Whats My Name? / Hot 8 Brass Band
After the phenomenal success of their debut single “Sexual Healing” Hot 8 Brass Band show no signs of slowing down.
On the A Side, ‘What’s My Name?’ (Rock with the Hot 8) is the not-so-difficult second single from the band’s stunning debut album, “Rock with the Hot 8”, released earlier this year.
Demonstrating their unique flair for fusing traditional New Orleans marching brass band styles with freeform, rambling Jazz solos, a funk-driven beat, and the swagger and punch of hip hop classics, this is a characteristically charismatic version of the Snoop Dogg track.
On the B side is 'Fly Away'. Uplifting vocals with Gospel overtones roll along atop a jubilant traditional marching band arrangement. A joy of a song, offered up raw with an unfettered, ramshackle edge and a definite nod to hip hop odes of the past. Which some of you may also recognize from Spike Lee’s great documentary ‘When The Levees Broke’.
The other track on the B Side here is ‘I Got You’. Characterized by percussion you can’t stand still to and playful call-and-response style interactions between the band members, this track seems to draw the listener into its celebration of unity. Each player revels in a rare freedom and such spontaneity could only ever sound this good in a group of musicians who are as bound by shared history and future ideals as they are by the music.