New Orleans Brass Bands S/D

http://www.offbeat.com/2012/08/22/oh-boo-hoo/?utm_source=WB+08+23+12&utm_campaign=Weekly+Beat+8%2F23%2F12&utm_medium=email

Offbeat re more noise complaints

Just in time for the anniversary of Katrina on Wednesday

New Orleans area now in danger of direct hit by Isaac late Tuesday

Published: Sunday, August 26, 2012, 3:54 PM
By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune

National Hurricane Center forecasters declared a hurricane warning for New Orleans and southeastern Louisiana, and now predict that Tropical Storm Isaac will make landfall just east of the New Orleans area, at the Louisiana-Mississippi border, as a strong Category 2 hurricane with top winds of 100 mph Wednesday morning. The forecast indicates the storm will be just off the mouth of the Mississippi River as a Category 1 hurricane at 2 p.m. Tuesday, meaning the storm's weaker western side could hammer the New Orleans area for 24 hours.

Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency this afternoon, recommending voluntary evacuation of areas outside the hurricane levee system in the 15 Louisiana parishes that are in the forecast's hurricane watch area.

12 to 20 inches of rain

many folks without power. Will there be flooding?

http://www.offbeat.com/2012/07/31/glen-david-andrews-faces-attempted-murder-charge/?utm_source=WB+08+30+12&utm_campaign=Weekly+Beat+8%2F30%2F12&utm_medium=email

Glen's got some issues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr5ye3WErWs

Nice. Do you have more bandmembers than a few years ago?

Alison Fensterstock ‏@AlisonF_NOLA
There was a mother hen with storm-ruffled feathers walking on St Claude with chicks & I wish the mobile network worked enough to post a pic

like most brass bands it varies from gig to gig, but we had add extra trumpet there and a few long-time crew members on aux perc.

James 'Sugar Boy' Crawford, New Orleans rhythm & blues singer of 'Jock-A-Mo,' dies at 77
Published: Saturday, September 15, 2012, 10:02 AM
Keith Spera, The Times-Picayune By Keith Spera, The Times-Picayune

James “Sugar Boy” Crawford, the New Orleans rhythm & blues singer who wrote and recorded the enduring Mardi Gras season standard “Jock-A-Mo,” died early Saturday after a brief illness. He was 77.

“Jock-A-Mo” borrowed its lyrics from age-old Mardi Gras Indian chants. It was later remade by the Dixie Cups as “Iko Iko.” Artists as diverse as Dr. John, the Grateful Dead and Cyndi Lauper also recorded variations.

Mr. Crawford’s own career came to a premature end following a police beating in 1963. Only in recent years did he return to the stage, and then only occasionally.

Dubbed “Sugar Boy” as a child, Mr. Crawford grew up around LaSalle Street. He played trombone while attending Booker T. Washington High School. He also formed a rhythm & blues band that deejay Dr. Daddy-O dubbed the Chapaka Shawee, after one of the band's instrumentals. The group performed in local clubs and released a single on Aladdin Records.

Leonard Chess, co-founder of Chess Records, happened to hear the Chapaka Shawee at radio station WMRY while in New Orleans. He made what was purportedly an audition tape of the group.

“The man paid me $5, and I went and bought some wine and red beans,” Mr. Crawford recalled for The Times-Picayune’s Sheila Stroup this spring.

Weeks later, a disc jockey at the station presented Crawford with a 78 rpm record of “I Don't Know What I’ll Do.” It was manufactured from the audition tape and credited to Sugar Boy & His Cane Cutters.

In November 1953, at age 19, Mr. Crawford recorded his composition “Jock-A-Mo” at Cosimo Matassa’s J&M Studio on North Rampart Street, with a band that included Snooks Eaglin on guitar. He did not know what the lyrics meant.

“It was just a couple of Indian chants I put together and made a song out of them,” he said.

In a 2002 interview with OffBeat magazine, Mr. Crawford said he actually sang "Chock-a-Mo." But Leonard Chess, listening to the recording in Chicago, heard "Jock-A-Mo" and dubbed that as the title.

