Al Hirt really left his mark on New Orleans and many owe their careers to Al. His friends called him Jumbo. I had the pleasure of sculpting Al’s Portrait. It later led to creating a statue of the great trumpeter and New Orleans Legend. He really was a legend and brought the music scene in New Orleans to a national audience. He was real character to. God broke the mold when he passed. He was a genuine celebrity and maintained a successful Club on Bourbon Street and was a destination for most everyone going to New Orleans. Even former President Bill Clinton got his mom to take him to see Al at his club even though he was too young to get in. People both loved and hated Al. I loved the guy. He was brilliant and could really play. My favorite footage of Al is with Dizzie Gillespie at the Tampa Jazz Festival back in 1985 I believe. Al really killed it. He had incredible energy and was hard to keep up with him.

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