Featured Video
“The Fine Tuner” — Hot 8 Brass Band | Uptown Super Sunday (2013)
“The Fine Tuner” — Hot 8 Brass Band | Uptown Super Sunday (2013)
Composed by Raymond “Dr. Rackle” Williams and performed by the Hot 8 Brass Band at Uptown Super Sunday (2013), capturing New Orleans second line tradition in the streets.
Events / Appearances
Sunday, August 2, 2026
623 Frenchmen St New Orleans, LA 70116 @ 6-9:00pm
The Spotted Cat Music Club (duplicate)
(external link)
Kickin' it live with the Treme Brass Band
Sunday, August 2, 2026
@ 10-11:00am
St. Augustine Church/Satchmo SummerFest Jazz Mass
(external link)
Live Stream: Facebook.com/saintaugchurch
A beloved tradition, the Jazz Mass will take place at 10 AM on Sunday at St. Augustine Church in Treme, with the Treme Brass Band. This year’s service will be returning in the newly renovated sanctuary and will also be live-streamed at Facebook.com/saintaugchurch.
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Starting Location: Outside St. Augustine Church, historic Treme neighborhood @ 11:15am
26th Anniversary Satchmo Salute Parade Presented by New Orleans Tourism & Cultural Foundation (NOTCF)
(external link)
The Satchmo Salute Parade is a signature moment of Satchmo SummerFest’s 26th anniversary, honoring Louis Armstrong with a vibrant second-line celebration of New Orleans culture.
On Sunday, August 2, the parade will be led by the Treme Brass Band, stepping off at 11:15 AM from St. Augustine Church in the historic Tremé.
Following the 10 AM Jazz Mass, the procession will roll down Esplanade Avenue, ending at the New Orleans Jazz Museum to kick off the festival’s final day. Spectators and participants are encouraged to wear linen or seersucker in the spirit of summer tradition. The parade is a joyful tribute to Armstrong’s legacy and a celebration of the city’s enduring second-line culture.
Sunday, August 9, 2026
623 Frenchmen St New Orleans, LA 70116 @ 6-9:00pm
The Spotted Cat Music Club (duplicate) (duplicate)
(external link)
Kickin' it live with the Treme Brass Band
Print Schedule
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Events / Appearances
Upcoming Events
Sunday, August 2, 2026
623 Frenchmen St New Orleans, LA 70116 @ 6-9:00pm
The Spotted Cat Music Club (duplicate)
(external link)
Kickin' it live with the Treme Brass Band
Sunday, August 2, 2026
@ 10-11:00am
St. Augustine Church/Satchmo SummerFest Jazz Mass
(external link)
Live Stream: Facebook.com/saintaugchurch
A beloved tradition, the Jazz Mass will take place at 10 AM on Sunday at St. Augustine Church in Treme, with the Treme Brass Band. This year’s service will be returning in the newly renovated sanctuary and will also be live-streamed at Facebook.com/saintaugchurch.
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Starting Location: Outside St. Augustine Church, historic Treme neighborhood @ 11:15am
26th Anniversary Satchmo Salute Parade Presented by New Orleans Tourism & Cultural Foundation (NOTCF)
(external link)
The Satchmo Salute Parade is a signature moment of Satchmo SummerFest’s 26th anniversary, honoring Louis Armstrong with a vibrant second-line celebration of New Orleans culture.
On Sunday, August 2, the parade will be led by the Treme Brass Band, stepping off at 11:15 AM from St. Augustine Church in the historic Tremé.
Following the 10 AM Jazz Mass, the procession will roll down Esplanade Avenue, ending at the New Orleans Jazz Museum to kick off the festival’s final day. Spectators and participants are encouraged to wear linen or seersucker in the spirit of summer tradition. The parade is a joyful tribute to Armstrong’s legacy and a celebration of the city’s enduring second-line culture.
