Branden Lewis met 89-year-old Charlie Gabriel six years ago after joining the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He soon learned about Charlie’s book of original music that was never recorded and finally, six months ago, the two began the process of recording these songs.
Up until this point, Lewis, age 33, has invested personal funds in this project, but he’s now turning to the New Orleans locals in order to bring it over the finish line.
“Charlie has a book of original music, most of which has never been recorded and existed only in his mind,” said Lewis. “We’ve been talking about this music ever since I’ve known him, and six months ago we finally began the process of recording these songs.”
Lewis has launched a GoFundMe campaign in order to finance the rest of the project, which includes mixing, editing, cover art, final production, and marketing.
“We started recording this body of work in January 2021, about a month after Charlie had been fully vaccinated,” said lewis. “This album features some of New Orleans finest musicians, and a few appearances by the legendary Ms. Dee Dee Bridgewater. The album was produced with the help of Academy Award-winner Donald Markowitz and recorded at the esteemed Esplanade Studios in New Orleans. All of the songs have been recorded, but that is just the first phase of producing a project like this.”
Remaining work includes mixing and editing, mastering, cover art, vinyl and CD production, and marketing and promotion.
Donors at will receive rewards based upon their level of support, including early access to the digital download of the album, limited edition T-shirts, signed vinyl records, and tickets to the album release party.
In December 2020, OffBeat reported on a fundraising campaign Lewis launched to aid New Orleans musicians during the pandemic shutdown of live music venues.
To learn more and donate to the GoFundMe please visit here.
Charlie Gabriel was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 Best of the Beat Awards. Watch the video for more about this venerable jazz musician.
