Rebirth Brass Band
Rebirth Brass Band | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Treme, New Orleans, Louisiana |
Genres | Jazz, funk |
Years active | 1983–present |
Labels | Arhoolie, Basin Street, Rounder |
Members |
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Past members |
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Website | rebirthbrassband |
The Rebirth Brass Band is a New Orleans
In 2012, Rebirth won the
Background
Rebirth's longstanding regular Tuesday night gig at the
The band regularly tours North America and Europe. In 2011, Basin Street Records released the album Rebirth of New Orleans, which reached No. 1 on the CMJ Jazz charts and earned the group a 2012 Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album.[3] In 2015, Rebirth received an award for "Best Brass Band" from OffBeat magazine.[6]
By the middle of 2019, founding members Phillip "Tuba Phil" Frazier and Derrick Tabb were no longer playing regularly with the band. At the 2020 Grammy Awards, the band's album Recorded Live At The 2019 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was nominated for Best Regional Roots Music Album.[7]
Family ties
Rebirth Pale Ale
In 2014,
The Roots of Music
In 2007, Rebirth snare drummer,
Tabb and The Roots of Music have received numerous meritorious awards for academic achievement as well as musical accolades. Tabb was a top finalist of the CNN Heroes Award in 2009.[15] He was also the recipient of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Angel Award (2011),[16] and was a finalist for induction into the Energizer Keep It Going Hall of Fame (2010). Tabb has also received proclamations from the City of New Orleans (2009, 2012) and the State of Louisiana (2011) for his work with kids.
In 2013, The Roots of Music participated in the
The Tremé Two
On October 1, 2007, a large group of local musicians gathered in Tremé near the corner of St. Phillip and N. Robertson streets, to sing and play music in honor of recently deceased fellow New Orleans musician, Kerwin James, younger brother of Rebirth Brass Band founders Phil and Keith Frazier. James had died following complications from a stroke he suffered in 2006.[19][20] In the course of the gathering, witnesses state that approximately 20 police cars surrounded the musicians "in response to a noise complaint." A debate with the officers ensued regarding the time-honored tradition of "bringing down" (a gathering of musicians from around the city, playing music in the streets near the home or venue of a deceased musician in the days before the funeral or burial of the deceased). After a heated verbal exchange with the police officers responding to the scene, Rebirth drummer, Derrick Tabb and his brother, former Rebirth member Glen David Andrews, were both arrested and charged with "parading without a permit" and "disturbing the peace by tumultuous manner."[21]
Ellis Joseph of the Free Agents Brass Band was one of the musicians gathered on that night and witnessed the incident. He commented on the police reaction to the crowd of musicians, stating, "...they (the New Orleans police officers) came in a swarm, like we had
The arrest was also witnessed by several local journalists who published scathing editorials the following morning in their respective media outlets. That arrest, combined with escalating police brutality in post-Katrina New Orleans, caused public outcry across the globe. Local residents criticized the handling of the Tabb and Andrews as an example of the treatment of native New Orleanians in regular clashes with New Orleans police patrols.[23] Newspaper, radio, Internet, magazine and television outlets across the country reported on the incident.
Neighborhood citizens dubbed the brothers "The Tremé Two", lauding them as unwitting heroes and advocates for their community and their voice with the city and the police department. There was also public outcry on what was deemed as an attack on the city's culture by an influx of new post-Katrina residents in the neighborhood plus furor over the escalation of permitting fees for parading in certain areas of New Orleans, while fees in tourist areas remained nominal.[22]
A fictionalized adaptation of the street memorial and the arrests of Tabb and Andrews is featured in Season 3, Episode 1, Knock with Me... Rock with Me... of the HBO's Treme TV show.
