As the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival gets ready to drench New Orleans in the lively sounds of its best-known musical tradition, recognizing the genre’s icons that have gone before becomes more important than ever. That’s why a stroll through St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is an instructive and poignant exercise for sparking the age-old ‘spirit of jazz.’
The oldest extant cemetery in NOLA, St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is known for being the final resting place of famous residents like the “Voodoo Queen” Marie Laveau and Homer Plessy. By virtue of its long and storied history, however, the cemetery is also home to the tombs of several esteemed individuals involved in the performance and preservation of New Orleans’ jazz. In honor of the beloved musical genre, here are 4 jazz icons buried in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.
Isidore Barbarin
Based in New Orleans, Isidore Jean “John” Barbarin was a jazz musician known for his skills as a cornet and alto horn player. Born in 1871 and introduced to the cornet at the age of 14, Barbarin became a prominent fixture in the New Orleans brass band scene. Well-known groups like the Onward Brass Band enabled Barbarin to contribute in establishing the sound of traditional brass band music and jazz.
Despite his long career playing with notable bands, Barbarin did not record anything himself until 1945 when he worked with Bunk Johnson. The following year, he also recorded with the Original Zenith Brass Band. Isidore Barbarin marked the beginning of a long dynasty of jazz musicians with descendants that include Paul, Louis, and Lucien Barbarin as well as the prolific banjo and guitar performer Danny Barker. As the patriarch of the Barbarin family, Isidore is buried in the New Orleans Musicians Tomb at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, a gorgeous above-ground structure adorned with plaques and engravings.
Sylvester Francis
The founder and proprietor of the Backstreet Cultural Museum, Sylvester Francis was known for championing the need to preserve New Orleans culture, including Mardi Gras Indian traditions, jazz funerals, and social aid and pleasure clubs. Born in 1946 in the Seventh Ward of New Orleans, Francis was one of Evelyn and Herman Francis Sr.’s nine children. For years, Francis was known as a “cameraman” for capturing essential elements of New Orleans’ social landscape, including the local jazz scene. Through this work, he amassed a vast personal collection of suits, photos, and memorabilia related to Mardi Gras Indian traditions.
In the late 1990s, Francis used his collected artifacts as the basis for the Backstreet Cultural Museum. Intentionally located in the Treme, a historically Black neighborhood in NOLA, the museum acted as both a cultural archive and gathering place for the local Black community. In 2020, Francis passed away at the age of 73 due to a long-term illness. Honored with a traditional jazz funeral for his efforts in celebrating and remembering Black musical traditions in the city, Francis is buried in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.
Lucien Barbarin
Born in 1956, Lucien Barbarin carried on the tradition of his esteemed ancestor, Isidore, as a NOLA jazz trombonist for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Harry Connick Jr. Barbarin’s great-uncle, Paul Barbarin, was also a notable bandleader in the jazz world. Lucien Barbarin became known for being a slick and lively performer who embodied the New Orleans musical spirit.
As an adult, Barbarin became particularly recognized for his regular work with Harry Connick Jr. Beginning with the 1991 big-band album Blue Light, Red Light, Connick and Barbarin toured together with the former increasingly spotlighting his band member onstage as the years went on. Shows frequently included friendly banter between Connick and Barbarin as well as a campy “How Come You Do Me Like You Do” duet. While Connick hosted his daytime talk show Harry, Barbarin served as a member of the house band. Barbarin also released a few albums under his own name, including It’s Good to Be Home. Barbarin passed away in 2020 and is buried in St. Louis Cemetery No.1’s Barbarin Family Tomb (also called the New Orleans Musicians Tomb).
Learn More at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1
If you’re in town for the Jazz & Heritage Festival, consider a stop at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. There, you’ll experience a guided tour through the corridors of above-ground tombs that make the cemetery so recognizable around the world. Visit the burial sites of many jazz icons for yourself and celebrate the beloved music that has become such a defining piece of NOLA’s cultural landscape.
Visit the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 website for more information on planning your upcoming tour today!
