New Orleans Calliope Tribute for Late Jazz Great Ellis Marsalis
A tourist riverboat calliope blasted hymn and gospel tunes across New Orleans’ French Quarter on Friday as a tribute to the late jazz pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis.Marsalis, who taught generations of jazz players, including four of his six sons, died Wednesday of pneumonia brought on by COVID-19.On Friday, a medley including “How Great Thou Art” and “I’ll Fly Away” climaxed with “When the Saints Go Marching In” and the “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.Most of the city has been staying inside, but Tristan Dufrene was among several people making cellphone videos of the performance, which she said she’d learned about from an Instagram post.“It was beautiful,” she said afterward.About two dozen people, many of them