Kind of blue, set to swing

It would be easy for Irvin Mayfield to give up his music and curse his life after Hurricane Katrina wiped out his hometown and killed his father.

But the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra’s artistic director is more concerned these days with keeping the American art form of jazz alive. In fact, perhaps the focus on New Orleans’ woes can help with that.

“People are learning more now that we’re in a crisis situation,” Mayfield said. “The crisis, it may go away, but the funny thing is it’s not just New Orleans music…. It’s all American culture that is in a great decline…. We need to start learning about it. Otherwise we’re just participating in helping this crisis, this erosion of American culture.”

Other musicians in the orchestra lost siblings, parents and children, but they also remain steadfast in their mission to spread the word on jazz. They will continue that mission in the new Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall Sunday with a tribute to the history of jazz in the Big Easy.

“The city of New Orleans is a mecca of culture for the United States of America,” Mayfield said. “It’s our art — it’s like being in Florence and paying respects to Michelangelo.”

The orchestra aims to revive those pre-Katrina images of New Orleans.

“I like people to be able to taste the French Quarter, hear the second line, which is the dance we do for jazz, and smell the gumbo,” Mayfield said. “I want all your senses to experience an authentic New Orleans experience.”

The orchestra will play and interpret the music of Professor Longhair, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and others who were influential in the New Orleans style.

Before Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Orange County Performing Arts Center senior director of musical programming Aaron Egigian booked Mayfield and his orchestra.

“We were going to focus on the legacy of New Orleans jazz and its composers and the people who had worked creating this particular music…. It all seemed to make wonderful music sense,” Egigian said. “It was the perfect opportunity to introduce our audiences to this vital force in jazz and also welcome Mr. Mayfield to Orange County.”

It’s important for the rest of the country to understand and support the culture of New Orleans as the city struggles to recover. One way Mayfield and others have been staying positive is through their music.

“Everybody wants to play and uplift the city and keep working to sustain themselves,” Mayfield said. “More so than that, the musicians have been unspoken heroes to the extent they’re the most visible people — they love what they do, and they’ll put up with the late nights, the travel, the not being at home because they love the city, and they love playing the great music.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra

WHERE: Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Drive

WHEN: 2 p.m. Sunday

COST: $14 to $74

INFO: https://www.ocpac.org or www.thenojo.com