Released on the Chess subsidiary Checker Records, "Jock-A-Mo" was a hit during the 1954 Carnival season and a boon to Mr. Crawford’s career. He became popular on the fraternity circuit at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and toured around the country, even though he was too young to perform in venues where alcohol was served.

“I was so young, they had to send my money home to my people,” he said. "They had to stop serving liquor when I performed."

Over the next decade, he recorded for various labels, including Imperial Records, releasing such singles as "I Bowed on My Knees,” “You Gave Me Love,” "Morning Star" and "She's Gotta Wobble (When She Walks)."

But in 1963, his career, and life, took a tragic turn. En route to a show in Monroe with his band, he was stopped by police and badly pistol-whipped.

"The sheriff in Columbia called ahead, and they had a roadblock set up for me,” he recalled. "It was the time of the Freedom Riders, and the police jumped on me and cracked my skull."

The beating left Mr. Crawford in a coma. A metal plate replaced part of his badly damaged skull. When he awoke, he had lost much of his memory. “I had a brain injury, and it took me two years to come back,” he said. “I had to learn how to walk, talk, play the piano, everything.

“I don't have to hear people talk about those times. I lived them.”

He briefly attempted a comeback, but was discouraged by what he perceived as his diminished talent. He subsequently retired from rhythm & blues. For decades, he confined his singing to the church.

He went to trade school and became a building engineer. For several years he maintained the Masonic Temple building on St. Charles Avenue. Later, he owned and operated C&C Locksmith, and lived in Gentilly. After sorting out the publishing rights to his old catalog, he earned royalties whenever "Jock-A-Mo" or one of its derivatives turned up in movies or commercials, such as when the Belle Stars’ recording of “Iko Iko" appeared on the "Rain Man" soundtrack.

It was his grandson, the pianist and singer Davell Crawford, who coaxed Mr. Crawford out of retirement. He appeared on Davell’s 1995 CD “Let Them Talk,” and subsequently joined his grandson onstage, including at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

In recent years, those appearances became more frequent. Mr. Crawford guested with gospel singer Jo “Cool” Davis as recently as the 2012 Jazz Fest.

Mr. Crawford also taped scenes with Davell for an episode of the upcoming third season of HBO’s “Treme.”

"Jock-A-Mo," both the song and the phrase, is ingrained in the local consciousness. Dr. John, who originally recorded the song for his 1972 album "Dr. John's Gumbo," performed it during halftime of the 2008 NBA Allstar Game in New Orleans. The Abita Brewing Company named one of its beers Jockamo IPA.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

Staff writer Sheila Stroup contributed to this obituary.

© 2012 NOLA.com. All rights reserved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q30RRaG_6cQ

Nice call on "Overboard," that song is such a barnburner.

Arriving in NOLA Friday — can’t wait! I’ll be at the corner of Canal and Bourbon that night. Also have Rebirth at the Maple Leaf and maybe the Stooges (Congo Square on Thursday) on our go-see list. Can’t decide where to see Kermit, however: Blue Nile, Bullet’s, his own Speakeasy or Vaughan’s?

I'm guessing you're having fun, and flipped a coin to decide where to see Kermit.

Read this elsewhere (have not listened yet myself)

In case you missed the American Routes program featuring nightclubs in NOLA (first hour) and selections from Festival Acadiens et Creoles (second hour), here's a link:
http://americanroutes.wwno.org/archives/show/764/from-home-page#.UFngwv6N4m0.facebook

This week on American Routes, we bring you music from the festival stage and the clubs of South Louisiana. We visit some of our favorite nighttime musical haunts in New Orleans and spend time with guitar man Ernie Vincent and jazz historian Bruce Raeburn. Then, allons a Lafayette for the Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, south Louisiana's annual celebration of Cajun and Creole music, food and culture. We'll hear classic performances from the early days of the festival, talk with founder and scholar Barry Ancelet and sample some of the sights and sounds from the festival grounds.

http://www.nola.com/treme-hbo/index.ssf/2012/09/hbos_treme_renewed_for_a_fourt.html

HBO's 'Treme' renewed for a fourth and final season
Published: Saturday, September 22, 2012, 6:46 PM Updated: Saturday, September 22, 2012, 8:31 PM
By Dave Walker, The Times-Picayune

HBO's Treme Season 3 Premiere for Cast and Crew

On the eve of “Treme’s” third-season premiere, the HBO drama’s cast and crew learned that there will be a fourth season, albeit abbreviated. Series co-creators David Simon and Eric Overmyer made the announcement at a screening for production participants Saturday (Sept. 22) at the Joy Theater.

