THE HOT 8 BRASS BAND are New Orleans’ premier, contemporary marching band – always in demand for the most important second line parades. Record-wise they debuted in 2007 with the acclaimed ‘Rock With The Hot 8’ from which their roof-raising, jazz-infused, hip-hop-fired version of ‘Sexual Healing’ became an instant classic.
The band are set to release their second long player, ‘The Life And Times Of …’ on Tru Thoughts in November but to whet appetites they’ve just issued the first single from the album – the double A-sider, ‘Ghost Town’ and ‘Let Me Do My Thing’.
The former is cover of THE SPECIALS’ song and though it rides a joyous party lilt it retains the ominous presence of the original. It’s a great jam. The 8 minutes long ‘Let Me Do My Thing’ sounds equally joyous but beneath the veneer there’s a serious message as sometime band member TYRUS CHAPMAN relates the story of his past experiences with heroin. It’s an epic, infectious track … complete with raps from BIG AL HUNTLEY and SHAMARR ALLEN and all those wonderful marching band trappings.
For more information go to www.hot8brassband.com
