This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the inestimably important American folklorist/archivist/filmmaker/author/everything Alan Lomax. Unsurprisingly, there’s a plethora of commemorative events planned: a film marathon in Louisville, KY, a 13-hour radio marathon in Portland, a concert in London, England. And there will surely be some kind of boxed set of music. The Association for Cultural Equity (ACE), an organization Lomax Founded at Hunter College in the 1980s, is the keeper of his legacy, and is the source to keep an eye on for announcements. It’s also a treasure trove of recorded media.

Lomax started out by accompanying his famous father, the musicologist and folklorist John Lomax, on field recording trips, documenting musicians in the American South, and went from there to an incredibly distinguished career in preserving and promoting small, obscure, important pockets of America’s cultural heritage. He helped build the Library of Congress’ song archive, and played a significant role in the promotion of American folk music, helping bring the likes of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Muddy Waters, and Burl Ives to records, radio, and mass audiences. If you want the huge gaps in that bio filled in, there’s the ACE bio, and of course there are tons of books, written by Lomax, and written about him.
 

 
Since there’s just so much to his career that an omnibus post about Lomax would be an absurd undertaking, I thought it’d be a fun tribute to focus on a lesser known but still badass preservation project of his. In 1982, Lomax spent a lot of time in New Orleans with a video crew, recording that city’s famed jazz musicians, especially brass bands. There is some really hot stuff in here, including the world-famous Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and a lot these videos have criminally low view counts. Some of that footage was compiled for the DVD Jazz Parades: Feet Don’t Fail Me Now, which is viewable at no cost online here. He taped parades, funerals, indoor concerts, everywhere. So enjoy these documents of a 100% uniquely American music, and see if the Ernie K-Doe video doesn’t totally SLAY you. Captions are culled from the ACE web site.
 

 
Funeral parade for Marshall Poland, Sr., led by Grand Marshall Gloria Irving and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Shot by Alan Lomax and crew, May 15, 1982, New Orleans.
 

 
Chester “Little Bear” Zardis performs a bass improvisation in his bedroom. Shot by Alan Lomax and crew, New Orleans, May 1982.
 

 
Ernie K-Doe and band perform “T’aint It the Truth” at Winnie’s in New Orleans - with our regrets for rather poor sound. Shot by Alan Lomax and crew, May 1982.
 

 
The 66th Annual Zulu Parade with Himas “Flo” Anckle and his Majestic Brass Band, featuring, among others, Nathaniel Gray and Lawrence Trotter. Shot by Alan Lomax and crew, New Orleans, May 1982.
 

 
James “Sing” Miller performs with Kid Thomas Valentine’s band at Preservation Hall. Drums: Alonzo Stewart; Trombone: Worthia Thomas; Bass: Chester Zardis; Banjo: Emanuel Sayles; Sax: Emmanuel Paul; Clarinet: Willie Humphrey; Trumpet: Kid Thomas Valentine. Shot by Alan Lomax and crew, New Orleans, May 17, 1982.
 

 
Kid Thomas Valentine’s band performs “Bill Bailey” at Preservation Hall. Drums: Alonzo Stewart; Trombone: Worthia Thomas; Bass: Chester Zardis; Piano: Sing Miller; Banjo: Emanuel Sayles; Sax: Emmanuel Paul; Clarinet: Willie Humphrey; Trumpet: Kid Thomas Valentine. Shot by Alan Lomax and crew, New Orleans, May 17, 1982.
 

 
Scenes from the 1982 Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans with music by the Dirty Dozen Brass band and featuring members of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, the Big Jumpers, and the Young Men’s Olympians. Shot by Alan Lomax and crew, May 8, 1982.

Previously on Dangerous Minds
‘A few tunes between homicides’: Never before released song by Lead Belly!
You got the blues: Alan Lomax’s incredibly massive archive of American blues music is coming online
‘My Name is New York’: NYC through the eyes of Woody Guthrie