(Jazz-Funk, New Orleans Jazz) The Dirty Dozen Brass Band (feat. John Medeski) - Buck Jump - 1999, FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Gregory Davis (Trumpet and Vocals)
Roger Lewis (Baritone and Soprano Sax, Vocals)
Kevin Harris (Tenor Sax)
Efrem Towns (Trumpet and Vocals)
Julius McKee (Sousaphone and Vocals)
Terence Higgins (Drums and Vocals)
Richard Knox (Keyboards)

Guest:
John Medeski (Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer and Keyboards)
Kirk Joseph (Sousaphone)
Keith Anderson (Trombone)
Corey Oswald (Trombone)
Damon Batiste (Percussion)
Chris Sevrin (Double Bass)
Kerry Hunter (Snare Drums)
Cayetano Hingle (Bass Drum)

If you have been yearning for the original sound of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band to return, Buck Jump is it. Produced by John Medeski, the ensemble returns to their roots, but with a twist. They remain the ultimate party group, but are fastened to the stage with a drummer, organist, the full complement of horns sounding funky and fresh with that deep tuba and baritone sax underpinning; there's some daring improvisation rooted in counterpoint and upper-atmospheric blasts that are a familiar signature of this progressive New Orleans dance machine. Everything on the nine-song CD is saturated with, as one of the titles suggests, old-school style. The solos are inspired, riffs fly left and right, and they aren't afraid to moan and wail. Horn charts are tight as can be, repeated figures give the others a platform to improvise, and occasionally a calypso beat creeps in, as on the classic "Run Joe" or the Latin-inflected "Pet the Kat." It's all in the name of fun: upbeat, positive, and with nary a trace of excess. They're at their zenith on "Duff," the collective Dozen reaching out and hammering the upper registers of their instruments, and at their most soulful on "Inner City Blues," approaching it in a most unconventional way. Of course, this band needs to be heard live for full effect, but this recorded effort might be their best yet. Every cut is solid, and the high level of musicianship is clearly evident. Singular in their stance and sound, mature like never before, and bent on having a really good time, this Dirty Dozen CD sets the bar high in mixing jazz and joy -- a hard combination to beat.

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Pioneers of the revival and reinvention of brass band music, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band has been turning the New Orleans street tradition on its ear since the late '70s. Employing traditional brass band instrumentation (generally two trumpets, two saxophones, trombone, sousaphone, snare and bass drummers), the Dozen filters a turn-of-the-century heritage through the more contemporary lenses of jazz, R&B, funk and hip-hop. The results are nothing less than a condensed history of Black American music, and BUCK JUMP is one of the group's most cohesive and astonishing efforts.
From the in-your-face jam of the album's opener, "Unclean Waters," through the calypso flavor of "Run Joe" and "Pet the Cat," to the funk workouts of "Dead Dog in the Street" and "Nuttballus," this set is unrelenting from start to finish. Sharp, well-balanced production by New York-based avant-funkster John Medeski (whose appearance on Hammond organ and keyboards fleshes out several cuts) helps deliver the band's booty-moving power perfectly. A disc that will appeal to both the old time second liners of the band's native city, and young clubbing hipsters elsewhere, BUCK JUMP comes highly recommended.