Hot 8 Brass Band - Rock With...

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Full Frequency,

Published

Thursday 1st November

Label: Tru Thoughts/Creative Vibes

Starting with a deep blast of horn and a ‘woo!’, the very first bar of this CD sets the scene for the rest of what is an amazingly infectious album. Despite the name, what we have is some dozen members of a brass band giving tuba, trombone, saxophone, trumpet, and percussion to a series of classic tunes and some originals too. It sounds a little like an American college marching band but with a whole load more soul and a definite dose of hip hop. And that’s something like the origins of this group, born from the joining of two brass bands from New Orleans.

They shot to fame on the back of Spike Lee’s doco about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (and in the sleeve notes the Hot 8 suggest charities you can donate to if you want to help out) but since then it’s been their rousing, party vibe that has earned the accolades, most notably with their cover of the Marvin Gaye classic Sexual Healing. Things do get a little tiring after listening to six or seven brass band tunes in a row, but if you want a fun summer party helper, look no further.

Full Frequency feature album for the week of October 29 to November 2.