New Orleans Brass Bands S/D

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/23/AR2007082301413_pf.html

excerpt from

Still Singing Those Post-Katrina Blues

By Teresa Wiltz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 26, 2007; M01

Two years post-Katrina, it's like this for the city's musicians: New Orleans may be the music mecca, the birthplace of jazz, the place where you go to get your juice. But it's no place to make money.

"People tell me I should get the (expletive) out," says Boutte, at 48 and 5-foot-3, a bronze-skinned, bellicose, curly-haired Pan.

"Hell no. Why should I leave? This is my home. My ancestors' bones are here. . . .

"They've squashed my joy. But I'm not extinguished yet."

* * *

Nearly 4,000 New Orleans musicians were sent scattering after Hurricane Katrina hit on Aug. 29, 2005. Many of them have been trying to return ever since. Today the soul of the city -- its rich musical legacy-- is at risk.

"Everything is shrinking," says David Freedman, general manager of WWOZ-FM, a public radio station in the city. "In the clubs, you get the impression that all's back to normal. When you start scratching the surface, it's smoke and mirrors.

"So many musicians have not come back. How many can we lose before we lose that dynamic? To what degree do we just become a tourist theme park?"

By industry insiders' estimates, a third of the city's musicians, like Boutte, have found a way back home for good. Another third, like Lumar LeBlanc of the brass band Soul Rebels, are doing what he calls "the double Zip code thing," parachuting into town for gigs and then heading back to temporary homes in Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles. The final third, like blind bluesman Henry Butler, stuck in Denver, have yet to make it back.

2 years ago today was the last normal day before katrina. there was hurricane talk but nothing crazy. regular friday stuff. saturday nagin was on the tv talking like it was going to be a 4 or a 5 and that people should evacuate to the west. which is what i do and i hate evacuation traffic so i called off of work and we went to dallas.

this silent second line today is a nice idea but musicians get handouts like crazy in this city and loudly campaigning for more just points out to the rest of the new orleans working class that no one cares about them (non-musicians) at all. doing this through the mall in DC in support of all new orleanians would make more sense.

just points out to the rest of the new orleans working class that no one cares about them (non-musicians) at all

Yeah, this has crossed my mind a lot.

i don't mean to suggest that the average professional musician in new orleans walks an easy road. people who used to get by gigging in clubs and stuff now play on the street for spare change.

Couple videos of the Stooges (reunion) gig at Jazzfest showed up on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZcizg1VYgk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTHeNA4q3TI&NR=1

(4 trombones & 4 trumpets, ha)

Oh and look, TBC has a myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/blakson7

The tunes on there are same as on that live bootleg they've been selling, there's some pretty hot shit on there.

I should do a phone or e-mail interview with TBC and pitch it to Offbeat (or pitch them first and then hopefully do a piece). They need some new contributors I think.

The TVOne channel is gonna have some sort of N'awlins music special on Wednesday night, as is some other cable channel whose identity I have forgotten. Plus, if you get HBO they're showing the Spike Lee doc again.

Today is the 2 year Katrina anniversary I think. Adam, hope things are going well for you down there (and I think an American Routes radio show staffer from down there sometimes peruses this thread also--I need to catch up on some of their radio offerings via their website).

The day has also attracted a passel of politicians _ President Bush chief among them. He and Laura Bush arrived Tuesday night and dined with Leah Chase, the Queen of Creole cooking, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and musician Irvin Mayfield.

I wanted to throw something through the tv when I saw Bush in New Orleans on tv today (but I kinda felt the same way when I saw Mayor Nagin, and when I saw the head of Habitat for Humanity justify how little of the money that got sent to them for New Orleans, actually went to New Orleans). I switched back and forth from various tv specials later and saw Rebirth and bluesy-jazzy soul vocalist Deacon John. On the Deacon John show I unfortunately came in on the end of a portion all about Earl Palmer's unique drumming.

http://foodmusicjustice.com/

http://nonotes.wordpress.com/2007/08/30/buildings-music-and-catastrophe-bonds/

Rob Walker states in the above link Salon has an article that (in the second half) emphasizes the continuing problems faced by N.O. musicians. Actually it’s stories like this that make me wonder about that Jazz Center proposal(he previously linked to a proposal to build a huge jazz center in New Orleans). I know it isn’t this simple but: Is it really going to be the case that some massively expensive monument to jazz gets built for the benefit of tourists or whatever — while actual New Orleans musicians end up being unable to make a living in the city? What’s wrong with that picture?

Rebirth played Baltimore last month, but not DC. Someone's gotta do a better job of booking bands here (or I need to try to get involved and try to help)

Was in NOLA two weeks ago - took a wrong turn and ended up driving through miles of still largely empty residential areas ..... depressed the shit out of me, and made the theme park aspects of the -full and busy -French Quarter a little hard to take.

i wonder if these guys are any good...

http://www.tru-thoughts.co.uk/artists/hot-8-brass-band

Welcome to the thread. You wonder! Jordan has been touting 'em on this thread for years and hipped me to them. They were great when I saw them. Yes they are good. Sadly one of their members got murdered earlier this year.

Article about his family today's Times Picayune

Let's make this part of the presidential debate.

We can make it part of the presidential debate, offer facts about Bush and the Army Corps, and sadly, 50% of America will still say noone should be living there and if they are they should pull themselves up by their own bootstraps (even if these critics never did)

I don't know. Edwards is hitting the issue pretty hard.

I agree and like that he's doing so and hope you're correct, I'm just, for some reason, feeling especially cynical about a Democrat actually winning the White House, the Dems expanding their control in Congress, and changes happening in New Orleans in the logical manner we would love to see.

NY Times article on African-American University Marching Bands

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/08/arts/music/08band.html?ei=5087%0A&em=&en=4e8cbf505aadc98b&ex=1189483200&pagewanted=print

BEN RATLIFF
Published: September 8, 2007

HOUSTON — At four blasts of a drum major’s whistle, the Marching Storm, Prairie View A&M University’s 250-piece marching band, invaded the football field at Reliant Stadium here in columns spread evenly across 80 yards. It was halftime at the annual Labor Day Classic that pits Prairie View against Texas Southern University, and for many in the stadium it was the most important part of the game.

The joke about black-college football games in the South is that the crowd patterns are the reverse of the norm. The fans talk, flirt and eat during the first two quarters, then return to their seats to scrutinize the marching bands through their eight-minute shows at halftime.
.....

the Marching Storm gleamed. At one point its spooky version of Miles Davis’s “All Blues” — a blues hymn for 250 — was stepped on by the Ocean of Soul, which started up with some hip-hop before the peaceful song was done. Mr. Edwards went to have a word with the opposing band director.

Later the same thing happened, this time with a beautiful result. The Marching Storm started Rihanna’s summer hit “Umbrella,” and quickly, the Ocean of Soul responded in kind.

Neither side backed down. Out of sync, they both kept playing the same song, and the stadium rang with massed trumpet shouts imitating “Brella-ella-ella.” It was overwhelming, a wave of charisma. Footage of the “Umbrella” battle was online within hours.

marchingsport.com

Anyone (Jordan?) know if Hot Venom ever came out on vinyl?

Pretty sure the answer is no. I've seen a couple of their early (not great) albums on vinyl, but nothing recent unfort.

Sad news from Houston: New Birth tuba man Kerwin James passed away Friday, a year or so after a devastating stroke...James was the brother of the Fraziers from Rebirth...Funeral this Saturday in New Orleans.

RIP Kerwin

Hey, Shamar Allen (ex-Rebirth, Hot 8) has a solo album coming out: http://shamarrallen.com/music.htm

Police break up impromptu second-line for Kerwin...

http://blog.nola.com/updates/2007/10/culture_change_collide_in_trem.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXepXK8FHhc

In some ways, the police complaints parallel those NOPD officials raised earlier this year, as they defended the high permit fees that the department was charging New Orleans' weekly second-line parades, hosted by social aid and pleasure clubs. Ultimately, the NOPD settled that suit, assessing much lower rates to allow the clubs to parade. Club members saw the court victory as an admission by police officials that they had been insensitive to New Orleans' culture.

But Curry and other longtime residents point fingers at Treme newcomers, who buy up the neighborhood's historic properties, then complain about a jazz culture that is just as longstanding and just as lauded as the neighborhood's architecture.

"They want to live in the Treme, but they want it for their ways of living," Curry said.

