Dirty Dozen Brass Band at Wisconsin Union Theater
A gumbo stew of sound
A gumbo stew of sound
By Jonathan Gramling
The traditional brass band sound of New Orleans has always been a gumbo stew
of sounds. Something of everything is thrown into the pot and allowed to stew over
time. While there are a lot of distinct tastes in the gumbo, they all come together to
please the palate of any gumbo aficionado. Listening to the Dirty Dozen Brass Band,
appearing at the Wisconsin Union Theater October 2, conjures up that good feeling of a
gumbo of sound. While the many instruments can readily be heard distinctively, they
blend together in a symphony of lively, get up and go music.
New Orleans brass band music has been stewing a long time. “When the slaves
were brought over here, I think the only day they could really get together was on
Saturday, I’m not sure,” said Roger Lewis, co-founder of the Dirty Dozen who plays
baritone and soprano sax, during a phone interview with The Capital City Hues. “They
were only allowed to express themselves in the music. It reflected a lot of pain and
suffering and good times if you could manage to have good times in the suppression of
your people. The again, a lot of Black folks were really free in New Orleans. The music
also has a French and Spanish influence. It’s a reflection of the time that people were
living in and that carried over into what it is today, the traditional sound.”
Back in the late 1970s, the Dirty Dozen stirred the gumbo stew of sound some
more. “When we came along, the music changed because of the contemporary songs
we were experimenting with and just bringing that music to the street that had never
been brought to the street,” Lewis said. “The songs were different than the songs of
brass bands. We weren’t trying to change the traditional sound of brass bands before
our time.
The traditional brass band sound of New Orleans has always been a gumbo stew
of sounds. Something of everything is thrown into the pot and allowed to stew over
time. While there are a lot of distinct tastes in the gumbo, they all come together to
please the palate of any gumbo aficionado. Listening to the Dirty Dozen Brass Band,
appearing at the Wisconsin Union Theater October 2, conjures up that good feeling of a
gumbo of sound. While the many instruments can readily be heard distinctively, they
blend together in a symphony of lively, get up and go music.
New Orleans brass band music has been stewing a long time. “When the slaves
were brought over here, I think the only day they could really get together was on
Saturday, I’m not sure,” said Roger Lewis, co-founder of the Dirty Dozen who plays
baritone and soprano sax, during a phone interview with The Capital City Hues. “They
were only allowed to express themselves in the music. It reflected a lot of pain and
suffering and good times if you could manage to have good times in the suppression of
your people. The again, a lot of Black folks were really free in New Orleans. The music
also has a French and Spanish influence. It’s a reflection of the time that people were
living in and that carried over into what it is today, the traditional sound.”
Back in the late 1970s, the Dirty Dozen stirred the gumbo stew of sound some
more. “When we came along, the music changed because of the contemporary songs
we were experimenting with and just bringing that music to the street that had never
been brought to the street,” Lewis said. “The songs were different than the songs of
brass bands. We weren’t trying to change the traditional sound of brass bands before
our time.
We were just trying to play some music and play music that we didn’t have the chance to play in other bands. If you have your own band, you
can do whatever you want to do. I think that is what made the difference in New Orleans. The Dirty Dozen sound was different than other brass bands.
We added to our traditional songs, other contemporary songs such as Michael Jackson, Thelonious Monk and people like that. We brought their
music to the streets. The audience we were playing for at the time loved it. We were just playing music and trying different things and songs. That’s
what made our brass band different than the other brass bands.”
Before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, Dirty Dozen revisited a Marvin Gay classic with ‘What’s Going On.’ After Katrina hit, it was
almost the question and a statement for what happened in its aftermath. “It does have a reflection on what has happened,” Lewis said. But we didn’t
know at the time that we were going to suffer this national disaster when we recorded that music. The title ‘What’s Going On’ is a reflection on what
did happen, politically speaking, during the time of Katrina. The different forms of government, all those systems didn’t fall into place. I guess
everyone was caught off guard and the aid that was supposed to happen as far as help and recovery of the city, people were slow to react for
whatever reason. That’s the whole political thing. It’s politics.”
The Dirty Dozen will bring that indefatigable spirit of New Orleans, that gumbo sound that is appropriate for a funeral dirge or a robust march
through the French Quarter to Madison. And they are going to be looking for an audience that moves its body to the music. “Come on out and have a
good time,” Lewis emphasized. “Enjoy yourselves. Jazz is dance music. I know some people be thinking you have to sit down and be cool. You don’
t have to sit down and be cool if you feel like shaking a little something or make your body do what you want it to do. Do it! We like that because we
feed off of that. It’s an exchange. It’s supposed to be an exchange between the audience and the musician. Enjoy yourself. If you feel like dancing, get
up and dance. If you feel like screaming and hollering, do that. If the music makes you feel like doing that, then get up and do that. Don’t hold back.
Let it go. Life is too short. Enjoy yourself. I can’t wait to play in Madison. I live for this.”
Come on out and shake your thang.
can do whatever you want to do. I think that is what made the difference in New Orleans. The Dirty Dozen sound was different than other brass bands.
We added to our traditional songs, other contemporary songs such as Michael Jackson, Thelonious Monk and people like that. We brought their
music to the streets. The audience we were playing for at the time loved it. We were just playing music and trying different things and songs. That’s
what made our brass band different than the other brass bands.”
Before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, Dirty Dozen revisited a Marvin Gay classic with ‘What’s Going On.’ After Katrina hit, it was
almost the question and a statement for what happened in its aftermath. “It does have a reflection on what has happened,” Lewis said. But we didn’t
know at the time that we were going to suffer this national disaster when we recorded that music. The title ‘What’s Going On’ is a reflection on what
did happen, politically speaking, during the time of Katrina. The different forms of government, all those systems didn’t fall into place. I guess
everyone was caught off guard and the aid that was supposed to happen as far as help and recovery of the city, people were slow to react for
whatever reason. That’s the whole political thing. It’s politics.”
The Dirty Dozen will bring that indefatigable spirit of New Orleans, that gumbo sound that is appropriate for a funeral dirge or a robust march
through the French Quarter to Madison. And they are going to be looking for an audience that moves its body to the music. “Come on out and have a
good time,” Lewis emphasized. “Enjoy yourselves. Jazz is dance music. I know some people be thinking you have to sit down and be cool. You don’
t have to sit down and be cool if you feel like shaking a little something or make your body do what you want it to do. Do it! We like that because we
feed off of that. It’s an exchange. It’s supposed to be an exchange between the audience and the musician. Enjoy yourself. If you feel like dancing, get
up and dance. If you feel like screaming and hollering, do that. If the music makes you feel like doing that, then get up and do that. Don’t hold back.
Let it go. Life is too short. Enjoy yourself. I can’t wait to play in Madison. I live for this.”
Come on out and shake your thang.
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band with Roger Lewis (second
from left) redefined the New Orleans brass band sound.
from left) redefined the New Orleans brass band sound.
