Mardi Gras At Timucua by Timucua Brass Band

13 Mar

Written by Richard Bourcier
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Here's a New Orleans "street beat" brass band direct from the suburbs of Orlando, Florida. In itself, that's not unusual BUT they play in private homes. How would you like to have a 9 or 10 piece brass band in your living room?

The Timucua Arts Foundation is the brainchild of Benoit Glazer and his wife Elaine Corriveau. Like this writer, they are natives of Montreal where Glazer was a faculty member of McGill University. He now acts as musical conductor for La Nouba a creation of Montreal's famed Cirque du Soleil. The foundation arranges monthly concerts of various musical styles held in the Glazer home. Local visual artists are invited to bring along their art. The whole concept is a way of bringing the arts back home to the community.

The music is pure fun! Benoit Glazer composed, arranged, recorded, edited and mixed the whole thing. It's his personal Louisiana gumbo with bits of blues, bop, swing, early jazz and plenty of funk. The soup was three years in the making and the seasoning is just right. This is some of the happiest music you'll ever hear. The musicians are top-notch players driven by an irresistible beat laid down by Josh Parsons' sousaphone and drum star Ed Metz Jr.. Metz is probably the busiest drummer in traditional jazz today. He often performs at Disney World and records prolifically for Florida's Arbors Records. Benoit Glazer is a gifted trumpet player and appears on about eighty CDs in various musical genres.

You can listen to samples of the Timucua Brass Band on line. You won't be able to control your feet.

Additional Info

Artist / Group Name: Timucua Brass Band
CD Title: Mardi Gras At Timucua
Genre: Traditional / New Orleans
Year Released: 2005
Record Label: Timucua Arts Foundation
Tracks: Jellys Rhythm; Mintz Balls; Lonna Dee; Monday Night; Elaku; Le Blues Gras; Da Blues; Nice And Warm; Slander; Let The Good Times Jelly Roll; Dowg.'
Musicians: Benoit Glazer (trumpet, conductor); Mike Iapichino (trumpet); Keith Oshiro (trombone); James Hosmer (trombone); Rex Wertz (alto sax); Dalton Hagler (tenor sax); Alain Bradette (tenor sax); Josh Parsons (sousaphone); Eddie Metz Jr. (drums). Special guest: Dan Martel (alto sax).
Label Website: http://www.timucua.com
Rating: Four Stars