New Orleans Brass Bands S/D

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Though they don't have to be from New Orleans. Does anyone listen to this music much? Who are your favorites?

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 01:51 (10 years ago) Permalink

I know very little about the subject, but I wanna see some answers!

― charlie va, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 02:10 (10 years ago) Permalink

Rebirth Brass Band is definitely classic, they were probably the first brass band music I heard (initially on Maceo Parker's record I believe). Lately some friends have hipped me to Soul Rebels (there is no such thing as too many hip-hop brass bands) and New Birth, and I just heard some Treme Brass Band that's are on the more traditional tip.

I can't go without mentioned the (however unlikely) on the level Wisconsin brass band scene, Mama Digdown's and Youngblood. I'm sure I've hyped up Youngblood on other threads, but they really are something these days, the new Def Jux album will be tight. It wasn't until after I started listening to a lot of other brass band music that I realized how unique their sound is, clean and precise instead of greasy and raucous (both are great in their way of course).

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 02:39 (10 years ago) Permalink

Jordan, you're not supposed to answer your own question! But thanks for the primer. I did hear the last Rebirth Brass Band album, and it was really great. I think our station's copy came with a parental advisory sticker, which was sorta weird, 'cause I can't imagine too many minors buying that album.

― charlie va, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 02:52 (10 years ago) Permalink

I just wanted to get things rolling. :> I think my main intent was to see if anyone else was into this music and hopefully get some recommendations for bands I haven't heard.

Speaking of which, what about brass bands from neither New Orleans nor Wisconsin?

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 03:17 (10 years ago) Permalink

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band blows the roof off just about every joint they play -- i've only heard a couple of their recordings, but they translate well, too. ¥

― christoff (christoff), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 11:44 (10 years ago) Permalink

Hey, Jordan, cool thread. I know nothing about this stuff, but I'm curious as hell now. why are there all these bands from wisconsin? know of any good websites where I can get an overview of brass band stuff? any compilations you'd recommend?

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 22:29 (10 years ago) Permalink

I'm from Madison, Wisconsin, and I know those bands. You can't find a Southern accent in Madison, but you got all these brass bands and New Orleans restaurants popping up. Youngblood and Mama Digdown's even go down to Mardi Gras and perform, though I don't know how seriously they're taken.

The parallel in Minneapolis (where I live) is the Jack Brass Band. I'm all for this kind of thing, but these groups are to Rebirth what Antibalas is to Fela.

I lived in New Orleans for a year and my favorite Rebirth album is still Take It To the Street. Ex-Rebirth member Kermit Ruffins has his own band which is pretty great, too. I find Dirty Dozen boring on CD and in concert, sorry.

My favorite Rebirth story was seeing the guys perform in the bywater one night when members of the Afghan Whigs were in the audience, then seeing the band again in the Zulu parade the next morning. Turns out Rebirth had literally performed all night and went straight to the parade without rest. A float got stuck on a tree, and Rebirth were still energetic enough to challenge a high school band to a battle while the parade stood still. Guess who won.

― Pete Scholtes, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 23:50 (10 years ago) Permalink

The Rebirth Brass Band are indeed genuinely great. The Nutley Brass, probably from somewhere like Yorkshire, did at least one punk cover - Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment - that was fun.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 5 September 2002 17:55 (10 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Saw the Dirty Dozen Brass Band a few years ago and they were superb.

I still listen to 'New Orleans Album' quite regularly, but it's the only one I've got.

I don't suppose anyone's heard the new one (Medicated Magic)?

― James Ball (James Ball), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 17:18 (10 years ago) Permalink

I haven't heard Medicated Magic, but some of the brass band guys I play with weren't too up on it (they would have admittedly picky tastes about this sort of thing). I do wish they would still use a bass drummer and a snare drummer, even though their drummer is great. I'm going to see them here soon, with Youngblood Brass Band is opening up which is cool.

I've been listening non-stop to the New Birth Brass Band record, it is HOT SHIT. Totally on Rebirth's level or more so, and it's probably the most spontaneous, live sounding studio album I've ever heard.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 22:21 (10 years ago) Permalink

i'm gonna start talking out of my ass because i've never listened to new orleans brass bands nor have i listened to Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy, but wasn't he doing this sortsa stuff. brass interpretations of popular songs like madona and marilyn manson.

or was it not so brass band-y?

