Melbourne International Jazz Festival is on and it's got something for everyone.
MIJF has always hosted star-studded line-ups and excellence in music, and this year, Melbourne finally gets to see a proper New Orleans Second Line Band on the big stage. The festival planners should receive gold stars for educating Australian audiences to the phenomenon of the Second Line Brass Band experience.For the uninitiated into the New Orleans Second Line experience, they presented TBC Brass Band at 170 Russell lsat Sunday (20 October); and it was a revelation!
The band brought the high energy, big brass sound and the joie de vivre that Second Line enthusiasts in New Orleans expect to the venue, and a very appreciate audience danced like their pants were absolutely on fire.
Image © Will Hamilton Coates
The band chose an eclectic repertoire that veered between mainstream pop hits into more New Orleans traditional territory, never missing a beat or an opportunity for a tasty solo. I promise you, Stevie Wonder's 'Part-Time Lover' never sounded funkier.
Spyboy J'Wan Boudreaux, one of the Mardi Gras Indian community's best loved singers, truly captivated the audience with his humanity and his presence, along with the rest of this nine-piece US import.
Top marks to the whole horn section and particularly to Paul Cheenne on sax/ vox and Desmond Provost on tuba/ sousaphone. They all made it look like so much fun, while sounding excellent, which is any Second Line Band's primary mission.
Image © Will Hamilton Coates
The room was not great for sound, but Second Line Bands are used to compensating for any sound conditions and TBC brought the goods home and them some, with their obvious love of the music and a receptive crowd cancelling out the sound issues.
This gig worked best when the band incorporated and improvised a bit of funk and hip hop, as evidenced by furious and joyous dancing and audience participation.
TBC's superpower is clearly NOLA energy and vibe; and they've got that in spades. They are probably the most fun you'll ever have with your pants on.
- written by Karen Conrad
