[Dixielandjazz] Slightly OT - what the "Youts" are doing with brass band music these days.

[David Richoux]

Hi all,

As some might recall, I have been dividing my attention between  
traditional jazz and novelty OKOM and a recent worldwide trend in  
brass band music: "Punk Marching Bands" or "Street Bands" - groups of  
brasswind, percussionists, flag dancers, twirlers, etc., mostly under  
35 years old, playing a mix of rock, jazz, world music and such on  
the streets, in festivals, in bars, or wherever they can. There is a  
lot of energy and fun in these groups but they can also have a  
serious side - playing at demonstrations, strikes and other such events.

There is a Yahoo Group called Streetband that is a good center of  
information, and two festivals in the US that attract a lot of these  
new bands - Honk!Fest in the Boston area (in October) and Honk! 
FestWest in Seattle (in the springtime.)

The reason I am writing now is to mention that a group from Chicago  
named "Mucca Pazza" will be playing in San Francisco this Sunday  
afternoon (2 PM at Fort Mason, free admission, part of the  "Renegade  
Crafts Fair") and other gigs in California in July. They are a lot of  
fun, and if you can see & hear past the "rough edges" you can get a  
lot of musical satisfaction! Here is a live clip:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cJakGb6hQ-w
and their websites:
www.mucca-pazza.org/
www.myspace.com/muccapazza

Some of these groups do play some traditional New Orleans Brass Band  
songs, but not all. It is a fun mix, IMO!

Dave Richoux