― JasonD (JasonD), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 00:48 (10 years ago) Permalink

I've only heard one track by Brass Fantasy (on a brass band comp, heh), but it was very brass band-y and very fantastic.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 04:42 (10 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

REVIVE!!!

Recommend me some New Orleans funeral jazz, please!

And I know this is rockist of me, but the older and more authentic, the better..

thanx

― Adam Bruneau (oliver8bit), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 11:05 (8 years ago) Permalink

Um, I don't really listen to much of the old stuff, but I've heard it. Get the Eureka Brass Band, the "This is the first authentic recording of a New Orleans Black brass band that was active at the time of recording. Recorded in New Orleans on August 25, 1951 by Alden Ashforth and David Wyckoff. This compact disc is the best example of the music at a jazz funeral and it defines tradtional brass band music." There are older recordings, like the country brass band from the turn of the century that fills out the Baby Dodd's "Talking and Drum Solos" disc, but really, it's shit.

Other than that, just go to Louisiana Music Factory and check out anything by Treme Brass Band (the most well-known band playing in a really trad style that's still around) or Dejan's Olympia Brass Band.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 15:12 (8 years ago) Permalink

I really liked the song that Jess put on his blog, from your Rough Guide, Jordan.

― Sanjay McDougal (jaymc), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 15:31 (8 years ago) Permalink

Thanks, Jay. I put another song from that Rebirth album up here along with a couple of other things for some friends.

I'll send you a mix if you want to e-mail me, I'm always happy to spread the gospel. Also my brass band should be playing at the Green Mill again in the next couple months.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 17:50 (8 years ago) Permalink

i just wanna say that the mix that Jordan sent me is probably one of the most listened cds i've gotten this year

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 17:57 (8 years ago) Permalink

That's great to hear, Jason. I just listened to the Liquid Liquid disc before work today, btw.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 18:07 (8 years ago) Permalink

Just sticking in another vote here for the ReBirth Brass Band album that has the song on Jordan's comp -- it's called Hot Venom, and it's fantastic. It definitely deserves the parental warning sticker, though (many f-bombs; "Pop That Pussy"). Live, at least here in the North, they are much less hip-hoppy, more of an old-school soul party vibe ("Let's Do It Again / One Love" on the album is representative of that).

― Vornado (Vornado), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 19:18 (8 years ago) Permalink

True, they stuck all the street-est stuff on that one album. It also has my favorite production job of any brass band album, not to mention the four 'bone lineup.

I really hope their 20th anniversary show dvd comes out, the show was sort of a mess but Cheeky Blakk came out and did Pop That Pussy for 15 minutes, humping trombone cases, Kabuki riding on her back, etc. :>

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 19:26 (8 years ago) Permalink

I played some trumpet in school but disdained the marching band (late summer, they're getting ready for football season, marching around in the mud in red wool uniforms, ughh). Have long regretted that, but garage soul/preppy-frat rock was good."Soulfinger" and "Grazin' In The Grass" my faves. Buckinghams' "Mercy Mercy" led me back to Adderley & Zawinul's original, yclept "Mercy Mercy Mercy", and from there to other Blue Note (the cliche of jazz and pop parting ways WWII never otm). Much liked (first albums of) Electric Flag, Blood Sweat & Tears (pre Clayton Thomas), and Chicago. Now collect high school marching band records, which is among what ("lab bands, stage bands" also) gets LANGLEY SCHOOLS equiv, except for the acclaim, on SCHOOLHOUSE FUNK, compiled by Motorcycle John (AKA DJ SHADOW). From the 70s. Uneven, but amazing. Something I'd heard and thought it was the Dirty Dozen 'til I got it: David Byrne's MUSIC FOR THE KNEE PLAYS. TKP being a segment of Robert Wilson's intercontinental stage/satellite TV cycle, "the CIVIL warS" (broadcast live in sequence, but the Reagan Admin pulled plug on our part). Turns out this music was "inspired by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band." Involving old pros like Chuck Findley, Ernie Watts, Pete Christlieb, and Fred Wesley, and, even though it's got some of that one-size-fits-all ECM train station echo, here it does fit (boomin' in the gloom, and after all it's about life going on during wartime). Also Lester Bowie Brass Fantasy's AVANT POP and others; even getting to recastings of hiphop and that big parade drum for "Beautiful People, Beau'ful PeePUL" on ODYSSEY OF FUNK AND POPULAR MUSIC, his last album (which I reviewed for villagevoice.com; put your Search subject in quotes if you go there)I've always wondered about Mike Westbrook's settings of Blake, and his Drinking Gasoline review, with singer Kate Westbrook. Were those good? (Regis Brass Band is one from New Orleans I've heard live, but never knew of any records. They were really young and firey when I saw 'em.)

