THE RAG MESSENGERS

The early days of Jazz, from the clubs of New Orleans to Harlem during Prohibition with a young French trio

Born from the meeting of drummer Ophélie Luminati, clarinetist Ezequiel Celada and pianist Auguste Caron, The Rag Messengers address the repertoire of early Jazz. The lineup of the band – piano, clarinet and drums – is typical of that era.  With The Rag Messengers we set out on a journey in the footsteps of legendary musicians from the smoky clubs of New Orleans to Harlem during Prohibition: from Jelly Roll Morton to the great stride pianists of the 1920s and 1930s; from Baby Dodds to the young Duke Ellington. Their historical repertoire is the lion’s share, but the trio offers original compositions as well, playing by the rules and aesthetics of the genre to rediscover the freshness and energy of Jazz pioneers, always with humor and finesse. Music that nearly a century later still doesn’t have any wrinkles!