The jazz funerals in New Orleans are an ever changing phenomenon. they are a reflection of life, revealing the passions and philosophies of the living as well as the dead. Frequently, the funerals are arranged according to the wishes of the deceased who had chosen the music, and sometimes even the musicians to play the music. They are, above all, a tribute to life rather than a concession to death. These photographs were all taken between 1968 and 1970 and form a unique historical document of the funerals of that time.

A Photographic exhibition from the book by   Leo Touchet Text by  Vernel Bagneris Introduction by  Ellis L. Marsalis, Jr. Available at Bookstores Soon Hardbound, 152 Pages, 9 x 12 113 duotone photographs