― don, Wednesday, 24 November 2004 07:22 (8 years ago) Permalink

Also my brass band should be playing at the Green Mill again in the next couple months.

Yeah, remind me! I've missed you guys a few times now!

― Sanjay McDougal (jaymc), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 07:36 (8 years ago) Permalink

Wow Don, it sounds like you've heard a lot of stuff on the periphery of/influenced by N.O. brass band. You should jump into the real shit, I bet you'd be into it (NB: I don't really like the Dirty Dozen for the most part, and I haven't heard of Regis) --

New Birth Brass Band, D-Boy
Rebirth Brass Band, Hot Venom
Stooges Brass Band, It's About Time
Soul Rebels Brass Band, No More Parades
Lil' Rascals Brass Band, Buck It Like a Horse

Also a word about Derrick 'Kabuki' Shezbie - he's the main trumpet player for Rebirth, and he was in New Birth as a teenager (he's all over D-Boy). He's SO MUCH LOUDER than any trumpet player I've ever heard, not to mention the fire. His sound is completely wide-open and really sums up the brass band sound for me (he takes the solo on the Rebirth tune I posted above).

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 16:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

What I mean to say is, he can blow eight notes on one note and suddenly every other trumpet player and every tricky run becomes irrelevant.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 16:46 (8 years ago) Permalink

oh yeah, that David Byrne "Music for the Knee Plays" is great

― JaXoN (JasonD), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 17:48 (8 years ago) Permalink

and how great is The Ying Yang Twins new song "Halftime". are brass bands and marching bands at all related?

― JaXoN (JasonD), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 17:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

I shy away from the comparison just because it makes people think of their bad Midwest high school pep band and assume that they know what it's about. I'm also sick to death of people saying "oh, you guys must have been in the UW band" or "what drum corps did you march in?" when no one in the band comes from that background at all.

HOWEVER, yeah, they take marching band pretty seriously down south and a lot of those kids have incredible chops. We were standing outside of Tipatina's during a parade last Mardi Gras and this high school trumpet line came by blowing high F's and we were like WHAT?! I think that a huge majority of New Orleans brass band musicians came up in those bands and always check them out during parade season, etc.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 18:05 (8 years ago) Permalink

jordan -- is that yr actual email addy? (I'll do a trade for a copy of that mix).

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 21:01 (8 years ago) Permalink

Yep (change gmale to gmail obv.). That sounds good Julio, I'm sure you have some stuff I'd love to hear.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 21:05 (8 years ago) Permalink

Jordan is 100% otm re: high school bands. New Orleans has like the Delta Force marching bands--all the best music during Mardi Gras can be heard by avoiding the clubs (most of which are hosting jam bands anyway) and hitting the parades further Uptown (before the kids playing are all worn out).

I am also interested in Jordan's mix.

― adam (adam), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 22:21 (8 years ago) Permalink

by avoiding the clubs

But still go to Donna's and the Maple Leaf and Le Bon Temps and Cafe Brasil!

most of which are hosting jam bands anyway)

Oh god this is so horribly OTM.

I am also interested in Jordan's mix.

Send me your address.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 22:37 (8 years ago) Permalink

Dude, Le Bon Temps has the crunkest quesadillas in the city.

