onurblues: Rebirth Jazz Band - Here to Stay (1984, 1997)

February 16, 2023

Rebirth Jazz Band - Here to Stay (1984, 1997)

→ Get the album at the usual place...

First in the second line

The album opens with a 19-minute track. It's titled “Mardi Gras Medley” so that those who wouldn't know anything about the Rebirth Brass Band understand where the group comes from and what kind of music is awaiting them.

The RBB was founded in 1983 by a bunch of school mates from the Tremé district of New Orleans lead by Phillip "Tuba Phil" Frazier, his brother bass drum player Keith Frazier and trumpeter Kermit Ruffins. As can be guessed from their name, they wanted to reanimate the New Orleans brass band tradition : the marching bands performing at funerals and “second line” parades.

Originally baptized Rebirth Jazz Band, the group renamed itself Rebirth Brass Band after the release in 1984 by Arhoolie Records of their first LP, recorded live during two nights at The Greasy Lounge in New Orleans a few months before. The LP was re-issued on CD in 1997 by the same label, but still under their original name. Later, become famous, the band is most of the time referred to as just “Rebirth”.

Parading in the streets

From the first note of “Mardi Gras Medley”, what strikes first is the incredible deep low sound of the tuba ! Then comes in a wave of riffing trombones and trumpets backed by the typical local beat of the bass and snare drums. In the last part, when the voices appear, their kind of Dixie jazz-flavored brass style evolves towards wild joyful Mardi-Gras Indians chants.

Keith Frazier

RBB blends New Orleans brass band and second-line music with modern jazz, funk, soul… For the second track they deliver a brass adaptation of jazz pianist Herbie Hancock's “Chameleon”, a funky piece from his Head Hunters period.

Spiritual time with “Lord, Lord, Lord, You Sure Been Good to Me”, a gospel cooked in a New Orleans Dixie pot. But the RBB also integrates bebop jazz in their repertoire as with their bluesy version of Thelonious Monk's “Blue Monk”.

Phil Frazier

Rolling drums introduce two rather exuberant tracks featuring background Mardi-Gras Indian chants : “It Ain't My Fault” from famous New Orleans drummer Smokey Johnson, reminding “When the Saints…”, and “Shake Your Booty” with its hypnotic tuba rhythm. A link to a video of the song performed live is proposed on my blog (see address at the bottom).

The band then delivers a song from 1925 favored by most swing musicians : “Sweet Georgia Brown”, but played here in a slower tempo than usual.

Kermit Ruffins left in 1993

The album also features three typical second-line tunes, two “home-made” pieces written by Phil Frazier : the tuba driven “The Law”, and the exciting final “Here to Stay (P.I.E.)” beginning like a funeral dirge hymn before quickly turning to a rejoicing explosion of second line horns. Between these two tracks is inserted the catchy mix of Dixie and modern jazz  of “Let's Tear It Up”.

No need to say that this typical New Orleans mix of second line and Mardi-Gras rhythms, dominated by Phil Frazier' tuba, is a great moment of musical jubilation offered by appealing musicians. This is probably the most true RBB album to the unique musical trademark of New Orleans. For a debut album it was undoubtedly promising, and RBB further productions have entirely proved what they had stated almost forty years ago : “Here to Stay” ! ■

Documentaries

► A real “jazz funeral” and second line for New Orleans jazz & gospel singer Juanita Brooks in 2009 : https://youtu.be/EG6KH905cGU

► The Rebirth Brass Band and the history of brass bands in New Orleans (Keith Reynaud), 2000 : https://youtu.be/9Y4zIc_AO0s

Interviews of Phil and Keith Frazier,

► 2011 : https://youtu.be/dpAMJMvy3AE

► 2021 : https://youtu.be/WySdCp-hxNY

Second Line atmosphere with the RBB

► French Quarter, New Orleans, 2008 :

→ “Do Watcha Wanna” : https://youtu.be/3E1VBCcA76E

→ Second line dancers : https://youtu.be/6ZXGF-v3x8Q

► Tremé Sidewalk Steppers Second Line parade, New Orleans :

→ 2010 : https://youtu.be/7EOTJ_jB4do

→ 2011 : https://youtu.be/6ALGh7dW6KU

→ 2012 : https://youtu.be/BmaYv3_JJIA

► New Orleans, 2022 : https://youtu.be/82gK1pKRh-o

The Rebirth Brass Band Live

► Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, Wilmington, Delaware, 2006 : https://youtu.be/bdBaDFH92LI

► The Independent, San Francisco, 2008 : https://youtu.be/G7Nt-qZc0HE

► The Howlin' Wolf, New Orleans, 2010 : https://youtu.be/cvqyb8e7SgY

► Michael Jackson tribute, 2010 : https://youtu.be/sHYiKYowBaw

► Martyrs, Chicago, 2011 :

→ #1 : https://youtu.be/vDXd5quNRVU

→ #2 : https://youtu.be/gRReFIs7knU

→ #3 : https://youtu.be/0ZjqqLVawNE

→ #4 : https://youtu.be/5GVXxRTlyso

→ #5 : https://youtu.be/slZ-hHmvu2I

► Kessler Theater, Dallas, Texas :

→ 2011 : https://youtu.be/2EbGRFNCiuU / https://youtu.be/LvhYDchQRUI

→ 2012 : https://youtu.be/kzB3MqbT8L0

► Fairfield, Connecticut, 2012 : https://youtu.be/k0cPKd_a_WM

► The Mezzanine, San Francisco, 2012 : https://youtu.be/qxayPHPHiWU

► Lafayette Square, New Orleans, 2012 : https://youtu.be/a7mbHyTX6-Q

► The Cubby Bear, Chicago, 2012 : https://youtu.be/F1q9N5OE17s

► Unknown location, 2012 : https://youtu.be/n3p--4wgeAU

► The Howlin Wolf, New Orleans, 2013 : https://youtu.be/ZKx54uxFX-o

► Bayou Boogaloo, Norfolk, Virginia, 2013 : https://youtu.be/bUCn77zFDlU

► Dakota, 2013 : https://youtu.be/7ncArHEO0GQ

► Philadelphia, 2014 : https://youtu.be/5R4l85vWRig

► "Rebirth Groove", The Howlin' Wolf, New Orleans, 2014 : https://youtu.be/K7bv7bHK4sY

► Raleigh, North Carolina, 2014 : https://youtu.be/r5REIyEeY7E

► The Funky Biscuit, Boca Raton, Florida, 2014 :

→ https://youtu.be/DH2JSxZyT_o

→ https://youtu.be/lvYn98bLTLY

► From the album : “Shake Your Booty”, Ardmore Music Hall, Pennsylvania, 2015 : https://youtu.be/DI2D2QwAHpM
► Boca Raton, Florida, 2015 : https://youtu.be/4-Bzm29laHI

► Congo Square Rhythms Festival, New Orleans, 2015 : https://youtu.be/ydgEGdk0Q2A

► Magnolia Fest, Live Oak, Florida, 2015 : https://youtu.be/hNIjdhPW0UQ

► TV show, 2016 : https://youtu.be/d3jd0RUFnEA

► Evanston, Illinois, 2016 : https://youtu.be/FTQzYhCzotk

► At the legendary Maple Leaf Bar, New Orleans, 2017 : https://youtu.be/d0Jy8yU0zio