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Class Got Brass 2023 Winners Announcement

Abramson Sci Academy, 1st place winners of the Class Got Brass 2023 competition in the Advanced Category, photo by Eric Simon

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Announces
Class Got Brass 2023 Competition Winners


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW ORLEANS (April 4, 2023) –
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation’s Class Got Brass competition took place on April 2, 2023, outside of the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center. 

Middle and high school students from across Louisiana participated in the competition, creating New Orleans brass band ensembles in a second line-style parade for a select group of celebrity judges. Celebrity judges included Christie Jourdain and Veronique Dorsey of the Original Pinettes Brass Band, Erion Williams of Soul Rebels Brass Band, Glenn Hall of Lil Glenn & Backatown, Kevin Louis of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Leslie Cooper of WWOZ 90.7 FM. The competition was emceed by LeBron “LBJ” Joseph, on-air personality at WGNO, NOLA 38, and iHeart Radio’s WYLD-FM. Grand marshals for Class Got Brass were Babydoll Kit of the N’awlins D’awlins Babydolls and Uncle Clyde, ambassador of the Original Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indians.

The Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the Class Got Brass 2023 Competition:

In the Advanced Category:

1st place – $10,000 to Abramson Sci Academy

2nd place – $7,000 to L.B. Landry High School

3rd place – $5,000 to George Washington Carver High School

Schools in the Advanced Category who received $1,000 for participating include Bonnabel High School, Edna Karr High School, L W Higgins High School, McDonogh 35, New Orleans Military & Maritime Academy, Riverdale High School, St. Augustine High School, and Young Audiences Charter Schools.

GEO Next Generation, 1st place winners of the Class Got Brass 2023 competition in the Beginner Category, photo by Eric Simon


In the Beginners Category:

1st place – $5,000 to GEO Next Generation High School 

2nd place – $4,000 to Mildred Osborne Charter School

3rd place – $3,000 to Fannie C. Williams Charter School

Schools in the Beginner Category who received $1,000 for participating include Belle Chasse Academy, Crescent City Christian School, Grace King High School, KIPP Central City Academy, Langston Hughes Academy, Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School of Literature and Technology, and St. Mary’s Dominican High School.

Class Got Brass was presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation in partnership with the Preservation Hall Foundation.

Class Got Brass sponsors included Evamore Water Company, Luzianne Iced Tea, and Chillzone, LLC.


ABOUT THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FOUNDATION

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation invests proceeds from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell and additional funds that we raise for year-round programming in education, economic development and cultural enrichment.   Education programs include the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music, the Tom Dent Congo Square Lectures, the Class Got Brass competition for school brass bands, a youth audio workshop program, youth vocal workshops, and more! Economic Development initiatives include the Community Partnership Grants, the Catapult Fund accelerator program and Sync Up entertainment industry workshops. Cultural enrichment programs include the Jazz & Heritage Concert Series and annual Foundation Festivals: the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, the Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival and the Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival.  Importantly, these are free programs that the Jazz and Heritage Foundation has developed over many years to ensure that we give back to Louisiana. The Jazz & Heritage Foundation also owns radio station WWOZ 90.7-FM and the Jazz & Heritage Archive.  In late 2014, the Foundation opened the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center – an education and community facility named for the late Jazz Fest founder George Wein and his wife Joyce.  In March of 2020, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation established the Jazz & Heritage Music Relief Fund – a statewide relief fund to support Louisiana musicians who were affected by the pandemic. In the last two years the Jazz & Heritage Foundation has been able to provide relief funds of more than $2 million dollars supporting musicians, music industry gig workers, Black Masking Indians and other indigenous cultural practitioners. To learn more about the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, please visit us online at www.jazzandheritage.org