Mardi Gras has been a defining part of Mobile’s identity for centuries, and few local institutions embody that tradition quite like the Excelsior Brass Band. For 143 years, the group has provided the musical energy behind Mobile’s Carnival season, and this year the city’s residents have once again voted it the area’s Best Brass Band in the 2026 Reader’s Choice Awards.
Soprano saxophonist James “Jelly” Moore has been marching with Excelsior since 1967, when his band director personally recruited him into the group’s ranks. The director passed away just three weeks later, but Moore has carried on with the band ever since, becoming part of what he describes as a lineup more exclusive than any Mardi Gras secret society. Membership in Excelsior is not something a musician can simply apply for — players are chosen, and once chosen, they tend to stay for the long haul.
“That’s a great feeling,” Moore said of the recognition. “It’s an honor to be in the Excelsior Band. You know, you can’t get in that band unless you’re chosen. Then, you stay in until you can’t do it no more or die.”
Mobile’s brass band scene has grown more competitive in recent years, as newer groups with modern influences have joined the city’s Carnival parade routes. Even so, Moore said Excelsior sets itself apart through its commitment to nearly continuous playing, rather than leaning on drum lines between songs the way some newer bands do. “They march just by the drums most of the time,” he said. “And that’s the good thing about us, and that’s what I love about it. We’re always playing, especially when people see us coming. They start hollering, and we play. When we’re taking a break from playing, people holler, ‘Come on! Play us something!’ We’ll play again.”
Where some of the newer brass groups have incorporated pop, funk or hip-hop influences into their sets, Excelsior has kept its setlist and delivery largely unchanged over the years. Moore said maintaining tight formation during a street march remains a priority for the band, and he can typically be found bringing up the rear of the line. For Excelsior’s members, that discipline is about more than performance — it is a way of carrying forward more than a century of Mobile Mardi Gras history each time they take to the streets.
Moore’s connection to the band actually predates his membership. “The Excelsior Band has been around since 1883,” he said. “Since I was a little kid, when I would go to Mardi Gras, I just loved that band. I said, ‘I’m going to be in that band one day.'” Since its founding in the late 19th century, Excelsior has performed in a wide range of parade and ceremonial settings across Mobile, but Moore said nothing compares to playing during Mardi Gras itself.
“When we do the Monday and Tuesday parades, they are packed,” Moore said. “That’s what we love. The Sunday parades are fun, but that Monday or Tuesday, oh, man! You can’t even get down to Mobile.” As long as Carnival season continues in Mobile, Moore said he intends to remain in Excelsior’s ranks for as long as he is physically able.
Probate courts in Alabama handle matters distinct from the trial courts that hear criminal and civil cases, including wills, estates, guardianships, and involuntary commitments for mental-health treatment. In Mobile County the probate judge is an elected official with broad administrative and judicial duties.
Mobile lays claim to a long tradition of outdoor festivals and public celebration, most famously its Carnival or Mardi Gras season, which predates the better-known celebrations of New Orleans. Throughout the year the region hosts music festivals, food and arts events, and waterfront gatherings that draw visitors from across the Gulf Coast.
The history of South Alabama is shaped by its position at the crossroads of cultures and waters. Indigenous peoples, including the Muscogee (Creek) and Choctaw, lived in the region for centuries before European colonization by French, British, and Spanish powers.
Mobile is the county seat of Mobile County in southwest Alabama and the state’s only saltwater port. Situated where the Mobile River meets Mobile Bay near the northern Gulf of Mexico, the city has long served as a commercial and cultural gateway between Alabama and the wider Gulf Coast. Founded in 1702 as Fort Louis de la Louisiane and ruled in turn by France, Britain, and Spain before joining the United States in 1813, Mobile carries a layered heritage distinct from the rest of the state.
Local government in the Mobile area operates through a combination of mayor-council or commission structures at the municipal level and a county commission in Mobile County, with elected officials handling budgets, public safety, infrastructure, and zoning. Baldwin County has its own commission and a collection of incorporated municipalities.
