BR: Thank you for sharing your life with the readers of The Clarinet! Published September 6, 2022. In 1987, they started performing on the street together almost daily, giving them exposure and a platform to start selling their music. Great to read the article on New Orleans (New Orleans True Royalty, by Christopher Reynolds, April 7), especially about Doreen Ketchens, an incredible jazz clarinet player, and her group. Link: Doreen . Even if youre successful, its not easy. Both the suspects vehicle and the CHP cruiser were damaged, but none of the officers in the cruiser were injured, according to a social media post by the CHP Baldwin Park station. If I knew then what I know now, Id be a much better clarinetist and musician than I am today. She. Doreen's Jazz, performing on Royal Street in front of Rouse's Market in the French Quarter. MAY. To this day, Doreen continues to perform at Jazz festivals around the world, including her annual spot in the economy tent at Jazz Fest. Buy tickets for Doreen Ketchens concerts near you. BR: There is a protocol for claiming a spot on the street in New Orleans. He earned degrees from the University of Oklahoma (B.M.E. Did you have any contact with them when you were growing up? Ive been teaching private lessons online, and I did weekly clarinet lessons on my YouTube channel, but we had to stop once the storms started we are still cleaning up from that. 13th, 2017. RELATED: LAPD announces enhanced enforcement to crack down on illegal street takeovers. Enter your email address for updates from our sister site, NewOrleans.com, on all the best things happening in New Orleans. You know what I mean? A very special evening of New Orleans Jazz with Doreen Ketchens and Doreen's Jazz New Orleans! As I got older, I remember one of my first recordings with Kermit Ruffins. When I went to college, I didnt know what an A clarinet was, but I learned that I needed to buy one. DK: I always have saved for a rainy day, but I didnt know it would be a rainy year! Ive got to hear this! I was very intimidated at that recording session. Planning a visit to New Orleans? DK: Yes, all the time! "She" is Doreen Ketchens, whose venue for her brand of jazz is right in front of Rouses Market at St. Peter and Royal streets. Ive been playing it for a few months now. She has performed at concert halls, music festivals, and U.S. embassies, as well as in decades of weekly performances in Dixieland's tradition in the Royal Street Performing Arts Zone in the French Quarter of New Orleans with her band, Doreen's Jazz New Orleans. I remember Honey Child. Its a pretty simple song, but, for some reason, I just couldnt figure it out. You know, the jazz clarinetists that I had heard, like George Lewis and others, I appreciated their tones and I respected them, but that was not my concept of tone at all. We have been enjoying her for more than 25 years. [9] Professional performances and performances in feature films and television programs include: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He was a very gifted educator. Oh, man, I just learned about you. Were very approachable, and give everyone an opportunity to play. Doreen grew up in Trem, a New Orleans neighborhood that birthed several extraordinary musicians including Kermit Ruffins, Trombone Shorty, Louis Prima, and The Rebirth Brass Band, just to name a few. During her university years, Doreen attended The Hartt School at The University of Hartford in Connecticut through a scholarship from The New York Philharmonic. Get 2023 tour dates, venue details, concert reviews, photos and more at Bandsintown. [4] Their band evolved into "Doreen's Jazz New Orleans," and, after much struggle with the chauvinism of traditional Jazz and club owners, they managed to find a winning formula playing and entertaining crowds via their street shows, Jazz festivals, and then, through direct sales of their music and videos on the Internet. Early on, 12 hours a day. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. She began playing in Jackson Square with her first band, the Jackson Square All-Stars. When officers arrived on scene, they saw a large plume of tire smoke caused by numerous burnouts as well as people attempting to flee the location. We had a pop quiz one day. Public performance. Doreen introduced her daughter, Dorian Ketchens-Dixon, when she was nine, as a drummer at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival for one song in a set. Royal Street Performing Arts Zone. Listen, listen, listen! [5], https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Doreen%27s_Jazz_New_Orleans&oldid=1116900736, This page was last edited on 18 October 2022, at 22:47. He retired to New Orleans, where he performs frequently in both classical and jazz genres. Leave a Review. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Doreen Ketchens' guitarist. Thats when I discovered Doreen on YouTube. Ketchens has performed for four U.S. presidents: Bill Clinton, George Bush Sr., Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter,[1] and was described by Nola.com in 2012 as one of the cultural ambassadors of New Orleans.