Throwback by Kermit Ruffins With The Rebirth Brass Band

18 Mar

Written by Richard Bourcier
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Here comes the Rebirth! New Orleans trumpet star Kermit Ruffins is marching up Basin Street for a return engagement with the Crescent City’s very popular Rebirth Brass Band. Ruffins was part of the band until the early 1990s when he tired of the road and started his own Barbeque Swingers echoing the sounds of the early jazz bands.

The trumpeter is perfectly capable of blowing his horn convincingly in either style. The Rebirth Brass Band cooks up a 21st century blend of funk, gospel, blues and hip-hop. The band consists of three trumpets, a couple of trombones and a tenor sax in the front line. The rhythm section really sizzles with a snare drummer, bass drummer and a hot tuba in the tradition of the sadly missed Anthony "Tuba Fats" Lacen played by the indefatigable Philip Frazier. Kermit Ruffins penned seven of the tunes on the Throwback album including the opener Make Way For The Rebirth and the delightful hip-hop style Up In The Hood and he is joined vocally by Mary Griffin. Griffin delivers another fine vocal on the traditional favorite Just A Closer Walk.

Both Ruffins and the Rebirth take their ambassadorial roles very seriously as they promote their city and its music. The band is out to please fans from widely differing age groups and they do it successfully. It’s difficult to march with your feet on both sides of the generation gap. Throwback is happy street music delivered in high style by an exciting bunch of players thinking "young."

Additional Info

Artist / Group Name: Kermit Ruffins With The Rebirth Brass Band
CD Title: Throwback
Genre: Traditional / New Orleans
Year Released: 2005
Record Label: Basin Street Records
Tracks: Make Way For The Rebirth; Mr. Big Stuff; Here To Stay; Mardi Gras Day; It’s Later Than You Think; Happy Weekday Blues; I Got A Woman; What Is new Orleans Part 2; Just A Closer Walk With Thee; Happy Birthday; Rebirth Medley; Up In The Hood.
Musicians: Kermit Ruffins (trumpet, vocals); Philip Frazier (tuba); Keith Frazier (bass drum); Derrick Tabb (snare drum); Derek Shezbie (trumpet); Glen Andrews (trumpet); Stafford Agee (trombone); Corey Henry (trombone); Vincent Broussard (tenor sax). Guests: Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews (trombone) solo on Mardi Gras; Mary Griffin (vocals on Closer Walk & Up In The Hood); David Torkanowsky (Wurlitzer on Up In The Hood).
Label Website: http://www.basinstreetrecords.com
Rating: Four Stars