AP News, May 12th, 2007
A white and black-clad band led a hearse carrying the body of clarinetist Alvin Batiste and hundreds of mourners attached themselves to the jazz funeral Saturday for one of the city's most revered musicians.
In the morning, crowds lined up to pay homage to the jazz pioneer, whose body was laid out in Gallier Hall, an elegant Greek Revival building in the heart of the financial district.
A jazz procession complete with grand marshals twirling umbrellas then poured into the street, where traffic backed up for blocks.
Batiste, who toured with Ray Charles and Cannonball Adderley, recorded with Branford Marsalis and taught pianist Henry Butler, died May 6 of an apparent heart attack, hours before he was to perform with Harry Connick Jr. and Marsalis at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Though his age was not precisely known, festival officials said he was born in New Orleans in 1932.
Batiste was considered one of the founders of the modern jazz scene in the city. A longtime teacher at Southern University in Baton Rouge, he created the Batiste Jazz Institute _ one of the first programs of its kind in the nation _ and taught jazz at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.
Although Batiste toured with Charles in 1958, he remained largely unknown until he recorded with Clarinet Summit in the 1980s. The quartet also included John Carter, David Murray, and Jimmy Hamilton.
Marsalis' record label released Batiste's latest CD, "Marsalis Music Honors Alvin Batiste," just a few weeks ago. Marsalis also played on the album.
