Everyone knows about the great jazz funerals in New Orleans. Bands of ten or so players make wonderful music on the way to the internment and again (happier music) after the burial.
I'm pleased to say the custom has caught on in a small way in England. I have been to half a dozen jazz funerals (sadly, mostly of jazz musicians) in the last ten years.
I had the privilege of playing at the funeral of a friend myself. Four of us made up this little band. There certainly weren't enough to do the job properly, but we did our best, playing the traditional tunes, such as 'Just a Closer Walk With Thee' and 'When the Saints Go Marching In'. And we tried to look the part. I wore my authentic hat, bought from Meyer in New Orleans.
