[Dixielandjazz] Searching the web I just found this review of St. Gabriel's Celestial Brass Band

[tcashwigg at aol.com]

I edited a couple of his expletives out and inserted George Alexanders 
name which he did not remember.  George is 82 years young and retired 
from touring with us five years ago.  No more Marching for him. :))

Of particular note: The last sentence:

We must be doing something right :))

Tom Wiggins



Wednesday, January 25, 2006   By Mr. Lee   Wisconsin.

 St. Gabriel’s Celestial Brass Band

Most people I know have no connection whatsoever to jazz. The music 
bores them. They think they don’t get it. It’s either too complex or 
too antiquated. They can’t relate to it in any visceral sort of way. 
Like me, they grew up listening to rock, and that’s a lousy foundation 
for developing an ear for any music that isn’t rock.

I used to try and turn my friends on to all these outdated sounds I 
can’t keep away from, but I’ve largely given up on that. I got tired of 
seeing their faces go blank with disinterest in the presence of 
something as boisterous and engaging as Bud Freeman’s 1939 recordings. 
Still, there’s a part of me that can’t keep from proselytizing. There 
are a few modern Brass Bands out there that are great for getting 
people who have no taste for jazz into this music; Bands like the New 
Birth Brass Band or the Tremè Brass Band or the New Orleans 
Nightcrawlers are jazz bands that are hard for anyone to resist.

And here’s another excellent brass band that I heard for the first time 
a couple weeks ago – St. Gabriel’s Celestial Brass Band. These guys 
play tough. You can hear every shade of Jazz in their music; from blues 
through swing and into modern jazz. A deep funk lurks beneath all of 
it. Listening to some of their songs last night I even experienced a 
weird moment where I heard the trumpet player (George Alexander ),  
he’s a hot player by any standard) get off a few be-bop licks that 
actually made sense to me. NOW, that was a shock!

Here’s a link to their website where they have a choice bunch of 
downloads waiting. On first listen keep an ear out for the guys on 
baritone sax and tuba. The way they play off each other is incredible.  
 http://www.sonicbids.com/StGabrielscelestialbrassband


If Jazz is going survive as a living music and not just something 
“preserved” by academics or music hall Kulture Kops it’ll be bands like 
this one that make it happen.

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