Tuba Skinny (English version)

 

Formed in 2009, Tuba Skinny has steadily evolved from a loose collection of street musicians into a solid ensemble dedicated to bringing the traditional New Orleans sound to audiences around the world. Drawing on a wide range of musical influences—from spirituals to Depression-era blues, from ragtime to traditional jazz—their sound evokes the rich musical heritage of their New Orleans home. The band has gained a loyal following through their distinctive sound, their commitment to reviving long-lost songs, and their barnstorming live performances.

They will play for the MNOP Festival in France, on July 23^rd in Mensignac and July 24^th in Atur.

Members:

• Shaye Cohn, cornet, fiddle, piano, accordéon, banjo, cuillers
• John Doyle, clarinette
• Craig Flory, clarinette et saxophone
• Barnabus Jones, trombone, banjo, fiddle, guitare et voix
• Jason Lawrence, banjo et guitare
• Erika Lewis, voix et percussion
• Robin Rapuzzi, planche à laver
• Gregory Sherman, guitare et harmonica
• Todd (Winfield Newton Burdick III), tuba

Masterful And Exuberant: Tuba Skinny electrifies the streets Offbeat Magazine

It’s just after noon on a sunny day in early March. At the corner of Toulouse and Royal Streets tourists mill about. They pause to look in the antique shop windows, sniff soap samples and sip walking beverages. On the curb, Tuba Skinny are just finishing their lunch break. They eat the last few bites of bananas and sandwiches from Rouses. Tupelo, Barnabus the trombone player’s dog, eats leftover bacon. Shaye Cohn makes the traditional New Orleans call-to-arms with her cornet. Buh-bah! Buh-bah!

The seven members of the band slowly settle into their seats, which are arranged in a sweeping arc in the street. Tupelo lays down to nap next to the tip jar in the center of the arc. After some casual chatter and discussing a few business notes, the band is ready to start. With a motion from Shaye the horns hold two long, dramatic notes. Craig Flory cartwheels around them on clarinet. Jason Lawrence plays quick, fluttering strokes on the banjo. They stretch the notes as the tension builds until, suddenly, they cut out. Heads turn. Conversations stop. The street is now at attention.
The founding members of Tuba Skinny first began accumulating in New Orleans just before and after Hurricane Katrina. They came to New Orleans from all over the United States. Cornetist Shaye Cohn had come down with a friend from Boston; trombonist Barnabus Jones had come from Virginia, riding through on trains until he finally anchored himself in the city; vocalist/bass drummer Erika Lewis had come from New York’s Hudson Valley to visit wintering circus friends; Todd Burdick, the tuba of Tuba Skinny, left Chicago and had been traveling around before he came to rest in New Orleans; and washboard player/drummer Robin Rapuzzi came to the city from Washington State to find inspiration to write. Most of the band’s roster throughout the years have found themselves in the city that way. “A lot of us came down here without the expectation that we would be doing what we’re doing today, but we were all drawn to stay here because of the city’s rich musical legacy. We’re all transplants from different parts of the country, but we share a deep love and respect for this city. The vibrant brass band culture, the deep-rooted traditions of celebrating life through music, the fact that you can go out on any given day and hear something mind-blowing, something that sends you into a dancing frenzy—these are some of the things that make New Orleans one of a kind,” says Shaye Cohn.
They started out busking in string bands such as the Dead Man Street Orchestra on Jackson Square. Even then, the idea for the band had begun to incubate. “We had this talk one day when we were with Dead Man Street Orchestra and I remember Shaye said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if one day we had a brass band,’” says Barnabus Jones. They eventually transitioned to playing traditional New Orleans jazz in various bands such as the Muskrat Ramblers and the Loose Marbles.
Eventually, as various musicians cycled in and out of the Loose Marbles, new groups were created including Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns and of course: Tuba Skinny.

Their name has always been a curiosity because of its obvious reference to revered Jackson Square musician Tuba Fats. Its origin has become part of the ever-building lore about the band. Todd Burdick remembers, “I’d be biking to the Quarter with the tuba and there was this guy somewhere in the Marigny who would yell, ‘Hey, look, it’s Tuba Skinny!’ He’d always yell this stuff. Then I mentioned it to some people and then some people started calling me that. So there’s a reference in name to Tuba Fats, but we don’t have any direct tie to him or anything like that. Over the years it’s been interesting because a lot of people tell me their stories about Tuba Fats, especially when we’re abroad because he toured a lot.” The significance of the name and the musician behind it are not lost on the band. “We do have an admiration for Tuba Fats because over the years we’ve heard how he kept music playing on the streets. Which is, of course, important to us. And we’ve befriended musicians who’ve learned a lot about New Orleans music by playing in Jackson Square with him,” explains Shaye. “He was like a folk hero for street musicians’ rights,” recalls Barnabus.

