Gimme My Money Back

by Treme Brass Band

Overview

The ebullient beat of the street can be heard on the Treme Brass Band's CD Gimme My Money Back. One of the nouveau brass bands to come up in the city of New Orleans under the encouragement of the late, great Danny Barker, the Treme Brass Band embodies the un-self-conscious joy of their neighborhood. The Treme is an area known for its vibrant people, full of fun and music. The Treme Brass Band's first CD exemplifies that spirit in their renderings of both original and traditional compositions. Led by maestro Lionel Batiste on drums and vocals, the band features such luminaries as Kermit Ruffins and James Andrews on trumpets, along with lesser-known but very talented musicians. Together, they put together a sound that can only come from the Big Easy. The music centers on that syncopated beat for which the city's music is known. In brass band fashion, that beat is created not only by the drum, but the tubas as well, here played by Jeffrey Hills and Kirk Joseph. Alto, soprano, and tenor saxophones; trumpets; and trombones trade out licks to create the unique dissonance of the brass band idiom. The title cut of the CD is a perfect expression of the streetwise sensibility of the band, as Andrews -- known as the Satchmo of the ghetto -- laments the inner city ethic: "Rob, steal, get yourself killed over a 50 dollar bill." Batiste, who brings some age and seasoning to the otherwise young group, shines on such traditional brass band hymns as "Jesus Is on the Main Line" and "Just a Closer Walk With Thee." But tradition meets contemporary in the art of the Treme Brass Band: they play the old gospel tunes like they have never been played before. It is feel-good music, and when the band dishes up their "Back o Town Blues," you've been there and you're feeling good. ~ Rose of Sharon Witmer

Product Details

Release Date:	11/30/1995
Label:	ARHOOLIE RECORDS
UPC:	0096297041727

Tracks

1. Gimme My Money Back
2. Back o' Town Blues
3. Hindustan
4. Jesus Is on the Main Line
5. Food Stamp Blues
6. Just a Closer Walk With Thee
7. Chinatown, My Chinatown
8. The Old Rugged Cross
9. Oh, Lady Be Good

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Treme Brass Band   Primary Artist
Fred Kemp   Sax (Soprano),Sax (Alto)
Jeffrey Hills   Tuba
Fredric Kemp   Sax (Tenor),Sax (Alto)
Elliot Callier   Sax (Tenor)
Lionel Batiste   Drums (Bass),Vocals
Stackman Callier   Sax (Tenor)
Kirk Joseph   Tuba
Roger Lewis   Sax (Tenor)
Benny Jones   Drums (Snare)
Kermit Ruffins   Trumpet
Corey Henry   Trombone
James Andrews   Trumpet

Technical Credits

Michael P. Smith   Photography
Jean Schwartz   Composer
Harold Weeks   Composer
Wayne Pope   Cover Design
Dave Wallace   Composer
Mississippi Fred McDowell   Composer
Public Domain   Composer
Jerry Brock   Liner Notes,Producer
Chris Strachwitz   Producer
William Jerome   Composer
Ira Gershwin   Composer
George Gershwin   Composer
James Andrews   Composer
Traditional   Composer