Henri Smith and Ensemble

New Orleans comes home to Cape Ann. Jazz vocalist Henri Smith — a 13th Ward native raised among the Neville Brothers and Fats Domino, a longtime WWOZ radio voice, and a New Orleans Jazz Fest emcee — brings his Ensemble to the Meetinghouse for an evening of jazz, blues, and Creole soul.

Born and raised in New Orleans' 13th Ward, Henri Smith grew up inside the music — in a neighborhood thick with musicians, where names like the Neville Brothers, Fats Domino, Dave Bartholomew, and Papa French were simply part of the air. He carried that inheritance into a long career as a beloved voice on WWOZ, New Orleans' legendary jazz station, and as a performer and emcee at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Then Hurricane Katrina took his home, and the storm that scattered so much of New Orleans carried Henri north — to Cape Ann, where he rebuilt his life and his music. Today he's our neighbor, and his songbook of jazz, blues, Creole, and Cajun is a living thread between two communities that both understand resilience.

For this performance Henri brings his Ensemble, an all-star lineup carrying the New Orleans tradition forward. Expect a warm, joyful, deeply soulful evening — standards and second-line spirit, ballads and barrelhouse, the sound of a city that turns hard times into celebration.