From Jason Patterson, who books Snug Harbor (New Orleans’ premier jazz room):
To all the Friends of Snug Harbor,
Owner George Brumat died yesterday peacefully in his sleep of an apparent
heart attack. This has been a huge shock to everyone associated with the
Snug but we know George would want us to keep on keeping on. So the business
will remain open even though there is a big hole in all our lives now
without his presence. If you want to make a testimonial of any length about
George, please e-mail it to Jason@snugjazz.com. We will announce
arraignments for funeral and memorial event as they are confirmed. Thanks
for your thoughts and prayers.Yours in overcoming adversity,
Jason
Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro
George was a great club owner. I know that is hard to believe that any club owner could be great, and I know that none of them are perfect, but George was the greatest I have ever dealt with. He always treated the musicians with respect. He listened to what we did. He gave the musicians financial guarantees. I always knew the minimum amount of money I would get when we worked for George. On good nights there was more than I expected in that little brown envelope, but there was never less, even if the club was near empty.
I remember when Snug reopened after Katrina. It was one of the first times I thought things might eventually be ok. I am sure George lost loads of money in those first months, but he was open, and still paying the bands, because that was what he could do to help the city. And it definitely helped lots of folks spirits. George was a class act, and I will miss him.
There are no words to express how important a human being George was to me in my life. Sitting in his office, which him beside me before or after a performance made me know I was in a safe place. If it were not for him, I know that I would not have returned to New Orleans time and time again. He made me feel loved and respected as a musician. Enough to give me the confidence to go on producing cds. It was always with his thought in mind. He was the example of all that I wanted to do best with my life. He drew the stars and I went after them always with the intention of showing him how far I had come. I am still trying and with him in mind always. He was an end result. If it was bad, it was ok, there was always the future and room to make improvement. I still see him standing up there in the balcony by the PA. checking it all out. He was an angel of music who watched over all of us and made a home for us we never had. I will always love and cherish his memory and to all the beautiful people at Snug. I know his spirit will always be up there on the balcony, watching us perform. Denise Mangiardi
Thanks Denise. Well said.
My ears tear up writing this and it’s hard to be so far from home when a beloved community member passes.
I had the pleasure of knowing George during the first years of Aural Elixir. He was so nice and respectful to me even though I wasn’t an important, well-known jazz musician. Actually, I played a lot of Checkpoint Gigs back then which I know some folks would think less of me for it, but not George. He was just an incredibly nice man.
I worked at PJ’s next to Snug for a while and often served him espressos. If he had time, he would chat with me about what I was doing musically. And he would always invite me to hang out for a free show after my coffee-shift. Thanks to his generosity I was able to see a myriad of shows which I would otherwise not have been able to afford. I don’t know if I could count the ways those shows may have influenced me musically. Numbers aside, it was just nice to be a part of a community with someone like George who treated everyone well & equal no matter what their perceived position. He is & will be sorely missed.
To this day, Snug is still my favorite NOLA venue. And I hope one day, I will have the honor of performing in the space he so diligently helped create. Thanks for letting me share.