Sweet Emma Barrett

"Sweet" Emma Barrett (born 1897 in New Orleans, Louisiana; died 1983 in Metairie, Louisiana) was a self-taught pianist and vocalist deeply embedded in the traditional New Orleans jazz scene. Nicknamed "The Bell Gal" for the garters of jingle bells she wore on her legs while playing, Barrett worked extensively in the pre-war era with ensembles like the Original Tuxedo Jass Band. However, her greatest prominence came in the post-war era as a cornerstone of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Her piano style was percussive, unpolished, and heavily rhythmic, drawing on blues progressions to drive the brass players. Barrett serves as a crucial recorded link to the earliest, rough-hewn days of New Orleans ensemble playing before jazz became heavily formalized.