My link to Deacon John Moore comes directly from spending time with Pat Green, who you met in episode 2 of The Magic Hour. Since filming her episode, Pat and I have continued meeting and planning her living jazz funeral second line she will hold this October. During one of our meetings, Pat shared an interest to raise funds with any donations to her party for the Musician’s Union of New Orleans. She wanted to reach out to the current president of the union, who I found out is Deacon John Moore. I called his number listed online and was greeted in the friendliest way. I shared the purpose of my call with Deacon John, and we set up a time to meet for lunch with Pat Green.
The conversation between Pat and Deacon John over lunch sounded like sweet soul music, and I found myself caught up in the moment. I was experiencing a special moment of the history, stories, and culture being shared. Deacon John Moore is a staple in the New Orleans music scene. He is one of very few musicians who can say they have performed in every Jazz Festival since its inaugural year in 1970. He has played with some of the greats, including Allen Toussaint, Aaron and Art Neville, James Booker, Irma Thomas, and many more. Deacon John is one of those magical, storied figures who makes New Orleans the vibrant city it is. There is no better way to close out season 1 of The Magic Hour than to dig deeper with one of NOLA’s finest.
I could have never predicted what would happen in this first season of The Magic Hour. Yet each week, people continued to show up and share incredible stories connected to this magical city. Every time campus tour guides share their stories with visitors, those same magical connections are happening. As you stay open and engaged with these connections, even after the campus visit is over, more and more connections will continue to flourish, similar to my relationship with Pat Green. These connections will lead to something beautiful, as you will learn in the final moments of this interview with Deacon John.