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Helsinki based Spirit Of New Orleans a.k.a. SONO was founded in the fall of 2001. The band's goal is to play New Orleans jazz as it is played in jazz's birthplace today. The music scene in New Orleans is still very vibrant – even after Katrina - and the city has numerous jazz bands playing in different styles. These bands like the Leroy Jones Quintet, Kermit Ruffins & The Barbecue Swingers, Bob French's Original Tuxedo Jazz Band and others are the inspiration for SONO. The aim is to play hip, funky, hard-swinging, yet traditional jazz that will get the people dancing and feeling good - not forgetting the artistic standards.

During its first years Spirit Of New Orleans has been working with Leroy Jones, one of New Orleans' finest trumpeters, with the very fine vocalists Tricia Boutté and Yolanda Windsay from New Orleans and Miriam Aïda from Sweden, and with Finnish singers Eeppi Ursin and Susanna Mesiä. The band has performed at many major Finnish jazz festivals (Imatra Big Band Festival, Linna-Jazz, Baltic Jazz, Korpo Sea Jazz, Ruskaswing, Ylläs Jazz Blues, Kalott Jazz & Blues, Jazz by The Sea, Otava Happy Jazz, etc.) and at various clubs, including Storyville and Sture Jazz Clubs in Helsinki. The reception has been very positive everywhere: both the audience and the promoters have enjoyed SONO's music. In the spring of 2004, SONO made a two-week tour in Fiji and New Zealand and in July 2004 the band played at one of the biggest festivals for traditional jazz in Europe, the JazzAscona New Orleans & Classics in Switzerland.