Ralph Johnson
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Ralph Johnson, clarinetPlayed with: Jerry Butler, the Impressions, Dr. John, Wallace Davenport, Johnny Adams, Chuck Carbo
Musicians teemed through the Sixth Ward district where Ralph Johnson was raised. His father, Son Johnson, was a clarinetist; when he handed the instrument to his son when Ralph was seven years old, the moment embedded itself in Ralph's memory as a solemn rite of passage. Still, making music proved anything but solemn for the young artist, who has since spent decades onstage with New Orleans artists of every style. Playing all reed instruments as well as flute and piano, he performed on his first gig at thirteen -- he had to lie about his age to even be allowed into the 21 and over venue. His connection to Preservation Hall dates back to appearances there with drummer Chester Jones and other bandleaders. For more than ten years Johnson has been a beloved member of the Preservation Hall band, in which he carries on the great traditions of clarinet artistry established in years past by Willie Humphrey and George Lewis.
"Preservation Hall is a place where you can play what's in your soul and make people happy. It's not about playing for yourself; it's playing to see a smile. The more smiles I see, the happier I am. When you play this music, you let your spirit go. You let your spirit say what it has to say. You play your heart out for the people because it makes you happy, just like it makes them happy. That's all that you can do. Why waste this precious time in your life doing anything that doesn't make people smile?" "I've played it all -- rock & roll, straight-ahead -- because all of it, all music, is made by God, not man. That's why I love the whole picture."
We will post information regarding memorial services as that information becomes available.
A turducken—the name is a portmanteau of turkey, duck, and chicken—is a dish consisting of a partially de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. The thoracic cavity of the chicken and the rest of the gaps are stuffed, sometimes with a highly seasoned breadcrumb mixture or sausage meat, although some versions have a different stuffing for each bird. 
The result is a fairly solid layered poultry dish, suitable for cooking by braising, roasting, grilling, or barbecuing. The turducken is not suitable for deep frying Cajun style (to deep fry poultry, the body cavity must be hollow to cook evenly).
Claims that Cajun-creole fusion chef Paul Prudhomme created this dish as part of the festival Duvall Days in Duvall, Washington in 1983[1] are unverified. A November 2005 National Geographic article by Calvin Trillin traced the American origins of the dish to "Hebert's Specialty Meats" in Maurice, Louisiana. They have been commercially producing turduckens since 1985, when an unknown local farmer brought in his own birds and asked Hebert's to prepare them in the now-familiar style. The company prepares around 5,000 turduckens per week around Thanksgiving time.[2]
Turducken is often associated with the "do-it-yourself" outdoor food culture also associated with barbecueing and shrimp boils, although some people now serve it in place of the traditional roasted turkey at the Thanksgiving meal. As their popularity has spread from Louisiana to the rest of the Deep South and beyond, they have become available through specialty stores in urban areas or by mail order.
The popularity of turducken is mostly limited to the United States and Eastern Canada.
It's time for Preservation Hall's fourth annual Creole Christmas celebration. Join Preservation Hall's St. Peter Street All-Stars, led by Lars Edegran and featuring special guest vocalist Big Al Carson in a special presentation featuring some of New Orleans' best-loved holiday selections. This year, we're adding a special performance on Sunday, December 20th at 4:30pm. Immediately following our presentation, make your way to the front of St. Louis Cathedral for the annual Caroling in Jackson Square, a 63-year-old tradition sponsored by New Orleans' Patio Planters. It's a perfect holiday out for the entire family! Call (504) 522-2841 during business hours for tickets.
"While still awaiting the arrival of our other BOTheads, Toast and I headed closer to the main entrance to meet up. While waiting, though, we meandered towards the Preservation Hall where the Tao Rodriguez-Seeger Band were a few songs into their set. Simple folk melodies matched with clever instrumentation were the backbone of Rodriguez-Seeger's group, and it was a nice change of pace from the hip-hop set we just witnessed. Grandson to famed folk singer Pete Seeger, Tao is carrying on the family torch with an updated form of his grandfathers music. We didn't have the chance to stay long, but I left impressed with his work and with the plan to check out more upon my return home."
