New Orelans Funeral Band
New Orleans Funeral Band for Hire Pittsburgh, the Ohio Valley, and Northeast Ohio
Matt Hill & The Classics performs New Orleans jazz funerals for families across Pittsburgh, Eastern Ohio, and the Ohio Valley. If someone you love asked for a New Orleans send-off, we can honor that request.
Whether it's a graveside service, a memorial, or a celebration of life, we'll shape the music to fit the day. If the service is outside our immediate area, we'll arrange travel together on the planning call.
We'll guide you through every step so you can focus on saying goodbye.
The Tradition Behind a New Orleans Funeral
A 200-Year-Old Way to Say Goodbye
A New Orleans funeral procession isn't a performance — it's a 200-year-old tradition with a clear shape and a specific musical arc that has helped families say goodbye since the early 1800s.
The Music
Before and during the service, the band plays dirges and spirituals: "Just a Closer Walk With Thee," "Amazing Grace," "Nearer My God to Thee," "Just a Little While to Stay Here," and "Down by the Riverside." The tempos are slow. The volume is restrained. The horns sound the way a hymn sounds in a country church, only carried into the open air.
After the service, the music shifts. The same band, the same instruments, but a different mood. The band typically opens this section with a hymn played in a swinging fashion — a bridge between solemn and celebratory — then moves into the songs that have made New Orleans funerals famous around the world: "When the Saints Go Marching In," "Oh, Didn't He Ramble," "Bourbon Street Parade," and "Lily of the Valley."
The shift is the heart of the tradition. The point is not that grief disappears. The point is that grief and celebration can share the same afternoon.
Where It Can Happen
Outside the funeral home before the procession. A walking procession from the funeral home to the cemetery. At the cemetery, meeting the procession at the gates. At the graveside service itself. At the reception or luncheon afterward. The arrangement depends on the venue, the cemetery, and what feels right to the family.
The History
The tradition originated in New Orleans in the early 1800s, born from a blend of European military band funerals and West African burial customs. The architect Benjamin Latrobe witnessed an early version at a New Orleans funeral in 1819, describing a service that began with "loud lamentations" and ended with "noise and laughter." By the early 1900s, the music played at these services had become known as jazz. Today, families across the country choose this tradition for the same reason it was created: because the people we love deserve a send-off that sounds like life.
Want to read more? Our full guide covers the planning process, working with your funeral director, and what to expect on the day: How to Hire a New Orleans Funeral Band in Pittsburgh, the Ohio Valley, and Northeast Ohio Click Here
What to Expect
Every family is different, and every service should be too. When you call, we'll talk about who they were, what mattered to them, and what kind of farewell feels right. Some families want something quiet and traditional. Others want the full second line. Most want something in between. There's no wrong answer — just what feels true to the person you're honoring.
We handle the music so you don't have to worry about one more thing during an already overwhelming time. The band size, the song selections, the timing — we work all of that out with you ahead of time so the day itself just flows
When You're Ready, We're Here
If you're starting to think about what a service like this might look like for your family, give us a call. No pressure, no sales pitch — just a conversation about how to give them the send-off they earned.
Call or text
Pittsburgh: 412-654-6122
Ohio Valley: 304-559-1047
Email: matthill@hirejazzbands.com