[2]. I won first chair in that audition! I'd bet you can go there most days to hear her. When my teacher moved, his wife gave me about 600 boxes of Mitchell Lurie 5.5 reeds. DK: I grew up in the Treme neighborhood. In front of the rouses around 12:30pm. New Orleans, 701 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA. For more information and updates about how New Orleans is addressing the Covid-19 outbreak including restaurants that are currently open for takeout and delivery please visit, Doreen Ketchens playing on Royal Street in the French Quarter. And I was just so amazed; I was like Ahhh! We were running in the hallways, just having a ball, you know. Listen to other people, find what stimulates you. Some people call me Mrs. Satchmo, I guess because that concept is in my head. In the meantime, my husbands father passed away, then shortly after, my father passed away, so we moved back to New Orleans. He caught my eye and said, Come in! We started talking about Rachel, music, and my audition earlier that day. May. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Inside L.A.s deadly street takeover scene: A scene of lawlessness, LAPD, in crackdown on street takeovers, arrests 40 people and impounds dozens of cars, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Best coffee city in the world? In front of 701 Royal St. Friday - Sunday, 10:30 am-2:30pm About Us! Rudy Reyes talks about his time on 'Special Forces: World's Toughest Test', Southern California storm: Region hit with heavy rain, mountain snow, gusty winds, Look outside! Ketchens performing at the French Quarter Jazz Festival in New Orleans, 2010, University of Hartford's The Hartt School, "Doreen and her Jazz New Orleans band got nothing but love at New Orleans Jazz Fest", Facebook Posting - Doreen's Jazz New Orleans, Doreen Ketchens Saint Peter Street New Orleans, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Doreen_Ketchens&oldid=1137578206, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2021, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "Civil Dysfunction Meets Civil Disobedience", Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor, Doreen's Jazz New Orleans Live in Korea 2006, Doreen's Jazz New Orleans Live in New Orleans 2015, Doreen's Jazz XXI Triple Threat Series Part IV, Doreen's Jazz XX Triple Threat Series Part III, Doreen's Jazz XVIV Triple Threat Series Part II, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 10:57. New Orleans, LA. BR: Please tell us about your formal music education. I said, Wow Im gonna play the flute. And so when the teacher came up, he asked everybody to look around the room and hed ask each one what they wanted to play. Jazz clarinetist and music educator Doreen Ketchens is famous for her performances on Royal Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans. When she finally did practice, her talent began to emerge. BR: There are some locally and internationally famous music educators associated with New Orleans. Most of the people were arrested on suspicion of spectating or participating in the takeover. Jupiter, Venus meet for rare conjunction. He had ways of communicating which flew over your head, but you might actually catch a few stars, you know? ). About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Id start out transcribing solos, then playing by ear, copying what those clarinetists were doing. [8], She has been featured in numerous documentaries about New Orleans, its heritage, and its music, including several profiles by WWOZ, New Orleans' Jazz radio station including a video profiles and audio programs, and dozens of articles from major newspapers and magazines around the world. The misinformation created a near panic among travelers. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. Do you have any thoughts about this cultural phenomenon? It was under the guidance of her junior high school band director that she was pushed into practicing more, and in high school, while attending John F. Kennedy High School, she was accepted into the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts an arts conservatory for Louisiana high school students, responsible for graduates like Wynton Marsalis, Jon Batiste, Wendell Pierce, Trombone Shorty, Harry Connick Jr, and Terrance Osborne, among others. DK: Roger Lewis, with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, lived five doors away from me, and they used to practice at his apartment, so I heard them a lot! Although when home in New Orleans she can often be found on Royal Street performing for tourists and other French Quarter strollers, she is an . They have performed with programs sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center and The US Department of State. It wasnt like a dream, I was really trying to get out of a history test! Those cats were awesome too! He was a wonderful teacher and could explain what you had to do in a way which was so clear. For all of the nicknames for New Orleans (the Big Easy, the Crescent City, etc. Then, I transferred to Loyola University, where I studied with Stanley Weinstein. History of the Casket Girls of New Orleans, Under 21? DK: Dorian, my daughter has been playing with us since she was 4. The takeover group headed north toward Roselawn Avenue and Pomona Boulevard, where they continued to perform dangerous maneuvers in their cars, according to police. Ben Redwine: Good afternoon, Mrs. Ketchens, it is a pleasure to speak with you! POMONA, Calif. - Over two dozen people were arrested during an illegal street . A stylistically unique ensemble from day one, the members of Doreen's Jazz have been singing, performing, and playing in sync as if they'd been together their entire musical careers. Her first choice was flute, but most