Sunday, August 9, 2026
623 Frenchmen St New Orleans, LA 70116 @ 6-9:00pm
The Spotted Cat Music Club (duplicate) (duplicate)
(external link)
Kickin' it live with the Treme Brass Band
Sunday, August 16, 2026
623 Frenchmen St New Orleans, LA 70116 @ 6-9:00pm
The Spotted Cat Music Club (duplicate) (duplicate) (duplicate)
(external link)
Kickin' it live with the Treme Brass Band
Sunday, August 23, 2026
623 Frenchmen St New Orleans, LA 70116 @ 6-9:00pm
The Spotted Cat Music Club (duplicate) (duplicate) (duplicate) (duplicate)
(external link)
Kickin' it live with the Treme Brass Band
Sunday, August 30, 2026
623 Frenchmen St New Orleans, LA 70116 @ 6-9:00pm
The Spotted Cat Music Club (duplicate) (duplicate) (duplicate) (duplicate) (duplicate)
(external link)
Kickin' it live with the Treme Brass Band
Past Events
Sunday, July 26, 2026
623 Frenchmen St New Orleans, LA 70116 @ 6-9:00pm
The Spotted Cat Music Club
(external link)
Kickin' it live with the Treme Brass Band
Saturday, July 25, 2026
210 Barone Street to 214 Royal Street @ 11:00pm
The Capital To The Monteleone Hotel
(external link)
Kickin' It Live with The Paulin Brothers Brass Band: Secondline
Saturday, July 25, 2026
French Quarters, 713 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130 @ 6-7pm
Antoine's Restaurant in the 12th Night Room/Sugar Journal Sugar Notable~ New Appearance / Event ~
(external link)
Dr. Rackle And The Sound Griots Traditional Jazz Trio. Members:
Raymond Dr. Rackle Williams, Sr.: Trumpet
Louis Ford: Clarinet
Jonathan Gross: Sousaphone
Additional Details
Additional musicians vary by engagement. Dr. Rackle & The Sound Griots is a flexible ensemble featuring top musicians, assembled per engagement to suit each performance and project.
Audio
Recorded by the Hot 8 Brass Band on the Tru Thoughts (UK) label.
Composed by Raymond “Dr. Rackle” Williams.
Grammy-nominated recording.
Recorded by the Hot 8 Brass Band on the Tru Thoughts (UK) label.
Composed by Raymond “Dr. Rackle” Williams.
Grammy-nominated recording.
Composed by Raymond "De, Rackle" Williams
Jackie McLean — Blue Note Records
Composed by Raymond "Dr. Rackle" Williams
Jackie McLean — Blue Note Records
Composed by Alan Palmer
Jackie McLean — Blue Note Records
Raymond "Dr. Rackle" Williams — trumpet (band member)
Video
“The Fine Tuner” — Hot 8 Brass Band | Uptown Super Sunday (2013)
“The Fine Tuner” — Hot 8 Brass Band | Uptown Super Sunday (2013)
Composed by Raymond “Dr. Rackle” Williams and performed by the Hot 8 Brass Band at Uptown Super Sunday (2013), capturing New Orleans second line tradition in the streets.
Live at Tapp's 2 —Kevin Morris And His Uptown Production
Live at Tapp's 2 —Kevin Morris And His Uptown Production
Raymond Williams performing live with Kevin Morris And His Uptown Production during a weekly residency at Tapp's 2 in New Orleans, showcasing modern jazz improvisation and collaboration.
Live at the New Orleans Jazz Museum
Live at the New Orleans Jazz Museum
Raymond Williams (Dr. Rackle) performing live at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, presenting original and traditional jazz repertoire in a formal concert setting.
Documents
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About Dr. Rackle And The Sound Griots
New Orleans trumpeter, composer, and bandleader. Student of Ellis Marsalis, Jackie McLean, and Dr. Michael White. Leader of Dr. Rackle & the Sound Griots. ...
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About
Raymond “Dr. Rackle” Williams Sr. is a New Orleans–based trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader whose music emerges from the living traditions of the city while speaking boldly in a contemporary voice. As a teenager, Williams studied under Ellis Marsalis at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), where he was deeply introduced to the music of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and the broader continuum of jazz, American classical music, and Black American musical traditions. It was under Marsalis’s guidance that Williams was inspired to pursue the life of a professional musician.
That early foundation led Williams to continue his studies in Hartford, Connecticut, where he became a direct student of legendary saxophonist Jackie McLean, further solidifying a lineage rooted in mentorship, cultural responsibility, and artistic excellence. Upon returning to New Orleans, Williams was mentored by Dr. Michael White, who guided him deeply into the language, history, and performance practice of New Orleans traditional music, grounding his artistry in the city’s earliest musical expressions.
As the leader of Dr. Rackle & the Sound Griots, Williams presents music that honors ancestral memory while forging new pathways forward—blending New Orleans brass band tradition, modern jazz language, and original compositions into a unified artistic vision. His performances move fluidly between street tradition and concert stage, embodying the role of the modern griot: preserving history, telling truth, and advancing the sound of New Orleans for future generations.
Members
- Raymond "Dr. Rackle" Williams, Sr. - Trumpeter, Composer, Arranger, Educator, Bandleader
Links
Hot 8 Brass Band
Dr. Rackle And The Sound Griots/
All Links
Influences
Jackie McLean, Ellis Marsalis, Earl Turbinton, Hotep Galeta, Rene McLean, Barry Harris, Dr. Michael White, Leroy Jones, Greg Stafford, Wendell Brunious, Willie Metcalf, Sigmund Walker, Harry Sterling, Willie Singleton, Chuck Easterling, Fred Kemp, George Jansen, Diane Lyle, Roger Dickerson