Kermit Ruffins in Washington

Kermit Ruffins is an American jazz trumpeter, singer and songwriter born in New Orleans in 1964. He co-founded Rebirth Brass Band as a high-school student in 1983, then built a solo career around traditional jazz, swing and brass-band music. His best-known work includes “Drop Me Off in New Orleans,” and he appeared as himself in the HBO series Treme. In 1992, Ruffins left Rebirth Brass Band, formed the Barbecue Swingers and began a long-running Thursday-night engagement at Vaughan’s Lounge. Later local engagements included Bullet’s Sports Bar and the Blue Nile, while repeated appearances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival placed his trumpet and vocals at the center of the show.