of the girls picked that instrument, so she opted for the clarinet. Doreen Ketchens (born October 3, 1966) is an American jazz clarinetist who performs Dixieland and Trad Jazz. So I looked out the window as I often did to the sky and I said, God, if you get me out of this, Ill do anything. And about two minutes later, the principal came on the loudspeaker, and she said, Anybody interested in joining the band, report to the band room immediately. I raised my hand, and that band director, you know, he was only there for a certain amount of time so, you know, he didnt pick everybody but he did pick me. Before you knew it, almost every girl wanted to play the flute. You want to move the audience, you want to touch them. 31K views 5 years. [1] Videos of the group by fans, news, and entertainment organizations have been seen by millions of people on the Internet and the group has recorded more than 20 CDs or DVDs of the group's work. I learned a lot from him! I started playing clarinet in the fifth grade. My husbandhe was my boyfriend at the timehe said, Well we could do that. Im like, Man you must be crazy, Ive been to college, Im not playing no music on the street. But love makes you do crazy things. After high school, Doreen attended Loyola University, which is where she met her husband Lawrence. In fact, as I'm writing this, my foot is happily tapping to one of her CDs that we bought. Of all the clarinetists in the city, only one is sometimes called Lady Louis, or the Female Louis Armstrong, or Queen Clarinet. Doreen Ketchens has been performing in New Orleans, mostly on Royal Street, for decades. He used to call me Ms. Joseph, my maiden name. Joseph, what are you doing here? I said, Im playing on this recording session. He said, You mean to tell me, all those years at NOCCA, you werent interested in jazz, and now youre playing jazz? NS: At what point in all this do you say to yourself, not only am I good at the clarinet, but I could continue to study and become a professional musician? She also completed an internship with the symphony in Hartford. I used to play alto sax in school, and Ive been trying to translate that into learning the clarinet (started mid 2020). I saw her yesterday on Royal St. There was no real work here, I mean, were back home in New Orleans, the symphony has gone bust for the third time, so we took a walk out in the quarter one day, and there were some people playing in the street. Someone will come up and say, Can I sit in? And, well say, Sure, you can play one or two songs. Sometimes we have to say, Thank you, thank you, just to get them to not play any more. Click To Visit dianedanthonyphotography.com, CD's can be purchased via Venmo by request: @DoreenKetchens (Leave Order & Mailing address in Comments. Live, performing in the greatest traditions of the music, at the Royal Street Performing Arts Zone.That heavenly sound wafting down from Royal Street and St. Peter is the magical clarinet of the great Doreen Ketchens, one of the world's top Jazz clarinetists, and her band, Doreen's Jazz New Orleans, is performing on St. Peter, the French Quarter street closed to traffic as a space for live performance, in their usual spot on at the corner of Royal Street and St Peter.She packs the tent at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival every year, and amazes and delights clubs in the North America, Europe, Latin America, and at corporate events and private parties. Its been about a month since I did a YouTube lesson. That would be really cool. Come out an jam! Los Angeles, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, High school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairings, Dennis Schroder leads depleted Lakers to crucial win over Thunder, Student debt is a crisis: Activists rally outside Supreme Court for loan forgiveness, An assault and fatal stabbing in the middle of class at a Santa Rosa high school, With unfounded fraud claims swirling, red California county dumps Dominion voting machines, Man arrested in connection to 7 bombings in Fresno has links to hate group, authorities say, Vote on LAPD transit patrols sparks City Hall debate over safety on Metro system, UCLA, UCSF hospital nurses voice complaints about overcrowding, staffing shortages. He is my biggest influence. My favorite band is a quintet we add guitar, Dave Hammer, and trombone, Steve Wonker. [7] Ketchens has been sharing traditional American Jazz in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, South America, Russia and the United States. Ben Redwine retired from the United Stated Naval Academy Band in 2014. No officers were injured and both vehicles sustained minor damages. Want this Picture? I just thought it was so pretty, but when I played it, it sounded terrible until I changed reeds to 4.5, and then it was amazing. Doreen Ketchens, on clarinet, and her band play Royal Street, New Orleans. All Rights Reserved. So, he said, You must think positively. Royal Street Performing Arts Zone. And I did my classical, and I went to Loyola, then went to the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut. Shell never forget her most important mission to make music accessible and shared with everyone. Royal St. @ St. Peter St., Friday - Sunday, 11am - 1pm. She is our main drummer. She is an amazing clarinetist AND a buttery smooth, expressive singer. I would have known what to concentrate on. 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