The Low Down Brass Band...

While in Chicago we caught a brass band playing in the New Orleans style and the most modern part of the style at that. They were called the Low Down Brass Band. I thought they were great with good horns, good voices and good songs. Only thing was I just did not get many good photos which is a mystery to me as I was up close and maybe I should have got closer or something but the last show I went to I got great photos from the balcony. Go figure. 

Here are three unedited phone photos.The tuba player was good. 

Sax Players. They were also good singers. The band had several good voices. 

This is not a great photo but if you can make out the box around that guy's neck it's a percussion instrument from Peru called a cajita. Cajita means "little box." Traditionally made from a church collection box you wear it around the neck and tap it with a stick while opening and closing the hinged lid to get different sounds. I have some odd sized cigar boxes that are not going to lend themselves to guitar making very well so I think I'll try my hand at some of these later in the week. 

This guy also played trumpet and I like the blend of his and the bari sax players voices. 

One thing that is going on in New Orleans is a mix of rap and brass bands. Down there the traditional brass band folks are slow to embrace but I think for the young people it great to blend tradition and innovation. This group did that very well with the rapping dude you see here. Face it folks, rap is here to stay and bands like these show how to do it well. 

The tuba dude. As I said he was great. 

check them out, the Low Down Brass Band.