Following his family's departure from his native
New Orleans, Gabriel made a career for himself in the
Detroit area, where several of his descendants and family members have also become successful jazz musicians in the
brass tradition. He played in the
Eureka Brass Band and in the bands of
Lionel Hampton and
Aretha Franklin. While in Detroit, he was a co-founder of the Jazz on the Lawn series at St. Augustine and St. Monica Catholic Church. Gabriel is the
Preservation Hall Foundation's musical director. == Personal life ==