Rickie Monie, piano, Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Born February 4, 1952, New Orleans, Louisiana
Played with: Dave Bartholomew, Frogman Henry, Dr. Michael White, Greg Stafford, Topsy Chapman
Raised in the Ninth Ward, Monie [pronounced: Moe-nay] was the son of amateur musicians and full-time lovers of jazz. Both parents played for church services; at home they kept the turntable spinning with records by Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Teddy Wilson -- all the greatest pianists of jazz and gospel music. The French Quarter was Rickie's playground: His family rode the bus into the Quarter, where they heard music pouring out of the doorways they passed on Bourbon St. During these excursions he heard and came to know Milton Batiste, Manny Sayles, Harold "Duke" Dejan, and many of the other old New Orleans jazz masters. Later, Rickie began making the trip himself on the Desire bus while also beginning to play weekend church services on piano. He majored in woodwind instruments at Dillard University. Piano remained his main focus as he picked up work in every style of music, from the upscale Windsor Court lounge to country & western clubs as well as with the legendary Olympia Brass Band. In 1982 Monie got his first call from Preservation Hall, to substitute for the legendary resident pianist Sweet Emma “The Bell Gal” Barrett after she suffered a stroke. To the delight of audiences around the world, he's stayed onboard ever since.
"We play gospel music here. We play old spirituals. We play military marches. There's no end to the variety of music that we play. But we play it all our way. And the more we play, the more the level of happiness rises. Just to watch our audiences go wow when we play, that gives me a good feeling and makes me want to put out more."
“We spent seven weeks in West Africa. We played inside theaters and churches, but we also went into the wilds, the tribal areas. And the response there was just as if those Africans had seen someone in New Orleans dancing. They were making the same movements! Another thing I've noticed is that little children brighten up when they hear us. They move. And a lot of times they'll move to the music. Now, what does a child know about rhythm? But they're right on it. All of this tells me that our music offers something that can be understood even across the waters and across the generations."
Monie weathered Hurricane Katrina, though all of his possessions, including a nine-foot concert grand piano and a vintage Hammond B-3 organ, were destroyed. As the storm subsided he left town with his wife for Baton Rouge, where her mother owned a rental home. There were already eleven people seeking refuge there, with no hot water or appliances; there was, however, a sturdy roof and a dry floor to sleep on. As of this writing, the crowd has thinned a bit. Monie and his wife are still in Baton Rouge, putting the pieces of their lives together as they build a new just outside New Orleans.
“Playing with this band has helped me get over the hump because we’re like brothers and the music we play is joyful and happy. There were lots of hugs when we got together for the first time after Katrina, but I have mixed feelings about the future. We’re probably the last generation of musicians who really know this music, because we learned it directly from the older guys. I’m concerned about who will take up the baton when it’s time for us to pass it along. We are like a precious stone now, and that feels good, but more than anything I want this music to go on. It should last forever.”
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