― adam (adam), Wednesday, 24 November 2004 23:32 (8 years ago) Permalink

Yas yas, that's what I like about the South. Alabama's Public TV used to broadcast an annual marching band contest, live from Bessemer High School's football field. That sound, across the stadium (and airwaves), not just horns but the drums, it moves me man. Reminds me that Bessemer is the disembarkation point of Sun Ra (and my father). As far as non-high school, don't forget Mississippi's late (and maybe last of a kind) Othar Turner. And I always suspected that those early N.O. parade bands, "soloing" in different keys simulanteously for *one* thing, were an influence on free jazz (Ornette Coleman had played in proto-R&B bands in his native Texas, and toured in a medicine show band, according to A.B. Spellman, and also lived in New Orleans in 1950 or so, when he could have heard some of those guys live, although there was no revival then, was there? And old guys don't usually have the wind to flip out, I know from my own brass, but his wife Jayne Crotez was known to have a killer collection of 78s.Think also of ASCENSION, esp. the better version, eventually relaesed with the *relatively* tamer, more familiar take. And Gary Giddins said that his Jazz History students hit a wall when they got to Air, etc. but loved Henry Threadgill's JELLY ROLLS, which I think was one of the earliest Free-to-Ur foldovers. And some of them got intoFree per se, with JR as their gateway. I was always fascinated by Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan's albums of spiritual and gospel, and notice elements of these primogen. influences in Ayler (listening to the boxset single-disc promo, for inst). Reminds me: don't know how widespread this trend is, but in the CD store where I was working last year, noticed a jazz X gospel trendette, coming from "Jazz" section *and* from gospel (and of course the latter's had crossover from Blind Boys of Alabama and Robert Randolph and the Family Band, but that's getting away from horns altogether)

― don, Thursday, 25 November 2004 01:06 (8 years ago) Permalink

Erm, that would be Jayne Cortez, not "Crotez." Charlie Haden said that before anybody could borrow one of her records, they had to promise to learn to play the songs on it. (She eventually put out her own albums, like the killer early jazz-rap MAINTAIN CONTROL, with mebers of Prime Time, and Ornette as special guest on "There Are No Simple Answers." Again, off-topic, but great[and o course he does play a horn])

― don, Thursday, 25 November 2004 06:25 (8 years ago) Permalink

Fixed the link above for that Rebirth & Slim tune.

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 26 November 2004 13:56 (8 years ago) Permalink

We have People TV in Atlanta, and last year I spent a lot of time taing random things off it, marshing band videos being one of them. The beats truly were crunk, and the dancing that accompanied them was straight out of the club.

― Adam Bruneau (oliver8bit), Friday, 26 November 2004 17:47 (8 years ago) Permalink

Marching band videos? You mean like single songs, like pop videos? Whole concerts? Never heard of People TV, is that local to Atlanta?

― don, Friday, 26 November 2004 21:34 (8 years ago) Permalink

Thanks for the links, Jordan. Also, on Public Radio's "Beale Street caravan," I just heard NRBQ with horns, live from Coney Island (the one in Cincinnati, not NY). They kept adding extra beats to "swing"; pretty funny. I'd forgotten, they used to have the Whole Wheat Horns, or maybe they're playing horns themselves, like Z Z Top. Reminds me of HIP-BOP-SKA, by the Skatalites, with guests like Lester Bowie and David Murray. Lester does some of this approach on James Carter's COVERSIN' WITH THE ELDERS, which also has Harry Sweets Edison on trumpet, Buddy Tate on clarinet, Hamiett Bluiett on baritone, and JC plays various reed instruments from his storied collection. It ain't Storyville but it ain't bad. Chicka-boom!

― don, Saturday, 27 November 2004 06:43 (8 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

Revive.

In Tower Records I noticed in the new Downbeat magazine a nice article on New Orleans brass bands and more. The Stooges Brass band, Hot 8, and Soul Rebels are all here. I haven't checked to see if the article is online.

As a contributing supporter of afropop.org I get a weekly e-mail thing from them. This week they have a nice photo-essay by Ned Sublette(musician, musicologist and author of that immense book on Cuban music) on New Orleans. Sublette is living there for awhile and studying the Caribbean roots of New Orleans. He's got an interview with Donald Harrison and some others. I think you can check it all out at afropop.org

― steve-k, Saturday, 26 March 2005 17:48 (8 years ago) Permalink

Brass Bands - C/D

― steve-k, Saturday, 26 March 2005 17:53 (8 years ago) Permalink

I wish I had time to go down to Jazzfest at the end of April and into early May and check everybody out. Plus that other fest with swamp pop and Blood Ulmer and more is going on at the rock n bowl.

