The 13th annual “Ladies in Red Gala” was held on June 14 at the historic Cannery. It honored New Orleans jazz musicians and the arts organizations that support them while raising funds for heritage preservation programming.
The event chairs were Nicole Blackmon Lewis and Anna and Adam Breaux. Honorary chairs were writer Michael Lewis and trumpeter Irvin Mayfield. This year’s honorees were trombonist Lucien Barbarin (son, Paul Barbarin, accepted on his behalf); vocalist Leah Chase-Kamata; drummer and leader of Treme Brass Band, Benny Jones; trombonist Freddie Lonzo (father, Freddie Lonzo Sr., accepted on his behalf); NOCCA (President and CEO, Kyle Wedberg accepted the award); and drummer Herlin Riley.
Centerpieces at the gala were red roses and custom-made red trumpets by J.R. Portman to complement the vibrant red dresses in the crowd of guests. Silent auction items included two works by Richard C. Thomas: a giclée of a young Louis Armstrong, titled, “Satchmo Cool” and a signed print of “Like Dis,” which was used on this year’s Ladies in Red invitation.
The NOCCA Jazz Ensemble provided music for the Patron Party, and Shamarr Allen and the Underdawgs kept the night lively during the gala.
Proceeds benefit The African American Heritage Preservation Program, an organization that identifies and places plaques on former homes of jazz musicians, raising awareness of the cultural significance of the city’s historic neighborhoods. The AAHP’s My City, My Home program teaches schoolchildren the importance of New Orleans’ architecture, culture and cityscape while they learn valuable life skills.
Event at a Glance
What: “Ladies in Red Gala,” benefiting African American Heritage Program
When: Friday, June 14
Where: The Cannery
*CORRECTION: In a previous version of this article, we incorrectly identified State Representative Jared Brossett in our photo gallery. The problem has been fixed and we apologize for the error.
