This record makes me think of something Tom Waits once said, “In New Orleans, music is like hot sauce. They put it on their food.” Yes, we do, and few things taste as good as trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, with his finger lickin’ quintet, kickin’ their loose-limbed, juicy jazz into the wee hours.
Rather than sanitizing it in the studio, this live recording from Tipitina’s captures “neighborhood New Orleans jazz” in the raw, so to speak. Were it not for the superb sound quality, you might think it was a bootleg. The crowd is very much in the mix. In fact, that’s what gives the record its luster.
After warming them up with the hip soul-jazz of “Chicken and Dumplings” and some scatting on the original “Smokin’ with Some Barbecue,” Kermit unleashes one of the greatest performances of “St. James Infirmary” ever recorded. Kermit’s muted trumpet has never sounded more expressive, moaning, wailing, neighing like an old horse. His singing hits just the right note of comic pathos, evoking Armstrong, Danny Barker and even Cab Calloway’s famous call and response from “Minnie the Moocher.” When the crowd responds with a roaring “Hi De Hi De Hi De Hi,” you know he’s got them, they’re in heaven.
While Kermit plays, Corey Henry is mournfully sympathetic on the trombone, then lets loose his own devilishly bluesy solo. His brilliant counterpoint and solos on this album show that he can range from back-o-town tailgate to funk to be-bop. He is the perfect foil for Kermit, but also a force to be reckoned with in his own right. The other Swingers, Emile Vinette (piano), Kevin Morris (bass) and Jerry Anderson (drums) are no slouches either. They display an ability to “swing out” on a great variety of styles: the struttin’ funk of “Just Showin’ Off,” the street shuffle of “Do The Fat Tuesday” and the brass band anthem “Do Watcha Wanna (The Final Chapter).” Even Henry’s rap on “Peep This Groove Out” is arranged so that it works well in the context of New Orleans swing. Kermit scats while Henry raps.
“What is New Orleans?”, Kermit asks us at one point in the show. His answer becomes an eight minute tribute to a few of his (and our) favorite things, such as Creole gumbo, fish, grits and eggs, hot sausage on the grill, Joe’s Cozy Corner, Donna’s, Clyde’s Barber Shop, Tuba Fats, The Black Men of Labor, Vaughan’s on a Thursday night…The list goes on as the band cooks behind him and the crowd cheers and celebrates its own culture.
Moments like this are what makes this record special. It captures not only a great band at the height of their prowess, but the flavor of Kermit’s personality and the magic of a great night in New Orleans.