The Sunday following the arrests, New Orleans City Councilman James Carter held a neighborhood meeting to address the area citizens' concerns for the rise on what they viewed as an attack on the history and culture of Tremé.[24] At the end of the meeting, Carter announced a plan to organize a task force to develop new city ordinances to protect the cultural heritage of the residents in Tremé.[21] At the arraignment of Tabb and Andrews in New Orleans on October 4, 2007, they both entered an innocent plea on the charges of "parading without a permit" and "disturbing the peace by tumultuous manner." The city attorney dismissed the charges on February 20, 2008 with no comment.[22]
In a press conference,
Television and movie appearances
The HBO TV Series Treme
The Rebirth Brass Band and its members appear in several episodes of the HBO series Tremé. Some of the members also served as consultants on the series.[26] The band's music is featured as live performances, recorded music in background and in the score. Additionally, the trumpet playing by Tremé character Delmond Lambreau is covered by Rebirth trumpeter Chadrick Honoré and the trombone playing by Antoine Batiste is covered by Rebirth trombonist Stafford Agee. Agee also appears in several scenes involving the Mardi Gras Indians.[27]
The character Antoine Batiste, played by native New Orleanian Wendell Pierce, is loosely based on the real-life personas of former Rebirth Brass Band member Kermit Ruffins and Rebirth trombonist Stafford Agee. A subplot in the series involving the character's frustrations with music education funding and insurance is heavily grounded in the real-life development of The Roots of Music, a non-profit music education organization founded by Rebirth drummer, Derrick Tabb.[27]
In Season 3, Episode 1 of Treme, "Knock With Me, Rock With Me", former Rebirth member Glen David Andrews and his real-life brother, Rebirth member, Derrick Tabb play fictionalized versions of themselves depicting events surrounding the brothers' actual arrests on October 1, 2007 in New Orleans for "parading without a permit" and "disturbing the peace by tumultuous manner" during a street memorial for fallen musician Kerwin James, the younger brother of Rebirth founding members, Phil and Keith Frazier. The real-life incident drew scathing criticism of the New Orleans Police Department's handling of the neighborhood tradition.[20][21][23]
In the series finale of
Other television
The band appears in the opening scene of CBS's NCIS: New Orleans, Season 1, Episode 2 (2014) - "Carrier" (onstage at live music venue playing "HBNS" from the album Move Your Body).
The Rebirth tracks "Why You Worried Bout Me" and "What Goes Around Comes Around" are played in the background of Season 1, Episode 10, "Casket Girls", of the television show The Originals. Season 2, Episode 4, "Live and Let Die" features the songs "Rebirth Groove" and "Rebirth Makes You Dance".
Movie credits
- The Whole Gritty City (2013) is a documentary featuring Rebirth drummer Derrick Tabb as he prepares The Roots of Music Crusader Band for performance in Mardi Gras parades in post-Katrina New Orleans.[28]
- Skeleton Key (2005)[29]
Book mentions
- Groove Interrupted: Loss, Renewal, and the Music of New Orleans, Keith Spera (2011)
- Keeping the Beat on the Street: The New Orleans Brass Band Renaissance, Mick Burns
- Roll With It: Brass Bands in the Streets of New Orleans, Matt Sakakeeny
- Jazz Times Magazine, Oct 1994, N'awlins Brass Bands - Rebirth of the School
- Best Music Writing 2008, Nelson George, Da Capo Publishing (2008)
Discography
As leader
- Here to Stay! (Arhoolie, 1984)
- Feel Like Funkin' It Up (Rounder, 1989)
- Do Whatcha Wanna (Mardi Gras, 1991)
- Kickin' It Live Mardi Gras New Orleans 1990 (Special Delivery/the Network 1991)
- Take It to the Street (Rounder, 1992)
- Rollin (Rounder, 1994)
- We Come to Party (Shanachie, 1997)
- The Main Event: Live at the Maple Leaf (Louisiana Red Hot, 1999)
- Hot Venom (Mardi Gras 2001)
- Rebirth of New Orleans (Basin Street, 2011)
- Move Your Body (Basin Street, 2014)
- Recorded Live At The 2019 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Munckmix, 2019)
As guest
- Ani DiFranco, Red Letter Year (Righteous Babe, 2008)
- N'Dea Davenport, N'Dea Davenport (V2, 1998)
- Dirtfoot, Coming Up for Air (Gus and Hank, 2013)
- Bo Dollis, I'm Back ... at Carnival Time! (Rounder, 1990)
- Dumpstaphunk, Dirty Word (Louisiana Red Hot)
- John Fogerty, Wrote a Song for Everyone (Vanguard/Columbia, 2013)
- G. Love & Special Sauce, Coast to Coast Motel (Okeh, 1995)
- G. Love & Special Sauce, Kiss and Tell (Okeh, 1995)
- Maceo Parker, Southern Exposure (Novus, 1993)
- Maceo Parker, Maceo (Minor Music, 1994)
- Mutemath, Armistice (Teleprompt/Warner Bros., 2009)
- Robbie Robertson, Storyville (Geffen, 1991)
- Kermit Ruffins, Throwback (Basin Street, 2005)
- Edward Shearmur, The Skeleton Key (Varese Sarabande, 2005)
Gallery
This section contains an unencyclopedic or excessive gallery of images. |
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Second line Oct. 29, 2007
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Phil Frazier, Crawfest 2011
References
- ^ a b Skelly, Richard. AllMusic Profile. Retrieved 2013-02-9
- ^ a b c Burns, Mick. Keeping the Beat On the Street: The New Orleans Brass Band Renaissance. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2006.
