PLAIN FOLK

by by Donna Robinson
Rebirth Brass Band: Our New Orleans musical adventure continues.

After House of Blues,we were a bit gun shy,but we'd heard that this funky little place called the Maple Leaf Bar had a great band on Tuesdays. As usual,it was unusual,a New Orleans special. Still no seating near the dance floor,but this was a whole different kettle of catfish.

You couldn't begin to create a venue like this. It had to be born and grow into it itself.The Maple Leaf Bar was a drug store at the turn of the century. No, not the last one,the one before. It morphed into a laundromat,then a bar. They still haven't gotten around to taking out the last of the machines which lie rusting in the back yard,setting the mood for the outdoor patio. Inside,the ceiling is pressed tin,the floor is wood planking,and the light bulbs are naked. It is a "cramped,out-of-the-way mecca with tons of personality and a loyal crowd".

12 large men with 12 large brass instruments squeezed onto the tiny stage.
And it was like nothing I've ever heard before or since. I didn't know what to think,so I just let it creep in. Soon,it starts to grow on you and then - you get it. Primitive,driving. They played with such incredible passion! Not too tight. It brought to mind another great night of music with Duke Robillard's band back home in Canada. He's heavy on musicianship but light on stage presence. ReBirth was all about passion and stage presence and light on the technical musicianship. No matter! They both win you over in their own way.

Eventually, I found out why it was so hard to describe. I learned that ReBirth's style is called second-line. This refers to the quaint old New Orleans tradition whereby a party of unrelated dancers and marchers follow the funeral marching bands. They form the 'second line' of marchers. Since these were African American funerals, they must have had considerably more rhythm to them than our Anglo funerals. (Think of Rock of Ages, here.)

ReBirth took the music part of this old-timey tradition and brought it into the 21st century with a willingness to incorporate everything from R&B to TV jingles. It's funk, it's jazz, it's hip hop, it's R&B, it's marching music and more. It's what makes old arthritic bones want to get out and join the parade. What a night!

Forget the hype about New Orleans. For me, the French Quarter was not cool. It is now a parody of itself. If you are looking for the real deal and making musical memories, these back-street, hard to find, small venue performers are the way to go.

By the way, when they aren't touring world-wide, they are still highly sought after to lead the second-line dancing parades in New Orleans. Check out their music at www.rebirthbrassband.com and the new DVD "A Song for Bobby Long" staring John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson.