New Orleans Brass
by Patrick Gary
 New Orleans is a city with an unmistakable sound. No matter what tragedies
befall the city the New Orleans second-line street beat continues to sound
the city's pulse with a resilience and exuberance that just generates joy.
And while the sound has morphed some as R&B and funk were introduced into
the musical gumbo during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s the new musical
vocabulary simply added to the energy and sound that was pioneered by "Jelly
Roll" Morton, "King" Oliver, and popularized by Louis Armstrong. The sound
has several names (Dixieland, New Orleans Brass Band, Second Liner, etc) but
no true practitioner of the music would allow themselves to be boxed in
completely by any of these labels.
Capturing that sound can be a tricky thing, but Putamayo Presents New
Orleans Brass seems to have done a good job. On one hand the traditionalists
in jazz can stifle the sound, making the musical equivalent of a trip to
Madame Tussaud's. On the other hand there are recordings of New Orleans
"Jazz" that have more R&B and funk than anything else. While Fats Domino may
be a legend from New Orleans, or Harry Connick, Jr may have had commercial
success with his polished big-band swing or his electric funk band, the
heart of New Orleans still quite literally sings the sounds of Satchmo's
scat or the gospel songs of the Deep South's black slaves.
That's the sound that you find here. James and Troy "Trombone Shorty"
Andrews are part of the musical legacy that is New Orleans. Dr. John helped
invent Creole funk, and is found here singing with one of the greatest New
Orleans brass bands of the last 40 years. Their rendition of "It's All Over
Now" is outstanding: certainly one of the highlights of the album. The
Preservation Hall Hot 4 (which is simply a trumpet and rhythm section from
the Preservation Hall Jazz Band) has been together in some form or another
since the 1950s, but still manages to incorporate enough musical breadth to
keep almost any ear engaged. Similarly, The Dukes of Dixieland, with a
pedigree dating back to the 1950s, and a recent reinvigoration that seems to
have moved them to a more authentic, less stifled sound, succinctly sums up
the last 60 years of the sound.
This album does contain previously released material, but most of the music
has not received a great deal of commercial success. That has nothing to do
with the quality and caliber of the recordings, music, or musicians. This is
a happy sounding, energetic album with several stand-out performances. It
serves as a good launch pad for a listener just learning about the sounds of
New Orleans jazz, or as fun ear candy for the jazz collector.
1 James & Troy Andrews - Bourbon Street Parade
2 The Yockamo All-Stars - Blow, Blow Tenor
3 Leroy Jones - Whoopin' Blues
4 John Boutté - I'll Fly Away
5 Glen Andrews & The Lazy Six - Over in the Gloryland
6 Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews - Dreamboat
7 The Dirty Dozen Brass Band with Dr. John - It's All Over Now
8 Bob French's Original Tuxedo Jazz Band with Leon "Kid Chocolate" Brown -
St. James Infirmary Blues
9 Preservation Hall Hot 4 - Dinah
10 Kermit Ruffins - Treme Second Line (Blow Da Whistle)
11 Dukes of Dixieland - Saints (Street Beat)
PUT 270-2 [47:54]
Recorded between 1989 and 2007
Available through www.putumayo.com |
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