The Amazing Grace of Ronnie Kole: A Visit With The Northshore’s Legendary Jazz Pianist
by Karen Gibbs
Arriving at Ronnie and Gardner Kole’s charming bayou home, Chateau Kole, I am immediately impressed with Ronnie’s enthusiastic greeting. As he comes out of his house and down the porch, Ronnie extends his hand in welcome and invites me inside. A true gentleman, he introduces me to his lovely wife, Gardner, a petite blonde, friendly and smiling. Our photographer, Abby, announces she wants to begin the photo shoot, so I tag along.
“Let’s start at the piano,” she suggests.
“In here,” he replies, leading us into a parlor resplendent with antiques.
He sits down at his signature 1940 Steinway concert grand piano, and pauses, connecting with his venerable instrument. His fingers touch the ivory keys and the melody begins. “I hate to see, the evening sun go down...” St. Louis Blues fills the room, and I just can’t help but sway to the tune. Ronnie Kole’s giving a private concert, and it’s the sweetest sound this side of heaven.
The blues segues into a love song, “All the Things You Are,” and just as quickly, my chameleon mood turns romantic. This is the genius of Ronnie Kole. His music transports listeners to special moments and evokes nostalgic feelings. It’s magic.
The song ends too quickly, and Ronnie Kole strikes a “Ta-dah!” pose for Abby, revealing the polka-dot lining of his jacket for the camera.
Gardner joins her husband for the next set of photos in the backyard. With the bayou winding in the background, the couple poses and smiles, graciously complying with Abby’s commands to “look at me…turn… stand.” Toward the end of the shoot, Gardner playfully puts her fingers behind Ronnie’s head and gives him “rabbit ears.” She’s tickled with herself, and he’s happy to play the straight man.
As we meander back into Chateau Kole, we pass a crew of painters working on the house. Ronnie says something in Portuguese to one of the men. “You speak their language?” I ask.
“Just ‘thank you.’ You learn to say ‘thank you’ in a lot of different languages when you play around the world,” he explains. Impressed? Yes, I was—not only with his Portuguese, but also with his thoughtfulness.
We enter the living room and Ronnie gestures toward the mantle behind us. I look and am surprised to see that the wall is covered with photos of Ronnie posing with U.S. presidents. There’s one of Gerald Ford, another of Ronald Reagan (who, Ronnie remarks, was very friendly and down to earth) plus one of Dan Quayle. A candid photo of Bill Clinton jammin’ on the saxophone with Ronnie catches my eye. “He liked to talk music,” Ronnie recalls. The photographic tour continues with George and Barbara Bush. Ronnie reminisces that they were friendly and acted just like ordinary folks. “See that picture of Gardner and Nancy Reagan?” he asks. “Guess who took that one?”
“You?” I respond.
“No, Barbara Bush! I was getting ready to take it when she took the camera from me and told me I didn’t know how to take pictures and she did.”
What a wall of memories! And that only scratches the surface of jazz great Ronnie Kole.
The New Orleans Connection
A Chicago native, Ronnie listened to the advice of New Orleans trumpeter Al Hirt, who encouraged him to take his talent on the road. He did just that and within a year appeared on the “Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson, the “Mike Douglas Show” and the “Merv Griffin Show,” as well as in Las Vegas. When the time came to settle down, however, Ronnie chose New Orleans as his adopted hometown. Hirt brought him to the Big Easy to work in his club on Bourbon Street. Later, as a friend and mentor, Hirt helped Ronnie open his own club, Kole’s Corner, on Bourbon Street.
One of the most enthusiastic ambassadors for the city of New Orleans, Ronnie chaired the state’s tourism committee under Gov. David Treen. He was also chosen to be part of a select group of ten who founded the French Quarter Fest—“the greatest free festival in the Deep South,” he boasts. Past president and chairman of the Sugar Bowl Committee, Ronnie is currently president of the World Trade Center, the first World Trade Center in the world. A music icon, he is a regular feature at both the French Quarter Fest and the Jazz Fest. Never one to miss an opportunity to promote jazz, he uses his travels to spread the word about the Crescent City’s music.
Obviously proud of her husband, Gardner adds that, “Ronnie enriches lives with his music, his naturalness, his love of people. I’ve watched him play for thousands, and he makes every person there feel good.” On a trip to Asia, performing in cities with populations of millions, Ronnie recalls that few had heard of Louisiana. When he mentioned the name of New Orleans, however, there was immediate recognition. New Orleans… jazz! The city is known for its music the world over.
And so is Ronnie Kole. He has performed in more than 600 cities, spreading good will and New Orleans music and food worldwide. June of this year found him in Europe, where he received the Germany Award and signed the Golden Book in recognition of his musical contributions. In France, he was initiated as a Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government, the highest French honor bestowed in the field of cultural arts. As he tells of this award, Ronnie points to a green bar, a tiny unobtrusive line of green, on his jacket lapel that signifies that he’s a Chevalier.