The band officially formed in 2009 and quickly established itself as a fixture on Royal Street. “Everything seemed to happen so naturally with us, we really just wanted to keep playing together and were propelled by the energy of playing for crowds on the street,” says Erika Lewis. As a crowd begins to gather around the band, they launch headlong into the 1923 Armand J. Piron tune, “Bouncing Around.” Robin keeps the beat alternately on the bass drum and washboard, gripping a drumstick between his teeth. Shaye, Craig and Barnabus whirl around the song’s rising and falling Ferris wheel melody. With a slight glance or a nod, Shaye directs solos. When the song finishes a cheer goes up, which only draws more attention from passersby. Robin stands and casually introduces the band and the song. He mentions its composers were from New Orleans. Money flows to the tip jar. A pre-teen girl buys all their CDs. For nearly a decade Tuba Skinny has grown steadily in popularity, releasing eight albums, frequently touring, and attracting high-profile fans from R. Crumb to Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman. They’ve garnered fans from all over the world—young and old, neophytes and niche-enthusiasts. There are a myriad of factors that lend to their appeal, but first and foremost is their music.

They find inspiration from Louis Armstrong’s Hot 5 and Hot 7, Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers, Bunk Johnson, George Lewis, Jim Robinson, the Mississippi Sheiks, Sam Morgan’s Jazz Band, Johnny and Baby Dodds, Blind Blake, Blind Boy Fuller, the Memphis Jug Band, King Oliver, Bessie Smith and Kit Stymie Stovepipe, among many more.
They’ve become a favorite with local traditional jazz players because of their faithfulness to the early style. “They play traditional jazz of the 1920s, which is an era that is often ignored in New Orleans,” says former WWOZ DJ, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and rare record collector Tom Saunders. “They aren’t a revival band. They’re pre-revival. It’s pure traditional jazz, as it was before phonographs were widely available and the music had spread around the world.”
While excellent interpreters of traditional jazz, Tuba Skinny have not limited their choice of material solely to what is offered in the traditional repertoire. In fact, their goal is not to be boxed in by prescribed genres. “We started out playing mostly early jazz,” says Shaye. “Over the next couple of years we shifted towards jug band music, country blues, string band music and ragtime. Eventually we began to incorporate country songs and also some New Orleans R&B. Right now it seems we’ve returned to focusing on early jazz.”

Over the years they’ve seen the scene grow and change. “When Tuba Skinny started busking in 2009, the street music scene was bustling and lively but not nearly as competitive. The band cites The Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans (MaCCNO) as a great support over the years and a driving force in facilitating productive communication between musicians, businesses and law enforcement. They heartily encourage all musicians to get involved with MaCCNO to help ensure that music stays on the streets of New Orleans.  

Music :

Some kind of shake 2019

Nigel’s dream 2018

Tupelo Pine 2017

Blue chime stomp 2016

“Still mining the early jazz, blues and ragtime that have made them local favorites, this New Orleans combo is not only reaching further into the archives but also polishing originals that fit nearly seamlessly into the catalogue.

... the strength of these young trad jazz players remains their ensemble work. In tune after tune, the core instrumental sextet nails the classic New Orleans contrapuntal collective improvisation, instantly evoking another era while at the same time delightfully of the moment.”

— CLEA SIMON (OFFBEAT, APRIL 2016)

Owl call blue 2014

“To call Tuba Skinny revivalists would be to miss the point. The New Orleans ensemble, often seen busking on Royal Street, have never conceded the death of the early jazz and blues they play... That’s a tribute to the masterful ease of these relatively young musicians who laze and weave around each other as if bebop never happened. Alternating solos and call-and-response vocals on this, their sixth release, the eight players here show a comfortable fluency in their pre-1940s idioms.”

— CLEA SIMON (OFFBEAT, OCTOBER 2014)

Pyramid Strut 2014

“Tuba Skinny just keep getting better—and better at capturing their lively early jazz, blues, and ragtime sound in the studio. On this, their fifth release (recorded in Tasmania), the septet mixes those early 20th century sounds with characteristic verve.”

— CLEA SIMON (OFFBEAT FEBRUARY 2014)

Rag Band 2012

“This is shake your booty with a cold-one in your hand music. Their take on rarely recorded songs such as the sly come-on “Papa’s Got Your Bath Water On” or Skip James’ cold-blooded murder ballad “Crow Jane” are poignant, yet fun... kudos to Tuba Skinny for getting some of the great yet lesser-played songs of the New Orleans repertoire (particularly the Jelly Roll Morton tunes including “New Orleans Bump”) back into action.”

— David Kunian (Offbeat September 2012)

Garbage man 2011

Six feet down 2010

Tuba Skinny 2009