Jack Brass Band

“Not only do they emulate their teachers with exacting precision, they also leave their own distinctive imprint on a musical style that is now theirs.” --Ben Jaffe, Director, Preservation Hall Jazz Band 

A recent trip to New Orleans reminded me of the many ways that one can apply “unique” to the Big Easy, a cultural melting pot of the traditions of Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe that created gumbo, literally and figuratively. Walk through the French Quarter and catch a whiff of jambalaya, an eyeful of Creole architecture, a sweet breeze of magnolia blossoms, and always music—everywhere, a sound of joy, a sigh of blues. Today you can hear just about anything emanating from bars, restaurants, small clubs, even the souvenir shops, from bluegrass to country to blues to modern jazz, but the loudest, most consistent, most New Orleans sound is that of the traditional brass band. Seems someone on any given corner has a horn to blow. Walk through Jackson Square and you’ll pass by at least a few small congregations of youngsters seeking to match their elders on “St. Louis Blues” or “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In.” Now in the post-Katrina years, it’s reassuring to hear the sounds of the early purveyors of jazz even while many of its most seasoned practitioners remain expatriates of their native venues.

Perhaps it is the displacement of its origins that makes us more attuned to the sounds of New Orleans here in the upper Midwest, and grateful that groups such as the Jack Brass Band keep the Crescent City flame burning brightly with releases such as Traditionally Speaking (Jack Brass Band, 2007).

The Band 

The only New Orleans style brass band based in Minneapolis, Jack Brass has been enthralling audiences since 1999. Mixing the Big Easy’s traditions with old-time blues, rock, hip-hop, pop, funk and reggae, they’ve impressed no less than Wynton Marsalis, who noted, "If you like your gumbo spicy and your music hot, check out the Jack Brass Band."

JBB founder and bass drummer Mike Olander was originally a saxophonist and member of the U of M Marching Band and Jazz Ensemble. A fan of the famed Dirty Dozen Brass Band since high school days, Olander modeled Jack Brass after his heroes, transplanting the revival of the New Orleans brass bands of the 80s and 90s to Minnesota and bringing with it the syncopation of the famed “second line” bands melded with rap and other sounds of the modern era. The band opened for the Rebirth Brass Band in a New Orleans club in 2004 and, in the wake of Katrina, has been busy raising funds and sending instruments south to help revitalize and maintain the music traditions that they have helped celebrate in the Midwest. Other band members who appear on the new recording include Andrew “Dizzy” Gillespie (snare and cymbal), who has lived and studied in Brazil and Puerto Rico; trumpeter Andy Hakala, who also plays with the Cedar Avenue Big Band; trumpeter Zack Lozier, a native of Milwaukee who plays with the quartet Green at the Artists Quarter; tenor saxman Gus Sandberg, who has played and recorded with the great Irv Williams; trombonist Scott Agster, a member of Snowblind and Pete Whitman’s X-Tet; trombonists Scott Moriarty and Matt Hanzelka; sousaphone masters Rob Seeger and Erik Jacobson. Two tracks feature the blues voice of James Andrews.

The Music, Traditionally Speaking

Traditionally Speaking

On “Hindustan,” trombonist Hanzelka slides and groans delightfully while the cymbal work is frantic and fearless, and if “frenetic” can describe a sousaphone or bass drum, it fits the energy of this track. “Back O’ Town Blues” is appropriately whiney, with Agster on trombone this time, pulling out some of the same hilarious groans and moans as he does with the very modern Snowblind, while tenor sax (Sandberg) and sousaphone (Seeger) create a dark duet passage. Seeger shines throughout “I’m Walkin’”—walking a pulsating line from start to finish. Gillespie is the hero throughout the traditional “Just a Closer Walk With Thee,” his snare spraying sputter between beats that gives this well worn hymn new life. It moves from funereal to fun as a duel develops between trumpet (Hakala) and trombone (Agster). 

“Everything’s Lovely” could be a modern-day film soundtrack, the percussion leading a fast pace, a yaketty trumpet trading calls with rest and Gillespie shining in a solo display. Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman” showcases the band’s diverse talents, Hakala’s trumpet squealing with a vibe that says trad and 21st century at the same time. It’s conversational and salty, with Sandberg’s gravely sax bouncing off Moriarty’s equally bumpy trombone. The clanging percussion and oopah of sousaphone give a good lead in to James Andrews’ vocals, his gritty throatiness a good counterpoint to the horns. The big band harmonies of “Whoopin’ Blues” conjure a march down Bourbon Street, while African rhythms meet New Orleans timbres on “Grazin in the Grass.” The popping percussion alone gives this final track an “old world meets new” feel, conjuring the Islands more than the Delta. 

Traditionally Speaking was recorded in Minneapolis and New Orleans, mixed and mastered by Matthew Zimmerman of Wild Sound Studios. Available from CD Baby. More information at www.jackbrassband.com

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites