kookydave, Oct 20, 2009
-snip-
Here's some information about Juanita Brooks from http://www.offbeat.com/articles/juanita-brooks-1954-2009/
..."Juanita Brooks, a jazz and gospel singer perhaps best known for her stint in the extremely popular stage production, “One Mo’ Time”, died unexpectedly September 9, 2009 of complications from back surgery. She was 55.
“I consider her one of the greatest singers to have ever come out of New Orleans,” says bandleader/pianist Lars Edegran, whose association with Brooks goes back nearly three decades, and who toured Switzerland with Brooks this past May. “She was a great gospel and traditional jazz singer. She really projected herself well, especially in front of large audiences like at festivals.”...
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is a reprint of the pancocojams post that was published on February 24, 2020 with the video placed at the top of that post instead of in the middle of that post.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/02/youtube-video-comments-about-new.html __ for that post that includes selected comments from this video's discussion thread which were published from 2009 to February 2020.
That pancocojams post doesn't have any comments as of August 31, 2025.
****
This partial reprint of the February 2000 pancocojams post begins here:
This is Part II of a three part pancocojams series about New Orleans, Louisiana's second line music and dancing.
Part II of this series showcases a video of a New Orleans, Louisiana Jazz funeral with its first and second lines. This post also includes selected comments from that video's discussion thread. [Full disclosure- I wrote two of those comments, one of which provides a link to another pancocojams post.]
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/02/video-documentary-of-new-orleans.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. Part I showcases a YouTube video about the history and culture of New Orleans, Louisiana's second line music and dancing. My unofficial transcription of that video that corrects some of that video's captions is also included in this post.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/02/youtube-video-best-of-terrylyn-dorsey.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. Part III of this series showcases a video of a New Orleans, Louisiana second line dancing and includes selected comments from that video's discussion thread. The Addendum to Part II provides information about the New Orleans Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs (which were referred to as "Benevolent Societies" in the documentary that was showcased in Part I of this pancocojams series).
****
The content of this post is presented for cultural, historical, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and all those who are featured in this embedded video. RIP Juanita Brooks. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
Hat tip to Denise Oliver Velez for writing the article "Black History Month: Celebrating 'Iko Iko,' Mardi Gras Indians, and the second line" on dailykos https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/2/23/1913217/-Black-History-Month-Celebrating-Iko-Iko-Mardi-Gras-Indians-and-the-second-line. That article inspired me to research and publish this pancocojams series on New Orleans, Louisiana second lines.
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INFORMATION ABOUT JUANITA BROOKS
[This was added August 31, 2025 to the original pancocojams post.]
from https://musicrising.tulane.edu/discover/people/juanita-brooks/
"Juanita Brooks, a jazz and gospel singer perhaps best known for her stint in the extremely popular stage production, “One Mo’ Time,” died unexpectedly September 9, 2009 of complications from back surgery. She was 55.
“I consider her one of the greatest singers to have ever come out of New Orleans,” says bandleader/pianist Lars Edegran, whose association with Brooks goes back nearly three decades, and who toured Switzerland with Brooks this past May. “She was a great gospel and traditional jazz singer. She really projected herself well, especially in front of large audiences like at festivals.
“I met her in 1980 or 1981. She’d been doing Aretha Franklin-type material then. I was the musical director for ‘One Mo’ Time.’ Vernel Bagneris (who wrote, directed and starred in the production) and I trained her for the Ma Reed part in the production. In later years we toured France, Italy, Germany, Norway and Sweden many times. We also did tributes to Sweet Emma and Billie Pierce at the Jazz Fest. She also did a Bessie Smith tribute. She could really put herself into other people’s music. She was easy to work with and very professional. Her passing is a great loss to the city’s music tradition.”
Brooks grew up in the Ninth Ward and Mid-City, with most members of her family involved in music. Initially she sang spirituals, but after graduating from U.N.O., she began her musical career singing R&B with Eddie Bo. In 1982, she joined the cast of “One Mo’ Time,” which was enjoying a long run at the Toulouse Theater. Brooks went on to tour with the show’s Australian company and appeared in a performance of the show for German television.
Brooks starred in a musical that Bagneris co-wrote with Allen Toussaint in 1986, “Staggerlee,” which ran off-Broadway. In 1999, she starred in another stage production, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which ran at La Petite Theatre. She also performed as a jazz vocalist at Donna’s, Cafe Brazil and Sweet Lorraine’s with area musicians including Bob and George French.
Brooks is survived by four children, three brothers and two sisters.
Written: Jeff Hannusch"
-snip-
This reprint of that online article was added to this post on August 31, 2025.
