Zion Harmonizers–Staples of the Transitional Era

In 2019, the Zion Harmonizers celebrated their Diamond Jubilee. That same year, they took part in the 50th annual Jazz Fest, a spot the group has  occupied every year since its inception, in the Gospel tent they helped to establish.

Established in 1939 in the Gert Town neighborhood of New Orleans, La, the Harmonizers drew on harmonies and musical accompaniments popularized by quartets such as four-part harmonies, little to no instruments and the inclusion of bass singer Roger Brooks.

At the beginning of their career, they opened for the local Southern Harps. The group participated in song battles where, in the early days, they were judged solely on their vocal harmonies and technique–with no theatrics or as leader Sherman Washington puts it “hooping, hollering and running around dancing” until the 1950s. Their accolades over the 1950s and 1960s include 3 albums, international performances in Europe, and participants in their own weekly radio show. In 1969, prominent member Sherman Washington was asked to orchestrate a Gospel tent for the 1st Jazz Fest held in New Orleans’ former Congo Square. This introduced the group to an audience of all walks of life, and in turn, the group introduced their audience to the beauty of jubilee-style music.