When reporters from Fortune Small Business went to the Gulf Coast to learn the fate of small businesses in the wake of Hurricane Katrina ("The Long Road Back," November 2005), they found one owner who expressed no doubt about rebuilding. George Brumat, proprietor of Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro (snuggjazz.com), one of the city's top jazz clubs, opened his doors as soon as electricity was restored in mid October, long before anyone could know whether there would be any customers.
By the time we caught up with Brumat again in July of 2007, business at Snug Harbor was nearly matching pre-Katrina levels. "I am full of cautious optimism," he said sitting in his office, from which he could hear pianist Ellis Marsalis, a Snug Harbor performer for two decades. The next night, July 7, Brumat died in his sleep. He was 63.
"He was one of our local heroes," says Pat Jolly, a jazz lover and photographer who knew Brumat for more than 25 years. "He was involved in all kinds of aspects of growing the community." Brumat was active in civic groups such as the Horizon Initiative, an organization created by New Orleans business owners to promote economic development. But his greatest cause was promoting local jazz talent. Snug Harbor, which is the city's longest-running jazz club, attracted top musicians and fans from around the country, but Brumat made sure the local players got on the lineup, too.
When Katrina approached in the summer of 2005, Brumat was putting together a DVD of local acts,
Snug Harbor Live Jazz Series (Released this April). Brumat stayed at the club during the storm to protect the $250,000 of equipment he had purchased for the project. Katrina ravaged the roof, windows and storefront but the interior remained intact save for some damage to the flooring.
Brumat got a $120,000 Small Business Administration disaster loan and began rebuilding immediately. "The first few months were nothing but work," Brumat recalled in July. Employees and patrons rallied to support the institution. "My staff has really impressed me," Brumat said. In the first month, shows were free and the menu was limited. Ellis Marsalis was one of the first to return. "He is our anchor," Brumat said.
Brumat got a fitting sendoff. Following a memorial service at the University of New Orleans, the Storyville Stompers, a well-known New Orleans brass band, led a parade of friends and jazz fans down Frenchmen Street past Snug Harbor. UNO has set up a scholarship fund to honor Brumat and encourage young musicians (snugjazz.com/george.html).