...

Wow, I totally missed that Sugarboy Crawford passed on. RIP. My band covers "Overboard," but there's no way we can match the chaotic, just on the edge of falling apart vibe.

Reading the Offbest Mag email I see that (NYC based I think)onetime University of New Orleans student Jamison Ross, won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Drums Competition at the Kennedy Center in DC.

Leaving NOLA for home today. We got to see the Treme Brass Band and Rebirth, the latter of which surprised everyone by playing a short set after Kermit at his Speakeasy. But the best were the Stooges, playing in Armstrong Park last night. I'll post a couple of vids when we get home.

one of the best bands i saw while in NOLA this past april was the to be continued brass band:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YKyxrG2QwI

really dynamic and fun band.

i was amazed that even though NOLA has a tonne of little record companies, and NOLA music is fairly marketable outside the city, many of the brass bands don't have much of an online presence with their music.

Treme Brass Band at d.b.a. this week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1wdIvUHiGE&list=UUad-xCQMJvt-oRXN86HRNAA&index=1&feature=plcp

Here's The Stooges Brass Band breaking into some Stevie Wonder when they played the "Jazz in the Park" series on Sept. 27, 2012 at Louis Armstrong Park. They were incredible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz9E9YUXOs0&feature=relmfu

Finally, Kermit Ruffins playing "Iko Iko" at his Speakeasy in the Treme. He cooked us some rabbit, then played his ass off. One of the friendliest groups of music-lovers I've had the pleasure of being around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hchwNRPP6yM&list=UUad-xCQMJvt-oRXN86HRNAA&index=4&feature=plcp

stooges do the stage band (drumkit/keyboards/etc) thing better than anyone else i've seen, but i'd still rather hear them in full brass band mode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grgEgb4CcDE

appropos of nothing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKt7le98CEQ

was amazed that even though NOLA has a tonne of little record companies, and NOLA music is fairly marketable outside the city, many of the brass bands don't have much of an online presence with their music.

― borntohula, Saturday, September 29, 2012

I wonder if they're tweeting.

From Offbeat editorial re the City's attempts to shut down clubs because of solitary complaints. This is about a place I confess to not knowing about:

Mimi’s in the Marigny, which has presented live music on Royal and Franklin for 10 years, was closed by co-owner Mimi Dykes because of her fear she was out of compliance with city permits regarding noise—this, despite the fact the bar uses noise-deadening window treatments at Mimi’s Upstairs, where live music plays and DJs (notably Soul Sister) work regularly. Mimi also has regular noise decibel readings to make sure she’s in compliance.

Dykes went back to business as usual only to get in hot water again after last weekend, when a neighbor complained about the loud noise coming from Mimi’s at 1 a.m. Interestingly, Mimi’s Upstairs shuts down its music at midnight, so live music and DJs got a bad rap from the neighbors because the noise didn’t come from live music. It apparently came from a jukebox downstairs. There were also “party buses” in the neighborhood that evening—is she supposed to manage street traffic too?

Stooges are touring the East Coast next month. I’m going to see them Nov. 3 in Providence.

http://www.stoogesmusicgroup.com/news#

Cool. Election night the 6th in Baltimore, and in DC on the 7th.

