The Elysian Trumpet & Hurricane Katrina

David Monette has given this blogger permission to post the following. The content is self-explanatory. It was composed and approved by Irvin Mayfield, Jr.

David Monette's Anniversary Trumpet, hand-built for Irvin Mayfield, Jr., of the City of New Orleans, is dedicated to the memory of Irvin Mayfield, Sr., and all of the victims of Hurricane Katrina.`

The Fellowship of the Elysian Trumpet

Through music we experience the voice of God and the promise for the departed to have eternal rest and peace. This custom-designed, hand-crafted presentation instrument has been created to honor the memory of all who perished due to Hurricane Katrina. Its design celebrates the rich musical and cultural heritage of New Orleans and the sounds of its jazz legends. Jazz has been the heart of this city since the days of marching bands and Louis Armstrong. Today this indigenous music is more important than ever.

The cultural strength of jazz moves us from our disaster to a new beginning that celebrates our history and gives us the inspiration and blessing of the many who have gone before us. We commissioned this instrument from David Monette, the modern master of trumpet design. Monette and nationally known artist and goldsmith, Tami Dean, and his other co-workers have been collaborating for nearly 25 years. They create instruments that both visually and accoustically celebrate the lives of their clients and their extended musical families. Monette trumpet owners often say that their custom-made instrument is perfect to tell their own unique story.

The Elysian Trumpet will have a brushed 24k gold finish. Its braces will be decorated with icons and symbols representing New Orleans' deceased heroes and many of our jazz legends and cultural icons. These icons are meticulously saw-pierced through the metal braces. Saw-piercing is a highly specialized technique for which Ms. Dean has become famous. The valve casing of the trumpet is prominently decorated with a striking fleur-de-lis. The instrument is adorned with jewels and semi-precious stones. A beautiful turquoise Mississippi River runs the length of the instrument and a brilliant faceted ruby marks the location of New Orleans.

The hurricane motif is cut into the sheet bracing and along the bell of the instrument. The finger buttons are inlaid with Mardi Gras colored semi-precious stones. Lilies are cut into most every element of the instrument in keeping with the Elysian Fields theme. Music will emerge from the bronze bell of this instrument in the spirit of our own New Orleans sound, with its street fight bravura, its bordello high spiritedness, and its marching band regality.

The application of unique new computer design and fabrication technology, plus his traditional craftsmanship make the Elysian Trumpet both esthetically and accoustically the most beautiful trumpet David Monette has ever created. This visually stunning accoustic masterpiece serves as a portable monument to the deceased. The Elysian Trumpet will be a tangible and breathing monument to the future of the City of New Orleans. Through every valve and passage, the trumpet will serve as a reminder of the continued presence of the souls who entered eternal life in the hurricane's aftermath. The Elysian Trumpet, dedicated to the fallen, is intended to create clear and noble notes that signal triumph and rebirth.

Named for the mysterious Elysian Fields of Greek mythology, as well as the street in the Gentilly neighborhood in New Orleans where Irvin Mayfield, Sr.'s body was found after dying due to Hurricane Katrina, this singular instrument is both a unique work of art and a living testimonial to all of the saints who fell throughout the city. The Elysian Trumpet is joyfully presented as a sign of remembrance and a beacon of resurrection to the great City of New Orleans and its people.


There will be more to say about the Elysian Trumpet as time nears for its completion in September. See David Monette's website for future details.