Alright, here in New Orleans Mardi Gras season is revving up (bigtime!), and Saints fever is at an all time high. My plans for the weekend included catching as many parades as possible and cheering on the Saints as they take on the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV (44). As I stated in last week’s edition of the OG, we’ll be marching along brass band style. This week I’ll be focusing on the one and only Dirty Dozen Brass Band… the group, which, more than any other, has shaped the sound of the modern-day brass band. Founded in 1977 as a spinoff of the Dirty Dozen Kazoo Band (a marching carnival troupe), the DDBB went on to craft a sound that built upon the roots laid by groups such as Dejan’s Olympia Brass Band, incorporating elements contemporary jazz, funk, rock, and R&B licks atop a spicy, New Orleans second line.

Before attaining worldwide acclaim, the DDBB perfected their stride in the streets of the Crescent City, performing at second line parades, jazz funerals, neighborhood parties, and bars… basically anywhere that they could be heard. The group of young men who had come together to form the Dozen, all of whom were either in their early twenties or late teens, represented a generational shift in the brass band tradition. Though they were met with some resistance early on, it wasn’t long before the whole city was shaking to their freewheeling, jazz-funk grooves. Stories from the DDBB’s six-year run at the Glass House (’79-’85) remain etched in the city’s lore. Their weekly, Monday night romps attracted onlookers ranging from jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie to New Orleans legend Fats Domino. They also garnered the attention of teenager trumpet player Kermit Ruffins and sousaphonist Philip Frazier, both of whom would later go on to form the widely acclaimed Rebirth Brass Band. It wasn’t until 1984 that the Dozen released it’s first studio album, the New Orleans classic, My Feet Can’t Fail Me Now. Since then, the DDBB has release a sting of formidable albums, traveled around the world, toured with groups such as the Grateful Dead and Widespread Panic, and recorded alongside others such as Elvis Costello and Modest Mouse. Just last year they played alongside Lil Wayne at the Grammys, and indie favorites Spoon invited them up during their set at Jazzfest. Even though, the group has gone through multiple personnel shifts in it’s storied history – none greater than replacing the traditional standing bass and snare drummers with a drumkit, not to mention bringing a keyboardist and guitarist into the fold – the DDBB remains the absolute funkiest band in all the land. It’s also important to note that founding members trumpeters Gregory Davis and Efrem Towns as well as tenor saxophonist Kevin Harris and baritone saxophonist Roger Lewis have remained with the group since their inception.

The songs I’ve got for you today are a real treat. Released in 1983 on their own Mad Musicians imprint, this 45” single, containing the original composition “Feet Can’t Fail Me Now” along with a lively arrangement of the traditional standard “Lil Liza Jane,” represents one of two discs issued by the DDBB prior to the release of their debut album (the other containing “Blackbird Special parts I and II”). It also represents the beginning of a new era in the brass band realm. “Feet Can’t Fail Me Now” literally went on to redefine the sound of the entire genre. The track begins with the unmistakable groove of sousaphonist Kirk Joseph. His bounding strut anchors the tune throughout. Then the rhythm kicks in… The drums race; hands clap; various percussive knickknacks chime in the background, and the horns start to swing. Soon the trumpets take off on a spicy Afro-Cuban junket, and before long the saxes barge in and break it down. Feel it… That’s the second line. The B-side, “Lil Liza Jane,” showcases the DDBB’s knack for turning a familiar staple into a festive jam. An uptempo groove, a syncopated pulse, horns squealing in the background… it’s Mardi Gras now... In fact, “Lil Liza Jane” is easily my favorite song of the season. I don’t know about you guys, but it’s time for me to head out to the parade!

MP3: Dirty Dozen Brass Band – Feet Can't Fail Me Now
MP3: Dirty Dozen Brass Band – Lil Liza Jane