Assuming they'll be using the stage band setup for the tour.
http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2012/10/stooges_brass_band_mixes_it_up.html

Can't vouch for their excellence vs other brass bands (they just played well-worn standards), but Pair-O-Dice Tumblers Brass Band was fun to second line with during the Art for Art's sake Krewe of the Living Dead zombie crawl.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8328/8105406773_ba63f1e443_z.jpg
20121006-079-zombie_walk_DxO by Sanpaku1, on Flickr

Ooopsie.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8183/8105454012_fc6fd58930.jpg
20121006-079-zombie_walk_DxO by Sanpaku1, on Flickr

From a Basin Street Records press email:

Rebirth Brass Band opening 8 shows for the Red Hot Chili Peppers Nov 14-26

Ned Sublette will be speaking in New Orleans tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 30) evening at 6:30 at Tulane's Jones Hall, room 100A, on "Kongo Belief Past and Present." On Thursday, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m. in the Iberville Room of the Astor Crowne Plaza, he will be part of a panel at the American Musicological Society conference titled "Moving Roots of Music: The Many Worlds within New Orleans."

http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2012/11/bob_french_to_receive_low-ley.html

And, per Mr. French’s instructions, there will be no official second-line jazz funeral.

oh shit. cranky and contrary to the end.

i put some of my favorite cuts from my favorite Bob French record (which, sadly, appears to be out of print and hard to find?) on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZP0QTDDoY4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPKXEhl4KK0

Offbeat Magazine 2012 poll nominees:

14.

Best Brass Band

Hot 8 Brass Band

Pinettes Brass Band

Rebirth Brass Band

The Soul Rebels

Stooges Brass Band

15.

Best Brass Band Album

Mainline Brass Band - Mainline Brass Band

On My Way - New Birth Brass Band

The Life and Times - The Hot 8 Brass Band

Twenty Dozen - Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Unlock Your Mind - The Soul Rebels

x-post--finally listened to those Bob French cuts. Nice! RIP

Who's going to watch these kids in the Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1? Heard the Roots of Music kids rehearse above us while we were touring the Cabildo in September. Rebirth Brass Band drummer Derrick Tabb deserves much props for founding this organization.
http://noladefender.com/content/ro56ots-m1usic-headed-rose-bowl

Haven't seen 'em yet. But I did see on CNN late last night a reporter covering a New Orleans New Year's event-- I saw a white folks brass band doing the "Treme" show theme with an African-American dancer; and better than that--Dr. Michael White playing clarinet with a snare drummer.

Dang, I was out of town mid-November and totally missed news of Bob French's passing. Seeing him at Donna's Bar ranks among my best N.O. memories. RIP.

what good is going on in nola this week? my brother's there for a short while and i think things have changed quite a bit since i was there in 2010. i'd love to be able to recommend him some music especially brass bands.

First off, tell him to head to the corner of Bourbon and Canal Fridday night for the weekly brass band jam. Rebirth plays the Maple Leaf on Tuesdays, Hot 8 is at Howlin’ Wolf on Jan. 6, Treme Brass Band is at dba Jan. 8. Not a brass band, but I highly recommend Kermit Ruffins’ Treme Speakeasy on Sunday and Monday nights. Get there early for dinner and then Kermit will play a couple of sets (and you’ll be home at a decent hour). Some great trad jazz bands also play for tips on Royal Street and there’s always someone good playing at the Spotted Cat, Blue Nile, Hi-Ho Lounge, Chickie Wah Wah, etc. Course, Preservation Hall should be experienced at least once. John Boutte’s a must-see, too, but I’m not sure if he has any gigs in the city this week.

rad, thanks jazzbo.

from Offbeat:

"I can't sing like I used to sing, but I'm-a try one more thing," sang Bo Dollis Sr. before the launching into the chorus of "Hey Now Baby (One More Time)" during a December 18 session at Nola Recording Studios in Mid-City.

The recording will make its way onto Bo Dollis Jr.'s debut record as a leader, scheduled for release at Jazz Fest 2013. "Hey Now Baby" also marks the first time that Bo Dollis Sr. and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux have recorded together in over a decade.

and more from Offbeat-- but not a lot of brass in the top 25. Soul Rebels at 7

http://www.offbeat.com/2013/01/01/offbeat-top-50-louisiana-albums-2012/

which is like the most boring soul rebels record ever, but hey.

some serious folklore here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpMSvDaO_jA&list=PLyLPqhafxEWdHO8MTf5y7BNd1cBHgNLWj

part 6 is the dopest one for derrick tabb being derrick tabb

Not brass band but...

Christian Scott Christian aTunde Adjuah (Concord)

This New Orleans release is showing up on lots of best jazz 2012 lists.