There’s more. Much more. Cream rises to the top, so it is no surprise that the veteran musician recorded at Carnegie Hall. Currently, he stars several times a year on the river barge “Explorer” that cruises the Mississippi, Ohio and other major rivers. Plus, he performs once a month at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street, a place he considers “home.”
For contributions he’s made to the city of New Orleans, Ronnie was recently inducted into the New Orleans Musical Legends Park. To mark the event, a life-size bronze statue of Ronnie was dedicated at the park on 311 Bourbon Street. The fifth musician to be inducted as a New Orleans Musical Legend, Ronnie joins mentor and friend Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, Fats Domino and Chris Owens. “Right now, having a life-size statue dedicated to me in the park is my top moment. Before that, it was the pope’s visit,” says Ronnie.
Ah, the pope’s visit. Perhaps for New Orleans natives, Ronnie Kole is best remembered for his soul-stirring rendition of “Amazing Grace” during Pope John Paul II’s visit to the city. “Playing for the pope was like a dream. It was the first time I’d heard the arrangement with the orchestra and voices as I’d always envisioned it. As I played, I looked at the pope and he was gesturing as if to say, ‘Thank you, thank you!’”
There’s another story that goes along with that special day. Because of the torrential rainstorm that broke out, (Gardner remembers standing in three inches of water), Ronnie’s performance was moved from first to last on the program. As the orchestra members were seeking shelter for themselves and their instruments, Ronnie took a seat at his piano. “I heard a booming voice command me to play something classical.” He thought the order came from a nearby man who seemed to be in charge, so he immediately began playing the “Warsaw Concerto” because the pope was from Poland. The pope recognized the piece and extended his hands in appreciation.
About a week later, Ronnie confessed to Sister Hillary, the orchestra conductor, “I should have asked you what to play, Sister.” He went on to tell her of the man whose booming voice gave the command to “play something classical.” She told Ronnie that the person he referred to was able to speak only in barely audible whispers. Looking at me, Ronnie asks, “So who gave me the command?” His eyes look to heaven. “It gives me goose bumps to think about it.”
Jazz on the Bayou
While Ronnie’s love of New Orleans is legendary, it runs a close second to his dedication to philanthropic endeavors, notably Easter Seals. Ronnie first became involved with Easter Seals in 1972 because it helped people with all types of physical problems. “I had a bad heart as a kid and went to a special school in Chicago. That’s why I’m involved in giving back as long as I am able. Gardner’s done it all her life,” he adds affectionately.
Gardner’s love of the arts was the catalyst for the Koles’ first Jazz on the Bayou, an annual fundraiser celebrating food, art, music and friends. Initially staged to benefit the Performing Arts Guild of Slidell, Jazz on the Bayou financed several musical performances by local and regional artists on the northshore. Sixteen years ago, the Koles began hosting the event for Easter Seals. What started as an affair held under their carport with one guest chef, Justin Wilson, has grown into a social extravaganza that spans two days, features 10-12 restaurants each day and hosts celebrity chefs such as Paul Prudhomme and John Besh.
“It is more than just Gardner, me and co-chairs Brenda and Jack Stroupe that make it successful,” says Ronnie. “We are grateful to the chefs, our sponsors and auction item donors, as well as our committee members. Without them and the fine folks at Charter Communications and St. Tammany News, we’d never get off the ground.”
According to Ronnie, trying to get sponsors to invest is difficult. “Our title sponsor for 10 years has been NorthShore Regional Medical Center. AT&T has been with us for five or six years. We need sponsors who give money and those who donate goods for the auction and food for the event.”
Over the years, Jazz on the Bayou has raised over a million dollars to benefit Easter Seals and, most recently, St. Tammany Association for Retarded Citizens. As impressive as those figures are, Ronnie defers compliments. “Music has been good to me. I have to give something back.”
Adds Gardner, “I come from a family that believes we all have a real responsibility to enrich someone else’s life.”
“She’s class,” Ronnie says, proud of his wife of 24 years. “We two are like magnets. We like the same things.”
This leads to a conversation on how they met. At the time, Gardner, a ballet teacher for 25 years, also taught ballroom dancing. Ronnie signed up for the course and during their lessons together, he kept correcting Gardner’s dancing. “Being a musician, I was listening to a different part of the music than she was,” Ronnie explains.
“I told him to follow my lead and stop listening as a musician and just enjoy dancing,” Gardner adds. “I hired Ronnie’s trio for the Slidell Performing Arts Guild series. They played a few concerts.”
“We’ve been given a gift—the opportunity to meet and be together. Every day is wonderful,” says Ronnie. “I call Gardner my American Express Card, as I never leave home without her.”
That brings me to my last query: “What is the greatest joy of your life?” I pose the question, expecting Ronnie Kole to close his eyes in thought while pondering his response. Instead, he turns his gaze to his wife and says, “My greatest joy is Gardner.” Breaking into song, “No greater love have I…” he adds with a smile, “I play mostly for her.”
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor for Jazz on the Bayou, contact Ronnie and Gardner Kole at 985-643-5761 or RonKole@aol.com. To order Ronnie’s CDs, go to ronniekole.com.
