In the traditional New Orleans Jazz funeral, the long, slow walk to the cemetery is accompanied by a dirge. The one we’re going to play for you now is “Just a Closer Walk With Thee”, which has been around since the late 1800s. Nobody knows who wrote either the words or the music, but you know them both.

On the way back from the cemetery, the mood is brighter and the band plays a rousing tune. This one became so popular that it’s the only Dixieland tune some people can name. You may have heard it before. This is a “Dixieland Funeral”.