Hot 8 Brass Band

In the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, the first brass bands in New Orleans fused the traditional European military marches with African-American traditions of music and dancing that emanated from Congo Square in the days of slavery. A new New Orleans tradition emerged out of that fusion, one that mixed these two styles and took root in the city’s neighborhoods. These bands played at local baseball games, funerals, weddings, and other community events. They represented their communities in larger city-wide events and served as leaders within their own neighborhoods.

The Hot 8 at the DGA Crawfish Boil

The Hot 8 Brass Band carry those traditions into the present while embodying the new direction of New Orleans Brass Bands. Bennie Pete, Jerome “Bay Bay” Jones, and Harry “Swamp Thang” Cook founded the Hot 8 Brass Band in 1995. Originating out of Alcee Fortier High School in Uptown New Orleans, the band began as street performers and marched in second lines. The band’s fame took off after their appearance in the Peabody and Emmy awarding winning Spike Lee documentary When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts. The documentary examined the failure of the US government’s response to Hurricane Katrina and celebrated the resiliency of the residents of New Orleans. Since their appearance in When the Levees Broke, the Hot 8 Brass Band has released three albums with Tru Thoughts, an independent record label from the United Kingdom; Rock with the Hot 8 Brass (2007), The Life and Times of the Hot 8 Brass Band (2012), and Tombstone (2013). Like their musical predecessors, the Hot 8 continue to blend older musical styles with new ones.

More of the Hot 8

They incorporate jazz, hip hop, and funk into their brass band roots, creating something wholly new. They share the brass band culture to the city, country, and even across the world. As importantly, they serve as leaders within the community. The Hot 8 Brass Band also have devoted themselves to social activism by participating in various community organizations and initiatives. They support Silence is Violence, an organization devoted to improving the safety of New Orleans and honoring the victims of violence. Silence is Violence also works to promote the musical heritage of New Orleans, believing that creativity through music runs counter to violence. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the band also participated in Save Our Brass, an attempt to educate young musicians on the jazz traditions of New Orleans and preserve the city’s cultural heritage.