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New Birth Brass Band: D-Boy |
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Reviews
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Tuesday, 07 February 2006 00:40 |
D-Boy
New Birth Brass Band
Produced by Allen Toussaint
NYNO Records
By John Sinclair
D-Boy unites the hot street funk of the New Birth Brass Band with the production touch of one of 1he true OG's of funk, Mr. Allen Toussaint, the man behind the immortal works of New Orleans recording stars of the 1960s like Jessie Hill, Ernie K-Doe, Chris Kenner, Lee Dorsey and dozens of others.
Toussaint is back on the scene in a big way with his new label, NYNO- New York New Orleans--and his first studio encounter with modern-day second-line brass band funk. The New Birth band, under the exuberant direction of James Andrews, had all its stuff together already from its many years of working the streets, second-lines and low-down corner bars of the 6th Ward, so Toussaint just seems to stand there with a smile, letting it all go down.
The results are exhilarating: the band is good and loose, the music drives like crazy, and Andrews contributes two great new tunes in "Smoke That Fire" and "Caribbean Second Line." The title track--as well as the album itself--is dedicated to Andrews' brother Darnell, a trombonist gunned down at 17.
Band originals include the very descriptive "Spread Your Legs," "Shake Your Ass," "Ms. Lollipop" and "You Got Yours," and brass band standards like "Whoopin' Blues," "Jesus On The Mainline," "Li'l Liza Jane," "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" and "I Ate Up the Apple Tree" are taken for a joyous, youthful ride.
Trumpeters James Andrews and Derek Shezbie shine, trombonists Corey Henry and Reginald Steward mutter and roar, and the relentless rhythms of Kerwin James (tuba), Cayetano Tanio Hingle (bass drum) and Kerry Hunter (snare drum) keep everything surging forward.
This is the music that drives kids of all ages crazy in the streets of Treme and the funky nightspots where people from the neighborhoods congregate to dance and laugh and have their fun. The young men of the New Birth--most in their 20s, several former members of Re-Birth Brass Band--have been playing it all their lives, and it just keeps on sounding better and better all the time.
--New Orleans
March 31, 1997
(c) 1997, 2006 John Sinclair. All Rights Reserved.
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