― steve-k, Saturday, 26 March 2005 20:34 (8 years ago) Permalink

Kermit Ruffins is now on tour...
http://www.basinstreetrecords.com/
http://www.satchmo.com/nolavl/kermit.html

― Pete Scholtes, Sunday, 27 March 2005 02:00 (8 years ago) Permalink

He's got a new cd with Rebirth I believe. I doubt they're together on tour though

― Steve-k (Steve K), Sunday, 27 March 2005 02:34 (8 years ago) Permalink

I downloaded a ton of stuff for free online a while ago. It is great stuff. Can't remember any names, though. I just filled two cds and labelled them New Orleans Jazz 1 and 2. It sounds drunk and it sounds happy and sometimes it stumbles along like a sad drunk but still manages to sound fun. Right after I saw "Wild Man Blues" I decided I should have some of that.

I think one was called Yarl River Blues Band.

― Lemonade Salesman (Eleventy-Twelve), Sunday, 27 March 2005 04:08 (8 years ago) Permalink

http://www.yarl.org/mp3s.htm

― Lemonade Salesman (Eleventy-Twelve), Sunday, 27 March 2005 04:10 (8 years ago) Permalink

Thanks for the heads up Steve! Hot 8 in Downbeat, who knew.

I'll be going down to Jazzfest the first weekend to play with Mama Digdown's and see brass bands, can't wait.

― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 27 March 2005 13:07 (8 years ago) Permalink

It should be great.

From the April issue excerpt on Downbeat's website:

Next Generation New Orleans Brass Bands
Brass Beyond The Streets

By Jennifer Odell

Philip Frazier honks his sousaphone on a chilly January Sunday on the corner of Daneel and 3rd streets. Musicians start to shuffle away from the crowd milling outside the Bean Brothers Bar and strap on horns and snare drums, ready to get their roll on. Dancers for the Undefeated Dicas Social Aid and Pleasure Club come around the corner and tubas, sousaphones, saxophones and bass drums fall in line as the Divas belt out The Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There.”

Winding past Mary’s Nightowl Bar, Candlelight Bar, Sandpiper and The New Look, the parading community group hits all of the Uptown neighborhood’s brass band stops. Ostrich plumes fan the air above the Divas in time with Frazier’s non-stop vamps. When the dancers slow down and form a circle, trading moves with kids, the band plays even harder, echoing braay swueals off the projects across the street. This is how brass band music was born.

But it’s growing up. And while playing the second lines and funerals remains important, many of today’s hottest brass players are concentrating more on polishing their CDs and getting national recognition than on stealing the show on Sunday afternoons. The current generation is following the successful business model created by the Dirty Dozen and Rebirth brass bands; updating a traditional sound to make the music relevant to a larger audience. And with each step forward, another cross-breed of the brass band sound is born. Mardi Gras Indian bands like Big Sam’s Funky Nation are based in funk, the Soul Rebels are purveyors of hip-hop and the Hot 8, New Birth and the Stooges hold down the street scene with their bebop-heavy takes on the traditional style.

― Steve-k (Steve K), Sunday, 27 March 2005 16:07 (8 years ago) Permalink

From afropop.org

MARDI GRAS 2005: a photo essay by Ned Sublette
Also Check out Interviews with Joseph Roach, Donald Harrison, and Vicki Mayer by Ned Sublette

― Steve-k (Steve K), Sunday, 27 March 2005 16:14 (8 years ago) Permalink

there was some sorta Folkways record i checked out in Fredericksburg, Texas, and it dirged and dirtied heaving heavier than a mule cry, as syrupy and sun-stroked than just about anything i could think of (though that recent Sub Rosa Tibetan ceremony thing is sorta close). one of those New Orleans series ones. don't know if a single tortoise tune clocked in under eight minutes...

― imbidimts, Sunday, 27 March 2005 16:30 (8 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 1263 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

The Soul Rebels will perform as the house band throughout "2nd Annual NFL Honors" - a two hour primetime awards special saluting the best players, performances and plays from the 2012 NFL season to air nationally on Saturday February 2, 9-11 p.m. (ET) on CBS.

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 23 January 2013 17:14 (3 months ago) Permalink

Derrick Tabb's Roots of Music needs some views on this video before midnight tonight in order to make money from StubHub. I could watch an endless loop of the little kid playing snare at the start.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SNl4F5mXRqo

― Jazzbo, Sunday, 3 February 2013 14:22 (3 months ago) Permalink

will do

Anybody see the Wynton Marsalis hosted New Orleans event on CBS from noon to 1 pm US eastern time yesterday on Super Bowl Sunday? I missed it, but the trailer, with some brass shots, looked intriguing. Did not find the whole program yesterday online anywhere (based on a quick google search).

