Hot 8 Brass Band - Working Together / Keepin’ It Funky
16th December sees the release of “Working Together”/“Keepin’ It Funky”, the lead single from Hot 8 Brass Band’s newly announced fifth album ‘On The Spot’, which will follow in Spring 2017 alongside a World Tour taking in the Grammy-nominated band’s biggest London headline yet at The Roundhouse on 4th April (with more dates TBA).
Fans can now find “Working Together” streaming upfront on all platforms, in line with the announcement of this big album and live news on 27th October. Attention-grabbing videos for both tracks on the single will follow in November and December. Meanwhile, the New Orleans favourites bring their roof raising and rambunctious mix of hip hop, funk and inimitable Big Easy jazz to Europe once more this year, with mini tours of Ireland (27-31 Oct) and France (2-8 Nov), to close out a huge 2016 and gear up for the next step in their incredible story.
In true Hot 8 style, this single pairs hard-hitting, heart-on-sleeve sentiment with party-fuelling beats, hooks and grooves. “Working Together” was brought into the repertoire by bass drummer Harry “Swamp Thang” Cook, who felt the Frankie Beverly and Maze song tapped into the essence of the band. “The lyrics say, “We got to start learning how to do our thing and give each other some respect. We got to learn to give, I’m telling you like it is. Let’s work together and make this happen””, says bandleader Bennie Pete. “So while we were going through the trials and hard times as people and as a band, dealing with all our losses… We felt we had to cover it. We all feel deeply about the meaning and the message.”
Original tune “Keepin’ It Funky” brings a buoyant tuba bassline and winning trombone licks. “People like that funky groove”, says Pete, of the new track which blossomed into life on recent tours and also hit big with home crowds on their return. The organic evolution of this tune exemplifies the spirit of the LP – one meaning of ‘On The Spot’ refers to the glorious, rare moment in a New Orleans parade when the band stops to take a break but keeps noodling with their instruments to please the crowd; vibing and keeping the energy up, when they’re completely in the moment they sync up and the magic happens – a new tune is created. With these new recordings, Hot 8 capture what they can of this spirit.
The Hot 8 celebrated their 20th Anniversary last year with the ‘Vicennial: 20 Years Of The Hot 8 Brass Band’ album, which exemplified their ability to honour their city’s musical traditions while forging their own powerful legacy. They have toured almost constantly since, selling out headlines and playing major festivals including BST Hyde Park (supporting Mumford & Sons), North Sea Jazz, Secret Garden Party and WOMAD. At Madness’ House Of Common event, they delighted thousands of revellers with a New Orleans-style parade around London’s Clapham Common (led by Craig Charles, a big fan). While on tour, they performed radio sessions for BBC 6Music Morning Show, BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends, Jazz FM, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC R3. This adds to in-depth interviews with Mary Anne Hobbs (6Music) and BBC World Service’s Outlook programme, the latter touching on tragic stories from Hot 8’s history which chimed especially intensely with listeners in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement.
As well as a new video for Hot 8’s world-renowned version of “Sexual Healing”, which has gained over 750,000 YouTube hits, this year also brought a mini-documentary – Hot 8 Brass Band: 20 Years In The Making – which tells the story of this indefatigable musical and cultural force at a pivotal point in their evolution. Hot 8’s dramatic tale has also previously been featured in Spike Lee’s When The Levees Broke and The Creek Don’t Rise, and David Simon’s HBO hit Treme.
One of the great New Orleans acts, Hot 8 have pushed on through a barely imaginable series of trials. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the separate deaths of five band members, and the horror of trumpeter Terrell “Burger” Batiste losing his legs in a car crash, have tested these men time and again. They honour their fallen friends and work towards the future of their community by putting their energies into positive projects at home as well as touring as much as possible. They march together and they play their music not merely as though, but because their lives depend on it.
Transcending genres and trends, Hot 8 have performed and collaborated with artists from Lauryn Hill to Mos Def, The Roots to the Blind Boys of Alabama. Mixing an old school street brass approach with on-point production, funkier currents and hip hop vocals, they continue to juxtapose their fresh and charismatic cover versions with magnificent original compositions that highlight their ever-quickening march towards legendary New Orleans status.
