New Orleans’ HOT 8 BRASS BAND have constantly pushed the boundaries of the traditional marching band music of the Crescent City. Mixing local musical custom and practise with soul, hip-hop and funk flavours, the group have forged a whole new sound and built a solid, innovative reputation. They now regularly sell out concert venues while their records enjoy decent sales figures.

Their last LP, ‘The Life And Times Of …’ won them a whole host of new fans and got them plenty of high profile media coverage. Now the octet are set to release a rapid follow-up- ‘Tombstone’ – an 11 tracker which they see as a logical part 2 of ‘Life And Times’.

Once again the music’s a burbling, bubbling burst of vitality – but the stories behind the songs (personal tragedies, the toll of social disadvantage, and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina) add a deeply sombre note to affairs.

“The album celebrates the times we have had both before and after the storm. Burying our dead and letting their spirits soar, celebrate our city and the lives that our band mates have lived individually and collectively”…. HOT 8 BRASS BAND tuba player BENNIE PETE

TOMBSTONE by the HOT 8 BRASS BAND is released on May 20th by TRU THOUGHTS RECORDS.