For newly arrived neighbors, Curry sometimes serves as a cultural interpreter. "I tell them, 'When someone dies in the Treme, you're going to hear a band,'" she said. But to those neighbors dismayed by the noise or the crowds that come along with those bands, Curry is stern. "I say, 'You found us doing this -- this is our way," she said.

Sure sounds like both the police and the new Treme residents have some learning to do.

I need to catch up on what's new musically here. The only thing I've read about lately is the new Republican Louisiana governor

i find myself completely unable to articulate the depth of my frustration and anger with the people of louisiana after last week's election. wtf is wrong with these people--not only the morons that voted for jindal but the lazy fucking pieces of shit that stayed home and didn't vote. turnout was garbage. i guess we deserve what we get.

So Jindal sucks, basically? What's his deal?

Musically there's not a lot of new records or anything. Hot 8, Rebirth, and Soul Rebels (and my band) are all recording new stuff but it doesn't look like anything will be out for a few months at least. The Free Agents record is great but isn't out yet. Shamarr's record is great too, on the trad tip.

Jindal apparently convinced people that he's just gonna be an ethical administrator who makes things work ( but he also supports teaching creationism in the public schools and follows other standard right-wing policies). Is that right, Adam? I just saw an article in the W. Post or NY Times that Republican governors throughout the South are running on that time of platform (we get things done and make the trains run on time blah blah blah so don't pay attention to our underlying far-right values)--Florida, Georgia, & Alabama. The Democrat who was running in Louisiana barely got any support and there were various independents running as well I think.

There's a lot of decent bb stuff on youtube, but from a playing perspective it doesn't get much sicker than this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYQ5ZTwhAmA

(i've probably posted this before but oh well)

I think there's info available on the 2008 Jazzfest and Ponderosa Stomp. I believe they added a Thursday back for Jazzfest, and the Neville Brothers are gonna return as closing weekend headliners (Aaron had previously said that the air in New Orleans was bad for his health, and I think one of his brothers was just mad at the the way the city was run, but I guess they're gonna just deal with whatever was bothering them).

Frankie Beverly & Maze!

Folks in DC love them. They always play to big crowds

huh:

BLIND BOYS "DOWN IN NEW ORLEANS"
Wed, Sep. 26 2007
Two icons of the American cultural landscape will join forces to release “Down In New Orleans” – The Blind Boys of Alabama, Grammy-winning gospel favorites for over six decades, and Time Life, the world’s largest direct marketers of audio and video products.

Recorded in New Orleans at Piety Street Studios with a stellar cast of local artists, “Down In New Orleans” demonstrates how Crescent City soul, so deeply influenced by gospel music, can in return invigorate traditional classics. The CD is anchored by a trio of world-class New Orleans’ musicians (David Torkanowsky, Roland Guerin and Shannon Powell) and includes guest appearances by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Allen Toussaint and the Hot 8 Brass Band.

that's one of my favorite rhythm sections right there

That looks great.

So what are the New Orleans/brass band albums of the year?

(And by the way, I've left City Pages, so hit me at petescholtes "at" gmail "dot" com if you have any tours/news coming to Minnesota.)

Hot 8 - Live at Jazzfest '07 is sick.

The Free Agents Brass Band album is done, and really good, but it doesn't have an official release yet afaik.

TBC Brass Band put out a live cd-r that I listened to a ton.

Rebirth put out that dvd, and I like those Harry Connick Jr. records from early in the year (esp "Oh My Nola").

Seems like there will be some new brass band records in early '08 from Hot 8, Rebirth, Soul Rebels at least.

I'll track down the Hot 8 album, thanks, man.

Oh, that link didn't work but you can get it from louisianamusicfactory.com

there's a 10 min rebirth video at the bottom of this page, pretty hot for an in-store!

http://louisianamusicfactory.com/InStores/jf2007/Day6/index.html

Offbeat magazine out of New Orleans needs to run a feature or 3 on TBC and Free Agents and provide updates on Hot 8 and the others.

i did come across this recently: http://www.louisianaweekly.com/weekly/news/articlegate.pl?20071008c

small soldiers and baby boyz brass bands, new to me!

That is cool. That Andrews family is something. The writer of the article used to (maybe still does?) write for Offbeat.