― curmudgeon, Monday, 4 February 2013 16:17 (3 months ago) Permalink

I recorded it but haven’t watched the whole thing yet. It actually looks like it has some real substance, though, and there’s an extended segment on Roots of Music. As an added bonus, there’s another precious moment involving that young snare drummer (I’m pretty sure it’s the same kid). He starts to introduce himself when his sticks fall to the floor. His reaction is priceless. I would love to meet that kid some day and ask for his autograph.

― Jazzbo, Monday, 4 February 2013 17:25 (3 months ago) Permalink

“In New Orleans, band is a sport,” said Gerard Howard, a McDonogh 35 graduate who founded bandhead.org, a site devoted to marching bands. “So bands have to be ready every time they leave the gates of their school. Because whoever is out there will get blown at.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/us/school-band-with-storied-past-gears-for-new-orleans-carnival.html

The New York Times
February 9, 2013
A School Band With History Crams for Carnival
By KATY RECKDAHL

― curmudgeon, Sunday, 10 February 2013 17:00 (3 months ago) Permalink

I've still never been there for Mardi Gras

― curmudgeon, Monday, 11 February 2013 14:11 (3 months ago) Permalink

Fat Tuesday etc

― curmudgeon, Monday, 11 February 2013 14:12 (3 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

http://www.offbeat.com/2013/03/25/rip-cyril-%E2%80%9Cbig-chief-iron-horse%E2%80%9D-green-of-black-seminoles/

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 26 March 2013 04:39 (1 month ago) Permalink

Really grooved on Black Seminoles first thing in the morning last time I was at Jazzfest (before heading into the blues tent for the entire day for the Ponderosa Stomp revue.) No funk band backing (though I love that approach too) just straight up old school chants.

btw, I think stage cubes are released today for JF if anyone's going. I'm not.

― Basil Ironweed (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 26 March 2013 13:50 (1 month ago) Permalink

No JF for me this year either. I am going to be there the week before at the New Orleans portion of the EMP Pop conference talking about current southern chitlin circuit soul on a panel (that unfortunately is at the same time as another panel that covers New Orleans brass, bounce and rap). The American Routs public radio show is having a special anniversary concert the weekend of the EMP conference.

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 26 March 2013 13:56 (1 month ago) Permalink

That panel sounds cool! I've never been to French Quarter Fest, I may give that a shot some year before returning to Jazzfest. More locals, less John Mayer.

― Basil Ironweed (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 26 March 2013 15:28 (1 month ago) Permalink

French Quarter Fest does look good

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 26 March 2013 15:54 (1 month ago) Permalink

Here's the New Orleans panel at the EMP Pop Conference on the 20th of April

Mapping the Sounds of New Orleans: Bass, Bounce, Second-Lines
10:15am–11:45am

Featuring
Rebecca Snedeker
Joshua Jelly-Schapiro
Garnette Cadogan
Joel Dinerstein

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 27 March 2013 01:26 (1 month ago) Permalink

Looking at the Jazzfest schedule: Saturday 4/27 I think I would sit in the blues tent all day for Classie Ballou, Herbert Hardesty, Lil Buck Sinegal, Deacon John, Jon Cleary, and Charles Bradley & his Extraordinaires. Wasn't familiar with the last one, he's a Daptone guy and now I REALLY want to see him.

― Basil Ironweed (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 27 March 2013 15:10 (1 month ago) Permalink

Saw Charles Bradley at a festival last summer. Killer set.

― Jazzbo, Wednesday, 27 March 2013 15:43 (1 month ago) Permalink

Great voice (although I am not always crazy about his material or his band)

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 27 March 2013 16:51 (1 month ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

x-post--- this is Saturday at Tulane (actually event goes from Thursday night to Sunday morning)

Here's the New Orleans panel at the EMP Pop Conference on the 20th of April

Mapping the Sounds of New Orleans: Bass, Bounce, Second-Lines
10:15am–11:45am

Featuring
Rebecca Snedeker
Joshua Jelly-Schapiro
Garnette Cadogan
Joel Dinerstein

Alas, the panel I am on, the Memphis one, is at the same time. Gonna try to get some brass bands at some point through the weekend and hit restaurants and such y'all have recommended or that I have been to in the past

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 17 April 2013 16:31 (1 month ago) Permalink

http://empmuseum.org/programs-plus-education/programs/pop-conference/2013/emp-pop-conference-2013-new-orleans.aspx