The economy of the Mobile region is diversified across shipping and logistics, aerospace and shipbuilding, healthcare, tourism, and manufacturing. The Port of Mobile is one of the nation’s busiest seaports and a cornerstone of the local and state economy.
The natural environment is central to life on the Gulf Coast, where barrier islands, bays, rivers, and wetlands support fisheries, recreation, and storm protection. Coastal Alabama faces challenges common to low-lying regions, including hurricane exposure, erosion, and the management of fragile ecosystems.
Healthcare in the Mobile area is anchored by several hospital systems and provider networks that serve patients across southwest Alabama, the Gulf Coast, and into parts of Mississippi and Florida. Large employers in the sector include regional health systems operating hospitals, clinics, and specialty centers, alongside university-affiliated providers.
Education in South Alabama spans public school systems in Mobile and Baldwin counties, a network of private and parochial schools, and institutions of higher learning including the University of South Alabama, Spring Hill College, and community colleges. Public-school governance rests with locally elected boards.
Local journalism serves as the connective tissue of communities like those across South Alabama, informing residents about government, schools, public safety, and the events that shape daily life. Outlets covering Mobile and Baldwin County help hold institutions accountable and give voice to neighborhood concerns larger media may overlook.
Local law enforcement across South Alabama is carried out by municipal police departments, county sheriff’s offices, and state agencies that together cover a mix of urban, suburban, and rural territory. City departments handle policing within municipal limits, while sheriff’s offices provide courthouse security, jail operations, and patrol in unincorporated areas.
Charitable and nonprofit organizations form a vital safety net across South Alabama, addressing needs from hunger and homelessness to disaster relief and holiday assistance. Groups such as The Salvation Army operate local corps that provide shelter, food, and seasonal programs funded largely by community donations.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice, tasked with protecting the country against terrorist threats, foreign intelligence operations, cyber attacks, and major criminal activity. Established in 1908, the bureau operates a network of field offices across the country, each responsible for federal law-enforcement matters within its region.
Behavioral-health care on the Gulf Coast is provided by a mix of community mental-health organizations, hospital systems, and private practitioners. Community centers play an especially important role in serving patients who might otherwise lack access to care, often coordinating with courts, jails, and social services.
Collegiate athletics are a major part of life in southern Alabama, where the University of South Alabama in Mobile fields the Jaguars across a range of sports. The university’s football program, which began competition in the 2000s, has become a rallying point for students, alumni, and residents and a source of regional pride.
Baldwin County sits directly east of Mobile County across Mobile Bay and is the largest county in Alabama by land area. It encompasses the Eastern Shore communities of Daphne, Fairhope, Spanish Fort, and Foley and stretches south to the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach along the Gulf of Mexico.
The Gulf of Mexico borders Alabama’s southern edge and defines much of the state’s coastal identity. Alabama’s Gulf coastline, centered on Dauphin Island, Gulf Shores, and Orange Beach, supports a tourism industry built around beaches, charter fishing, and marine recreation, while offshore waters host shipping lanes and energy interests.
Alabama is a state in the southeastern United States bordered by Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi. Often called the Heart of Dixie, it spans Appalachian foothills in the north and flat coastal plains in the south. Its largest cities include Birmingham, Montgomery, Huntsville, and Mobile.
Mobile Bay is a shallow estuary in southern Alabama where freshwater from the Mobile, Tensaw, and other rivers mixes with saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico. It is among the largest estuarine systems in the United States and supports commercial and recreational fishing, shipping through the Port of Mobile, and wetlands that buffer the coastline from storms.
Cases involving involuntary psychiatric commitment require the court to balance an individual’s liberty interests against concerns for their safety and the safety of others, a sensitive legal threshold that has drawn scrutiny in many jurisdictions. The procedures governing such hearings, including who must appear and testify, are set by state law and local rule.