This is the end of the reprint of the 2000 pancocojams post.
****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD [2000- 2025]
(with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
2020
@ericperez7309
"A worthy document. I was present that day. When we hit the overpass, it felt like flying a kite!
@South.Florida.Aviation
"
@jambutty2218
"
**
@marshallslee
"Wasn't this music in the movie 007 Live and Let Die (1973)?"
@cshel37
"
@ellaarkin70
"
@Cluez31
"
@Silvana716
"
@kweninc
"
**
@darrylrobertson7795
"Death is life a graduation from kindergarten to highschool /to college what do you /after each grade you move onto you celebrate.so in New Orleans when people die we celebrate their life . because after you /we know in our hearts that they don't wanna see us crying/getting emotional.so we celebrate them moving onto heaven/at the end of the day don't we wanna reflect on the good memories of.our loved going onto to glory I Know I do."
@lusqua72
"
**
Reply
@itsnowornever999
"They use umbrellas a lot in their parades, plus it's super hot there!"
**
Reply
@azizip171, 2025
"@lusqua72, I'm African American, but I'm from the East Coast. I've done some informal research on the custom of members of New Orleans Social Aid And Pleasure Clubs carrying and twirling parasols (umbrellas) when they parade during jazz funerals and during their other parades.
**
Reply
@azizip171, 2025
"Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/02/why-umbrellas-parasols-are-carried-by.html for a post that I published on my cultural blog entitled "Why Umbrellas (Parasols) Are Carried by Members Of New Orleans' Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs (History of Umbrellas)"."
****
2021
@clemchieng891, 2021
“all of these people are dancing for you, Juanita.”
**
@charlesperez9976
"I am completely in love with that woman wearing yellow and black❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰"
****
2022
@sallyramseyakatheveganbaby7374, 2022
“My Condolences 💐 to the family”
@robertapenay
"
**
@johnnypullstrongg
"As a tuba player, i wish to go out like this! I want the percussion to bring the beat of my soul and the brass to bring the melody of my life to my final resting place! God Bless second liners and may ms. juanita rest in peace."
**
Reply
@biscuitninja
"I actually had a chance to fill in for a very late tuba player (I was a guest). I never had so many emotions flow.... I also sweated SO much... 1000% worth it."
**
Reply
@speakerlvr, 2023
"THANK YOU FOR ALL THE TIMES YOUR HORN LED THE WAY !!! There is nothing more moving, soulful, uniting in ceremony the honor of life lived that becomes a homegoing parade, we step together slowly sway to our individual dances turn sorrow into joy, tears turn to laughter, family and friends burying their loved one are joined by anyone and everyone along the procession to honor a complete stranger that in this SECOND LINE!! GENTLEMAN, i hope to be in that number or you in mine!!!!!! WHO DAT! WE DAT!! TUBA DAT!!! “
**
@DreamCather147, 2022
"Let it be Lord let it be !"
-snip-
This lyric is part of the hymn “Just A Closer Walk With Thee”. That hymn appears to be regularly played for the first part of Second Line funerals.
2023
@MystikalRaven7
"Rest in Power, Juanita. I never knew you but I see you were/are so loved."
**
@ericfshook
“The term "jazz funeral" was long in use by observers from elsewhere, but was generally disdained as inappropriate by most New Orleans musicians and practitioners of the tradition. The preferred description was "funeral with music"; while jazz was part of the music played, it was not the primary focus of the ceremony.
**
@tjallingdalheuvel126, 2024
"Imagine coming from western Europe, visiting new Orleans and walking into a new Orleans funeral. Blessing for someone with love for the music. Remember as a kid listening to 'when the Saints come marching in' being told it was a funeral song. Love it. Honour to have stumbled on people bringing their loved one away. What would please our lost loved ones. Enjoying our lives, I think. What I say myself when I miss them. Reminesse the beautiful memories. Hear them speak back and give that support to feel like would please them. They will always be with us in spirit."
****
2024
@davidrea6310
"It’s the way the march begins very somber, and by the time you get to the grave, it’s completely joyous.
Reply
@jj3449
"So can someone help me understand this one. Obviously the second half is more up tempo and the gentleman have put their hats back on. What transpired in the middle?"
-snip-
Here's my response to this question which I didn't publish in that discussion thread: I think the middle part is the ceremony at the cemetery, that is usually led by a minister. If I understand that correctly, the brass band is silent during that ceremony.
@d.jamesfusilier5597
"
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2025
@marioncapriotti1514
"This is the most beautiful way to say goodbye to a beloved
person. Music and dancing! That's how I'd like to be remembered."
****
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