A hand-crafted trumpet decorated with gemstones and symbols of New Orleans was dedicated on Monday to jazz musician Irvin Mayfield in memory of his father, Irvin Mayfield Sr., and others who died during Hurricane Katrina.

(AP Photo/Cheryl Gerber)

Trumpeter Irvin Mayfield Jr. plays a trumpet crafted by renowned trumpet-maker David Monette in New Orleans, Monday, Aug. 27, 2007. The trumpet was dedicated on Monday to the memory of his father, Irvin Mayfield Sr., and others who died during Hurricane Katrina. The event kicked off a week of events surrounding the second anniversary of Katrina, which struck New Orleans and the Gulf Coast two years ago this week.

"They did not make this trumpet for me," Mayfield said, holding the instrument that will tour with him and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra later this year. "This is for my father, for all those who died in Katrina and the people of New Orleans."

The trumpet, insured for $1 million, was presented to Mayfield in one of many events marking the coming second anniversary of the catastrophic storm that wiped out much of southeastern Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast two years ago Wednesday.

Mayfield spent months after the storm not knowing what had happened to his father, who opted not to evacuate the city as Katrina approached. In November 2005, Mayfield learned his father had drowned.

"When this trumpet is played, we will be able to get an internal peace," Mayfield said during the dedication. Accompanied by a piano, Mayfield performed "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" -- one of the first songs his father taught him to play roughly 20 years ago, when he was 9.

"It's a song that you have to learn to play in a jazz funeral," Mayfield, now 29, said. "It's one my father taught me."

Known as the Elysian Trumpet, in part because Mayfield Sr.'s body was found on Elysian Fields Boulevard in the aftermath of Katrina, the instrument will tour with Mayfield and perhaps other musicians to serve as a reminder of the city's musical history and Katrina.

The trumpet was created by David Monette of Portland, Ore., and a team of about a dozen crafters. It took more than a year to make and weighs over 7 pounds -- more than twice the weight of a regular trumpet.

It has two bells and a built-in mounthpeice custom made for Mayfield.

Blue and turquoise-colored stones create a winding Mississippi River along the top of the instrument. A ruby rests next to the river, representing New Orleans. Portraits of Louis Armstrong and Fats Domino are etched into the instrument's braces.

The trumpet has a brushed 24-karat gold finish, and gems in Mardi Gras colors -- purple, green and gold.

Mayfield, the artistic director for the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, also carries the title of Cultural Ambassador for the State of Louisiana and City of New Orleans. He said he hopes the trumpet unites the city.

"We have a right to feel depressed. We have a right to feel down, but it's up to us to pull ourselves up," he said. "At the end of the day, all we have is each other."

Irvin Mayfield, Sr. was 64 and spent 30 years as a maintenance supervisor for the United States Postal Service. He was also a 14-year Army veteran and was awarded a Purple Heart while serving in Vietnam.

The orchestra begins its "Do You Know What it Means" tour next month. The group's first performance is Sept. 9 in Orono, Maine. Mayfield said he would likely not be taking the trumpet to Maine, but was hoping to take it overseas with the orchestra later this year.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)