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By Linda M. Apodaca
In 2006, Irvin Mayfield Jr., notable jazz musician and Cultural Ambassador of New Orleans (by Congressional mandate), commissioned Dave Monette to create a trumpet in memory of his father and of all of the victims who died in the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. Monette, who is internationally known for reengineering the trumpet and trumpet mouthpiece, has his workshop in Portland. CMAG member Tami Dean has worked with Dave for many years collaborating to design and execute visually elaborate, decorated trumpets for such greats as Wynton Marsalis.
Tami is the designer and craftsperson behind most of the embellishment of the Elysian Trumpet for New Orleans. Her intricately designed, pierced and engraved icons on the trumpet’s braces and valve bodies symbolize the rich cultural and jazz history of New Orleans. Along the mouthpiece pipe she has inlaid turquoise to represent the Mississippi River. She and Dave spent over a year collaborating with New Orleans musicians to design the icons and to create them in metal.
On August 25, 2007, Irvin Mayfield Jr. flew into Portland to receive the finished trumpet and to give a concert in Dave’s workshop. The next day he flew the trumpet back to New Orleans for the many events leading up to the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Accompanying him were Tami Dean, Dave, Monette’s staff plus family members and friends. The week that unfolded for them was very memorable.
The group was treated like royalty. The horn is so valuable (insured for $1 million) that it is accompanied everywhere by two armed guards. The group was escorted to their ten major appearances by a police escort with sirens. They gave six radio interviews, press conferences, attended the ground breaking ceremony for the Hurricane Katrina Memorial dedication, plus religious ceremonies, concerts and meetings with the Mayor and the Governor’s representative.
Tami reflects that it was such a privilege to work on this special horn. It was a very successful connection to the people who lived through this disaster. They seemed to appreciate how symbolic and meaningful the horn is for the city. People repeatedly came up to Tami and Dave to thank them for doing this for the city. For Tami it was one of the most gratifying and rewarding projects she has ever done.
For detailed photos of the trumpet link to www.monette.net, and from that website find a link to the Elysian Trumpet website.
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Thanks to www.monette.net for
permission to use their pictures
on this page.