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New Basics Brass Band: Good Times Are Likely

By Mark Corroto
October 7, 2005
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New Basics Brass Band: Good Times Are Likely

Life is nothing but a party. Well, actually with today's wars, hurricanes and floods, gas prices, and the decline of the middle class—not to mention the growing influence Dick Cheney has on snack food—life's party is often canceled.

But there is good news. Nobody can stop you from partying to the sounds of the New Basics Brass Band in your car, living room, or earbuds. This Ohio-based band (no, it's not a collection of refugees from New Orleans) updates the brass band concept with funk, R&B, and a slice of James Brown.

The sousaphone (a marching band's tuba) opens "Fill'er Up" before a line of horns reminiscent of the 1970's group Average White Band tosses in some jazz/funk. Like a brass band should do, they purposefully chide you to move, shake and spin your butt; then, after a nice trombone solo, comes an electric guitar solo! Okay, I'm buying!

Actually, I'm sold with the cover of Allen Toussaint's "O Me-O My-O," with Ben Bachert doing his best Dr. John filtered through a megaphone, and with the singalong version of James Brown's "If You Don't Get It The First TIme, Back Up And Try It Again, Party."

Tim Perdue's "Cannonball" exorcises a Lee Morgan ghost or two by way of beach dance party wallpaper. "Summer Pickins'" bristles with a Tower Of Power wall of horns and "PPP" (translated into "Pink Panty Pulldown") brings you back full circle to our Scottish friends, AWB. The disc ends (almost) with the classic "Tipitina"; the boys play the Professor Longhair track straight.

One beef. The disc includes two hidden tracks that you wait... and wait for. Sure, you might be big in Ohio, boys, but that silliness doesn't play out here in hyperspace.

Track Listing

Can You Feel It; Fill'er Up; O Me-O My-O; If You Don't Get It The First TIme, Back Up And Try It Again, Party; Give It Whatcha Got; Cannonball; Summer Pickins'; Everybody's Jumpin; PPP; Tipitina.

Personnel

New Basics Brass Band

Matt Adams: tenor saxophone; Phil Clark: baritone saxophone, organ, vocal; Tim Perdue: trumpet; Ryan Hamilton: trombone, vocal; Ben Bachert: guitar, vocal; Rob Maccabee: sousaphone, double vocal; Ed Davis: drums; Chris Cromley: percussion; Jimmy Castoe: drums; Tom Collins: organ.

Album information

Title: Good Times Are Likely | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Mac-n-Court Music

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