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 17 April 2013 16:31 (1 month ago) Permalink

hmm.

new site from the saintly woman responsible for documenting almost every single second line on youtube: http://www.neworleansgoodgood.com/

― shit tie (Jordan), Thursday, 18 April 2013 17:32 (1 month ago) Permalink

Joined a 2nd line today in New Orleans. Hot 8 was great. Saw John Boutte last night at DBA and a young kid brass band sounding good on a Frenchman street corner. Friday night went to the Nick Spitzer 15th anniversary American Routes show at the Rock n Bowl with the treme Brass band, Lost Bayou Ramblers (raucous Cajun), Jon Cleary's band with guests including sax man James Rivers, guitarist Wolfman Washington, Irma Thomas, & Robert Barefootin Parker. James Andrews finished the night. Earlier saw Kermit Ruffins at his restaurant-- started off ok but then he just let amateurs come onstage and play plus a drunk Guitar Slim Jr.

― curmudgeon, Monday, 22 April 2013 06:23 (1 month ago) Permalink

x-post-- met a guy who's been taking photos at nearly every second-line. They used some of his pics in an EMP conference presentation.

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 23 April 2013 15:11 (4 weeks ago) Permalink

Joined a 2nd line today in New Orleans. Hot 8 was great. Saw John Boutte last night at DBA and a young kid brass band sounding good on a Frenchman street corner

good work :)

― shit tie (Jordan), Tuesday, 23 April 2013 15:33 (4 weeks ago) Permalink

http://www.offbeat.com/2013/04/17/mimis-music-suspended-pending-court-case-dj-soul-sisters-hustle-forced-move/#

What is it about people who move to New Orleans near clubs and then complain about clubs being too loud, and hire lawyers to shut 'em down?

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:29 (4 weeks ago) Permalink

I want to read Matt Sakakeeny's dissertation:

Dissertation: Instruments of Power: New
Orleans Brass Bands and the Politics of Performance

He used to co-produce Nick Spitzer's public radio music program "American Routes" and is now a Tulane professor and member of the band Los Poboycitos

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:32 (4 weeks ago) Permalink

Although I've seen their name before, the pun on pobrecito just dawned on me now.

― New Authentic Everybootsy Collins (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:35 (4 weeks ago) Permalink

They have a new cd out. I was busy making last-minute changes to my paper, and tired from flight down there, and thus missed their cd release party and also Dj Soul Sister's Saturday night event. Can't do it all. Glad I did see old-school New Orleans resident Hudson Marquez talk about finding professor Longhair. Plus he showed great footage of him with Snooks Eaglin from 1971

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:39 (4 weeks ago) Permalink

those fucking people with the mimi's lawsuit can suck dicks in hell forever.

i used to live a block from there and now live like 5 blocks away and mimi's, which is not a bar i enjoy or go to very much at all, does a really good job of making that neighborhood safer. who knew that people on the streets was an effective way to curb crime

the relentless backwards gaze that often hamstrings new orleans music is completely (COMPLETELY) fucking over reasonable progress in this city. the same NIMBY morons that do shit like sue mimi's are the same people that block redevelopment of blighted property (like this ancient abandoned boys and girls club on my block that they've successfully prevented rezoning for) or throw a fit about building a modern seven story building on a SIX LANE STATE HIGHWAY.

ok. sorry. zoning laws are the worst. post-k transplants with money to burn on $$$ marigny real estate are the worst. MOVE TO METAIRIE.

― adam, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:42 (4 weeks ago) Permalink

Some brass bands: http://www.furia.com/misc/genremaps/engenremap-brassband.html

― glenn mcdonald, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:49 (4 weeks ago) Permalink

not new orleans but should I go see Young Blood Brass Band in Paris next month?

― sean gramophone, Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:50 (4 weeks ago) Permalink

yes!

― shit tie (Jordan), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:51 (4 weeks ago) Permalink

they are my good friends and their new album is excellent.

― shit tie (Jordan), Wednesday, 24 April 2013 15:52 (4 weeks ago) Permalink

Los Poboycitos member and Tulane Prof Matt Sakakeeny used to blog about brass bands and the Treme tv show here:

http://soundoftreme.blogspot.com/

His NO brass bands book is coming out soon

― curmudgeon, Sunday, 28 April 2013 21:41 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

Was looking over the weekend at someone I know's Facebook news feed (she's in the music biz) and she's down in New Orleans at Jazzfest and she only posted photos from Dave Matthews and Better than Ezra stages. Ugh. Was tempted to comment and ask for brass band, old r'n'b, and zydeco and Cajun.

