style. Early incarnations of the band regularly included older legends such as bassist Chester Zardis (1900-1990), trombonist Louis Nelson (1902-1990), pianist Sadie Goodson (1901-2002), drummer John Robichaux (1915-2005), and banjoists Danny Barker (1909-1994) and Emmanuel Sayles (1902-1986). After the passing of the older members several younger musicians - including several descendants of early generation jazz families - filled in the ranks. The Original Liberty Jazz Band has often been cited as being the best, most authentic, and most exciting traditional jazz band in New Orleans today. White and other members of the group are among today’s elder statesmen of traditional New Orleans jazz. The Original Liberty Jazz Band has toured and performed all over the world at festivals, universities, and concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Hollywood Bowl, Wolftrap, Kennedy Center, Apollo Theater, Playboy Jazz Festival, DC Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, University of New Hampshire, New York University, Jazz Vitoria (Spain), Bourbon Street Jazz Festival (Brazil), North Sea Jazz Festival (Holland), Jazz a Juan (France), Montreaux Jazz Festival (Switzerland) , Pori Jazz Festival (Finland), Molde Jazz Festival (Norway), Nice Jazz Festival (France), Newport Jazz Festival (USA), Lowell Folk Festival, and the National Folk Festival (South Carolina). The band is also known for several long-term steady engagements, including its performing for the past nineteen years at Tulane University’s Commencement ceremony, and its week-long engagements at New York’s Village Vanguard (the oldest jazz club in America) for eighteen years. The Original Liberty Jazz Band is the only traditional New Orleans style jazz band to make regular appearances at the New Orleans jazz club Snug Harbor. The band is featured in the documentaries Liberty Street Blues and Maroon. Dr. Michael White and the Original Liberty Jazz Band has frequently been profiled on television, on radio, and in the press. The group has appeared on several acclaimed recordings under Dr. Michael White’s name.