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New Orleans - French Quarter: Music Legends Park - Al "Jumbo" Hirt

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Alois Maxwell Hirt, known as Al "Jumbo" Hirt, (November 7, 1922 – April 27, 1999), was a popular trumpeter and bandleader.

At the age of six, Al was given his first trumpet, which had been purchased at a local pawnshop, and by the age of 16, Hirt was playing professionally, often with his friend Pete Fountain. In 1940 Hirt went to Cincinnati, to study at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. After a stint as a bugler in the United States Army during World War II, Hirt performed with various Swing big bands, including those of Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Ina Ray Hutton. In 1950 he became first trumpet and soloist with Horace Heidt's Orchestra.

Hirt then returned to New Orleans, working with various Dixieland groups and leading his own bands. Hirt's virtuoso dexterity and fine tone on his instrument soon attracted the attention of national labels. Hirt had 22 different record albums on the Billboard Pop charts in the 1950s and 1960s. The albums Honey In The Horn and Cotton Candy were both in the top 10 best sellers for 1964, the same year Hirt scored a top hit single with his cover of Allen Toussaint's tune Java, and later won a Grammy award for the same recording. Hirt's top 40 charted hit single of Sugar Lips in 1964 would be later used as the theme song for the NBC daytime game show Eye Guess, hosted by Bill Cullen and originally airing during the mid-to-late 1960s. Hirt was chosen to record the frenetic theme for the 1960s TV show "The Green Hornet", by famed arranger and composer Billy May.

Planting deep roots in his community, Hirt opened up a club on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter in 1962, which he ran until 1983. He also became a minority owner in the NFL expansion New Orleans Saints in 1967.

On February 8, 1970, while performing in a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, Hirt was injured while riding on a float. It is popularly believed that he was struck in the mouth by a thrown piece of concrete or brick. In 1987 Hirt played a solo rendition of Ave Maria for Pope John Paul II's visit to New Orleans.

In 1999, Hirt died in New Orleans of liver failure after spending the previous year in a wheelchair due to edema in his leg. Despite the bout with edema, Hirt continued to play in local clubs including Chris Owens Club. His remains were buried in Metairie Cemetery.

Music Legends Park, at 311 Bourbon Street, is a pocket-sized park honoring Jazz legends. Cafe Beignet tucked in the back of the park serves up breakfast all day long, plus Cajun specialties and deli sandwiches.

Vieux Carré Historic District National Register #66000377 (1966)

Municipal Bldg. - New York (LOC)

Image by The Library of Congress
Bain News Service,, publisher.

Municipal Bldg. - New York

1913 June 7 (date created or published later by Bain)

1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller.

Notes:
Title and date from data provided by the Bain News Service on the negative.
Photo shows the Municipal Building in New York City. (Source: Flickr Commons project, 2009)
Forms part of: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).

Format: Glass negatives.

Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.

Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

General information about the Bain Collection is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.ggbain

Persistent URL: hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ggbain.13182

Call Number: LC-B2- 2711-16