- ^ The Times-Picayune. Retrieved 2013-02-2009
- ^ Kermit Ruffins Comes Out Swingin, Keith Spera, Offbeat Magazine, 3-1-1995. Retrieved 12-29-15.
- ^ Remarks by the President on the Ten Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, August 27, 2015. Retrieved 1/5/2016.
- ^ "2015 Best of the Beat Awards: Winners". OffBeat.com. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
- ^ "Artist: Rebirth Brass Band". Grammy.com. Recording Academy. n.d. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
- ^ a b Growing Up Andrews, John Swenson, Offbeat Magazine, 5-1-10. Retrieved 12-20-15
- ^ Why Dey Had to Kill Him?: The Life and Death of Shotgun Joe by Matt Sakakeeny, Louisiana Music, Winter 2012
- Times-Picayune, 5-4-2015. Retrieved 12-29-2015
- ^ "Travis 'Trumpet Black' Hill, rising New Orleans trumpeter, has died at 28". Nola.com. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
- ^ NOLA Brewing's Rebirth Pale Ale to benefit The Roots of Music, Times-Picayune, 4-12-2014. Retrieved 12-24-2015
- ^ The Roots of Music and NOLA Brewing, Uptown Messenger, 12-2-2015. Retrieved 12-24-2015
- ^ Dr. John... 10 years after Katrina, David Fricke, Rolling Stone, 9-4-2015. Retrieved 12-26-2015
- ^ Drummer offers band aid to New Orleans kids, CNN Heroes, 10-01-2009. Retrieved on 12-23-2015
- ^ Blue Cross Names 2011 Angel Award Winners, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, 08-09-2011. Retrieved on 12-24-2015
- ^ Roots of Music: Last practice before President Obama’s visit, WGNO 08-27-2015. Retrieved 12-24-2015
- ^ "Transcript of Obama's Katrina Speech", The Times-Picayune, 08-29-2015. Retrieved 12-24-2015
- ^ Tuba Player Kerwin James, Roxana Hadadi, Jazz Times, 10-7-2007. Retrieved 1-4-2016
- ^ a b Kerwin James 1972-2007, John Swenson, Offbeat Magazine, 11-1-2007. Retrieved 1-4-2016
- ^ a b c d Band on the Run in New Orleans, Larry Blumenfeld, Salon Magazine, 10-29-2007. Retrieved 1-2-2016
- ^ a b c Best Music Writing in 2008: Band on the Run in New Orleans, Nelson George, Da Capo Press 2008
- ^ a b Culture, change collide in Treme, Kathy Reckdahl, The Times-Picayune 10-2-2007. Retrieved 12-24-2015
- ^ RIP Kerwin James (and New Orleans and Houston, Too!), John Nova Loma, The Houston Press, 10-3-2007. Retrieved 1-4-2016
- ^ We Could Be Heroes, Carol Kolinchak, Arts Journal, 10-29-2009. Retrieved 1-2-2016.
- ^ "The Rebirth Brass Band bring their brashness to Tremé, Carol Cooper, The Village Voice 04-20-11. Retrieved on 12-23-2015
- ^ a b Tremé's Antoine Batiste gets his horn sound from Rebirth's Stafford Age, Dave Walker, The Times-Picayune 12-13-2013. Retrieved on 12-23-2015
- ^ "The Whole Gritty City (2013)". IMDb.com. 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
- ^ The Skeleton Key Movie Cast, The New York Times. Retrieved 12-24-2015
External links
- Rebirth Brass Band website
- Life Sentence - an interview with Phil Frazier on the history of Rebirth
- Rebirth Brass Band collection on the Internet Archive's live music archive
- Let Me Do My Thang: Rebirth Brass Band - a documentary filmed and edited by Keith Reynaud, Jr.