On Thursday, the New Orleans' musical community's oldest member turned 103. Trumpet player Lionel Ferbos, who began perusing his musical dreams with society orchestras in the 1930s, while supporting his family as a metalworker, was the lead horn in the Works Progress Administration's jazz band.
In the following decades, he wrote charts for the bands led by legendary jazzman Danny Barker which sparked the revival of the brass band tradition.
Beginning in the latter decades of the 20th century, Ferbos joined the house band at George and Nina Buck's Palm Court Jazz Cafe in the French Quarter, laying out his often understated, always perfect lines week after week like the true journeyman he was. In 2011, his 100th birthday party/concert at the Palm Court was the must-attend musical event of the year.
This Thursday, he again was feted at the club, though he did not play. In recent years, his public performances have dwindled to a handful, One notable gig was at a 2013 house party hosted by Irwin Mayfield, described by Keith Spera for the Times-Picayune:
In August 2013, he and the Louisiana Shakers were featured for one of the monthly house party concerts trumpeter Irvin Mayfield hosts at his home in the Broadmoor neighborhood. Mr. Ferbos brought tears to the eyes of some attendees as he gamely sang "When I Grow Too Old to Dream." Despite a nearly 70-year age gap, he and Mayfield sat side by side, finding common ground as they raised their trumpets in tandem. After the gig, Mr. Ferbos gladly accepted congratulatory pecks on the cheek from a progression of women decades younger than him.
This morning, the news is breaking that Ferbos has passed away, a grievous loss to those who cherished him and our musical heritage.
Though we celebrate his remarkable century-and-more, somehow we believed it could never end. With every year, with every notable musician's passing, inevitably someone would remark, "Well, at least Ferbos is still gigging."
And now that that beautiful, clear horn is silenced, we all feel a little older.
Godspeed, sir, and thanks for all the wonder and beauty.