Dr. Ketchens is one of the top traditional jazz clarinetists in the world today. She grew up in Tremé, a neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. She studied clarinet in elementary school, beginning as a fifth-grader at Joseph Craig Elementary. She found her passion in Jazz when she met her husband, Lawrence who was an arranger and played the sousaphone. In 1987. the couple began performing on the streets of New Orleans. They played occasionally together then she moved to the Jackson Square with her first band, the Jackson Square All-Stars. Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans, (her band), has traveled the world performing their joyful, energetic original and soulful New Orleans jazz in (47) states and (24) countries. Doreen’s Jazz has represented the United States on several occasions by teaching and performing for Dignitaries and Royalty, including (4) US Presidents. They have also recorded 30 CD’s & 3 DVD’s displaying their incredible musical abilities. Dr. Ketchens performances has changed the way scholars view their clarinets. She has successfully created her own style that blends the techniques of her classical training with the soul of her cultural roots in jazz.  Her intense passion gets under your skin and brings you to a new place. Be it, Gospel, Blues, R&B, Classical or Jazz. They have performed with programs sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center and The US Department of State. She has been featured in numerous documentaries about New Orleans, its heritage, and its music, including several profiles by WWOZ, New Orleans’ Jazz radio station