NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)- He toured the world for 27 years as drummer of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, but Joe Lastie Jr’s musical roots are deep.  He hails from the musical Lastie Family, and how he plays drums is something he picked up from his grandfathers.

“I watched both of them play drums in church, and my grandfather was Frank Lastie, and he had a thing where he did with his fingers,” Lastie recalled. “He didn’t play with his arms , he played with his fingers, and that stuck out with me, watching him play like that.”

Lastie still performs with the family as a gospel group, and his  current band – Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sounds – helps to keep our sound alive.

“What I’m trying to do… People come to New Orleans to hear what? New Orleans music New Orleans jazz. That’s what I want to bring to people who come to New Orleans. I want them to hear that New Orleans sound,” says Lastie.

As we mentioned, Joe played with Preservation Hall for 27 years.  He no longer travels with that iconic group, but manages to play local gigs with their legacy band.  He counts that time on the road as time well spent.

“I loved it. I played for kings, I played for queens, I played all over the world,” he said. “It’s not a place where I haven’t been, so I’m really grateful for traveling with Preservation Hall through the years. What stuck out with me with that someone came to me and said, ‘You know what? You look like your playing was God sent from above.'”

Joe Lastie’s New Orleans Sound performs at the Maison Bourbon on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

The Lastie Family gospel group performs this Sunday, August 28 at Preservation Hall. Click here for tickets.