Published on Aug 11, 2014
Birthed in 1983 by Keith Frazier, his brother Philip Frazier and the world-renowned trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, the Rebirth Brass Band built a legendary reputation from mixing traditional sounds from New Orleans with soul, hip-hop, jazz, blues, gospel and funk. Though Ruffins left the band a decade after their inception, the Rebirth Brass Band has forged ahead with highly praised live shows and even picked up a Grammy in 2012 for Best Regional Roots Music Album.
On this follow up to their Grammy winning album, Tracy Freeman, known for his flawless work with Harry Connick Jr., illuminates the arsenal of instruments well while putting a very polished feel on this diverse album. Though the opener with guest singer Glen David Andrews “Lord, Lord, Lord You've Sure Been Good To Me” is a reworking of a traditional gospel tune, it's put through a funk filter, providing an ideal foundation for the rest of this lively album to reside. Further down the line, they get pretty far from religion with the steamy lyrics of “HBNS,” which stands for Hot Butt Naked Sex, which is a duet from Erica Falls and Quinten Spears from both gender's perspective on carnal pleasures.
Not surprisingly, the horns command a lot of attention here. Tracks like “Move Your Body” rely on them, and on “Who's Rockin, Who's Rolling” the trumpet solos make an already lively song even more animated. Of the few covers, “Your Momma Don't Dance” is the absolute best, done in a way that only the Rebirth Brass Band could do it, and even then it sounds better than one could imagine.
Ultimately, this is a party album – not the sort of album put on by teens when their parents leave town for a weekend and they have to convince an older brother to buy everyone booze, though. Rather, it's the soundtrack to a block party going on in the most cultured neighborhood downtown that goes well into the early morning hours and people of all ages dance in the streets.
Now into their fourth decade of music making, the Rebirth Brass Band show no signs of slowing down. They’re able to keep the pace and energy as vital as they did three decades ago. This ensemble continues to bottle the heritage of New Orleans with a unique level of sophistication and fun that few could replicate.