Until the rest of America gets hip to the astonishing comeback of the music of the streets of New Orleans, how can we ever hope to explain to them the awesome pleasure of a recording like this one? No star turns, nothing fancy, not even a categorical hook to hang the whole thing on. But that’s the essence of the New Orleans street band. What matters is exactly what the Li’l Rascals have brought together here: musicians saturated in the tradition, displaying a deep dedication to the skills of ensemble playing, choosing numbers with popular appeal, adding their own rhythms and feelings to freshen the mix (check out the “salsa” take, for example, complete with flute solo, on “Summertime”). This is exactly what it would sound like if you happened to live with a lot of musically talented neighbors and they occasionally got together to play for the enjoyment of the whole neighborhood.
The most unusual thing about this particular band may be their fondness for jazz “chestnuts,” like “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “I’ve Found a New Baby,” or “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.” But don’t get the wrong idea; there’s nothing old-timey about the way these fellas play. Plenty of these tempos and riffs could just as easily find their way to either funk or neo-swing projects. There are no Michael Jackson covers either; instead, a sprinkling of tunes with meaning to the history of the music, like “Paul Barbarin’s Second Line,” “Panama Rag,” and “Wolverine Blues.” And of course the spirituals, like the title cut and “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”
The closest the Rascals get to straight-out funk here is “Tuba Fats’ Second Half,” but even that high-spirited number is firmly anchored to a marching beat, because the tradition calls for this music to be played in the street. The Li’l Rascals bring you the street sounds of New Orleans, as old as history, as new as today. And they sound damn good. What’s truly remarkable is that in New Orleans this tradition can trace its roots back at least a hundred, if not two hundred, years, and that here it is now, another century turning, as alive and inspiring as it’s ever been.
(Got Fire Music, 914 North Lopez Street, New Orleans, LA 70116, 504-484-6562)
