Rebirth Brass Band brings the sounds of the Big Easy to Revelry Room.
SATURDAY
Whether seen on HBO’s “Treme” or at their legendary Tuesday night gig at The Maple Leaf, Grammy-winning Rebirth Brass Band is a true New Orleans institution.
Formed in 1983 by brothers Phil and Keith Frazier, the brass band was made up of classmates and marching band members from Joseph S. Clark High School in New Orleans’ Treme neighborhood. Rebirth released its first album one year later, which was recorded in a Treme neighborhood bar.
Rebirth is known for combining traditional New Orleans brass band music, including New Orleans’ second line, with funk, jazz, soul and hip hop. The band has evolved from playing the streets of the French Quarter to playing festivals and stages all over the world.
Even former President Barack Obama namechecked the group during a speech marking the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction in New Orleans and the city’s recovery. The (then) president joked that maybe he’d “finally hear Rebirth at the Maple Leaf on a Tuesday night” after he was out of office.
Rebirth will bring the sounds of the Big Easy to town Saturday, July 15, when the band plays Revelry Room. The brass band includes Phil Frazier, tuba; Keith Frazier, bass drum; Glen Andrews, trumpet; Stafford Agee, trombone; Derrick Tabb, snare drum; Vincent Broussard, saxophone; and Chadrick Honroe, trumpet.
Rebirth Brass Band has become an ambassador for the Big Easy while it has built a multigenerational fan base.
The guys have a beer named after them — Rebirth Pale Ale — launched in 2014 by NOLA Brewing Co. The can’s design features Rebirth founder Phil Frazier. Proceeds from sales of the beer benefit The Roots of Music, a nonprofit music-education program for children founded by Tabb.
Tabb was the subject of “The Whole Gritty City,” a documentary showing how he prepared The Roots of Music Crusader Band for a performance in Mardi Gras parades.
Rebirth won the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album in 2012, the inaugural year of that Grammy category. The band performed in the pre-telecast ceremony for the 54th Grammy Awards and also played on the Grammy-nominated album, “Treme: Music From the HBO Original Series, Season 1.”
The group’s had cameos on TV (“NCIS: