One of my favorite moments when cooking a pot of red beans and rice is putting on some music as I prepare the ingredients. As the beans slowly simmer, the music keeps the rhythm of the kitchen going.
Over the years, I’ve had the honor of asking some of New Orleans’ most iconic musicians one simple question:
“How do you red bean?”
In this special roundup, we’re revisiting a few of those memorable interviews with some of New Orleans’ greatest jazzmen to funk legends, each with their own unique flavor, rhythm, and story to tell. These artists share how they connect with one of the city’s most beloved Monday traditions: red beans and rice.
Kermit Ruffins
“Food and music are also a big part of the culture of the city. A pot of red beans can bring people together, just like music. It’s comfort, culture, and connection all in one. In New Orleans, even the smallest thing as a pot of red beans, can hold a history of meaning.”
In New Orleans, neighborhoods like the Lower Ninth Ward and Tremé, music is part of everyday life. That’s where Kermit Ruffins grew up, learning his craft in a city where jazz is woven deep into the culture. at age 18, he co-founded the Rebirth Brass Band alongside tuba player Philip Frazier and other childhood friends. Rebirth didn’t treat brass band music like a relic; they propelled it forward, blending traditional second-line rhythms with funk, soul, and hip-hop influences, sparking the modern brass band revival.
Wendell Brunious
“Every Creole thinks he or she makes the best beans and rice, but the best beans and rice is made by me in my kitchen. 😊”
Over his 4 decades of playing, Brunious has become extremely knowledgeable in music traditions and history – especially those that come from New Orleans jazz. He has said before that he knows over 2000 songs by heart, and when he plays one of those songs, especially one that had been written by his father, he plays it to honor all of the great jazz musicians that have come before him.
Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown
{from Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown’s Facebook page]
“Once I started moving around the city on my own, playing music and otherwise, is when I started to see the tradition of red beans and rice on Mondays.”
Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown was born and raised in New Orleans. He picked up the trumpet in a way that could only happen in a New Orleans family home—on a visit to his maw-maw and pop’s house when he was nine, he came across an old clarinet and a cornet tucked away. His mother decided that whichever one was cheaper to fix would be the one he’d learn to play. The cornet won, and with it, a lifelong journey in music began.
Stephen Walker
{photo credit: Stephen Walker’s Facebook page}
“Red beans and rice is part of the rhythm of New Orleans. Even if it’s not something I see as special, I know it means a lot to the city—it’s tradition, comfort, and community all in one simple dish.”
Born and raised in the heart of New Orleans, Stephen Walker carries the unmistakable sound of the city in every note he plays. A musician shaped by faith, family, and the vibrant streets of the Crescent City, Stephen’s journey began in a place where music wasn’t just heard—it was lived.
George Porter Jr.
{photo credit Jeffrey Dupuis – georgeporterjr.com}
“Red beans and rice is something I have eaten all my life, pretty much every Monday. My Mom made red beans, and my wife made red beans. Every Monday it was a tradition that I never questioned.”
George Porter, Jr. has been playing for over five decades. He’s influenced and inspired countless musicians and bands with that unique style of funk that he created with the Meters that could only have come out of New Orleans. He has recorded dozens of studio albums under his own name and countless more with others. Rolling Stone magazine named him in the Top 50 Greatest Bassists of All Time. In 2018, George Porter, Jr. was presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. The Meters have also been nominated four times for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
John “Papa” Gros
“Red beans are a New Orleans cultural tradition. The history behind “wash day” and the smell of my Maw Maw’s house. Every New Orleanian has their version of this tradition. It’s what unites us while making each family unique.”
John Papa Gros is not only one of the greatest New Orleans piano players, but also one of its biggest ambassadors. The keyboardist, singer, and songwriter draws on funk, rhythm & blues, and Americana songcraft along with the complexity of jazz improvisation, and has built a legacy as one of the greatest musicians in New Orleans.
Little Freddie King
{photo credit: David Grunfeld / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE}
“I eat them once a week but do not hold to the Monday legend. Never know when I am going to get the hunger for Red Beans and Rice.”
The great Little Freddie King is one of the last bluesmen of his generation. He’s the world-renowned, hard to kill, pistol packing, chicken pickin’, string pullin’, show stoppin’, freight train hoppin’, game cock walkin’, master of electricity, king of the gut-bucket blues, connoisseur of women, the royal highness Dr. Blues to the Bone.
Whether it’s a jazz riff, a funky bassline, a piano solo, or a blues groove, these musicians remind us that red beans and rice are more than just Monday’s meal. Red Beans and Rice is a part of the city’s heartbeat.
A pot of red beans seems like such a simple meal, but each pot tells a story, just like each song one of these musicians plays carries that same spirit. And together, they make up the soundtrack of New Orleans.
Is there anything greater?
My Favorite Music Playlists
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Eric Olsson is the food blogger of RedBeansAndEric.com. He publishes new recipes and interviews weekly. He has developed recipes and written articles for the famous Camellia brand in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been mentioned in Louisiana Cookin‘ magazine and has had recipes featured in Taste of Home magazine – with his Creole Turkey recipe being runner up in their annual Thanksgiving recipe contest. He lives outside of Detroit, Michigan, with his wife and four children.
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