More than 100 people gathered in Treme on Monday (Dec. 30) to celebrate the life of longtime New Orleans brass band musician John “Prince” Gilbert. A saxophonist who most recently played with the Treme Brass Band, Gilbert died from cardiac arrest on Dec. 14. He was 66 years old. 

Over a multi-decade career, Gilbert played in some of the city’s most renowned bands, including the Rebirth Brass Band, New Birth Brass Band and Hot 8 Brass Band. Gilbert’s son, Orlando Gilbert, organized Monday’s memorial by raising money on GoFundMe. Orlando Gilbert said his father helped create “some of the most impactful music to come out of New Orleans in the last century,” and thanked the community for contributing to the funeral fund. 

Following an open casket service at Charbonnet Funeral Home on Monday morning, Gilbert’s friends and family held a jazz funeral procession through the neighborhood featuring music from the Treme Brass Band. 

“I miss my dad but I’m so grateful that I can hear him all the time,” Orlando Gilbert said. “This couldn’t have happened without your love for my father or your love for New Orleans culture.”

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