― curmudgeon, Monday, 29 April 2013 13:54 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

keith spera headline on nola.com: JOHN MAYER LETS HIS GUITAR DO THE TALKING. rip jazzfest

― adam, Monday, 29 April 2013 14:22 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

Although they have lame big name headliners every year (for decades). Its no different-- ok this year's are worse-- last year was Springsteen and the Beach Boys on one weekend. Some years they are better than others. Last year I happily stuck to the smaller stages for the most part. My question is that jazzfest head Quint Davis is supposed to use some of those Jazzfest bucks they make, to help aging New Orleans musicians and such. I wonder if and how he is doing that.

Anybody know why Aaron Neville did not sing with the Neville Brothers this year, whom I read performed without him at the Fest? Maybe he was on the road pushing his new solo album (although I am surprised he would shedule out of town gigs this time of year).

― curmudgeon, Monday, 29 April 2013 14:30 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

http://www.thewholegrittycity.com/

New Orleans brass bands movie doc in production

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 16:27 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

Cool. Just saw that the "Tchoupitoulas" movie mentioned higher up is available on iTunes. Will have to check it out.

― Jazzbo, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 17:29 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

Jazzfest bucks...to help aging New Orleans musicians

http://www.jazzandheritage.org/what-we-do/raisin-the-roof

― New Authentic Everybootsy Collins (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 17:50 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

I just found this:

According to Don Marshall, executive director of the nonprofit foundation that owns the festival, 80% of the $3 million the foundation spends annually on local programming and cultural grants comes from festival proceeds.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323528404578454791718433644.html

Beneath a Pop Skin, Jazz's Heart Beats
By LARRY BLUMENFELD

New Orleans

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 21:56 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

Snowing in Minneapolis, raining in New Orleans. Good day to listen to WWOZ. Shannon Powell right now (recorded earlier.)

http://www.nola.com/jazzfest/index.ssf/2013/04/shannon_powell_reigns_in_glory.html

― New Authentic Everybootsy Collins (Dan Peterson), Friday, 3 May 2013 19:16 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

Anybody familiar with Bruce Raeburn, Director of Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane University, 2009 book "New Orleans Style and the Writing of American Jazz History", U. Michigan Press? Have heard good stuff about the guy. Noticed a tweet saying he was interviewing Nicholas Payton at Jazzfest. He's a musician too (as was his dad)

― curmudgeon, Sunday, 5 May 2013 19:43 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

I've never worked with him directly but when I was an undergrad he gave a really interesting talk about his archives work and collection stuff to a class I was in, he struck me as a dude what knows his shit.

― adam, Sunday, 5 May 2013 22:05 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

Thanks, that seems to be the consensus

― curmudgeon, Monday, 6 May 2013 14:06 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/05/mothers_day_second-line_shooti.html

This is terrible. That Gambit writer who does a 2nd line blog that Jordan posted above, got shot and wounded at the 2nd line today.

― curmudgeon, Monday, 13 May 2013 03:15 (1 week ago) Permalink

Too many shootings in New Orleans. They have video of the shooters this time

― curmudgeon, Monday, 13 May 2013 12:23 (1 week ago) Permalink

fucked up. :(

― precious bonsai children of new york (Jordan), Monday, 13 May 2013 13:48 (1 week ago) Permalink

They've identified a suspect (who has has prior arrests) but haven't found him yet

― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 14 May 2013 15:46 (1 week ago) Permalink

do they have any sense if the perp was aiming at anyone or just causing general mayhem

so fucked up

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Tuesday, 14 May 2013 21:42 (1 week ago) Permalink

hard to tell from the video, but 19 folks were injured and there might have been more than 1 shooter. Due to the alleged perpetrator's lengthy prior arrest record, some online commentators are blaming judges for this guy still being on the street

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 15 May 2013 13:55 (1 week ago) Permalink

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/belief/new-orleans-second-line-tradition-marred-violence

Jazz historian and New Orleans music expert Jason Berry on what happened

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 15 May 2013 14:23 (1 week ago) Permalink

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