UH Mānoa presents the second annual Mānoa Jazz Festival

A COOL NIGHT OF HOT JAZZ AT ANDREWS AMPHITHEATRE

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Ann D Brandman, (808) 956-9883
Pub Info Officer, Outreach College
Posted: Aug 28, 2009

Hot 8 Brass Band
Hot 8 Brass Band
Manoa Jazz Festival
Manoa Jazz Festival
"Something about the Hot 8 Brass Band just sounds hot and sweaty.
It's the exhilarating sound of a marching band, the smoky, sultry sound of jazzy New Orleans, the sound of getting all crunk up in the club." -- John Staton, Star News Online
 
"First-rate" - The Village Voice
"...one of New Orleans` hottest young street bands..." - San Francisco Chronicle
"...defiant swing..." - The New Yorker

It's hot, it's cool, in a setting that's sublime -- it's the second annual Mānoa Jazz Festival kicking it up a notch at Andrews Amphitheatre on Saturday, September 19. In performance: celebrated local and national big bands: ‘Iolani School Stage Band, Hawai‘i Pacific University Jazz Ensemble, and the headliner, New Orleans' own Hot 8 Brass Band.  Hot 8 mixes it up with traditional New Orleans jazz, funk and gospel, a touch of sizzling R&B, and flavors of hip-hop chants and vocalizing. The net result -- a lot of sound, a lot of soul, and a whole lot of shaking going on from audiences young and old. 

Gates open for the Festival at 6:00 pm. KTUH jazz/blues DJ, Steve Stoddard, will emcee the Festival, with the ‘Iolani School Stage Band opening the program at 6:30pm. Hot 8 will perform at 7:30pm, and the HPU Jazz Ensemble will take the stage at 9:15pm.  Advance tickets are $15 - 25; at the door $20 - $30.   Purchase online at www.etickethawaii.com, or visit any UH Ticket outlet (Stan Sheriff Center, Rainbowtique Downtown or at Ward Centre, UH Mānoa Campus Center ticket office, Windward Community College OCET office); service charges apply. Patrons are invited to bring low-back chairs and picnics (no glass containers or alcoholic beverages). Food by Kevin`s Two Boots* and Simply Ono will also be available for purchase. For more information call 956-8246, or visit www.outreach.Hawaiʻi.edu/community.

Hot 8 Brass Band has epitomized New Orleans street music for over a decade.  The members of the band were born and raised in New Orleans and many began playing together in high school.  While well known at home, Hot 8 received national attention after Hurricane Katrina, when the band was featured in filmmaker Spike Lee's documentary, When the Levees Broke.

Infusing their performances with funk and energy, Hot 8 plays the traditional Second Line parades, hosted each Sunday afternoon by Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs. Second line parades are the descendents of New Orleans' famous jazz funerals, with the "first line" of mourners (family members of the deceased) followed by the second line (a band that marches as it plays and all those attracted to the music). Today the parades are not tied to any particular event, holiday or commemorations; rather they are generally held for their own sake.

Second lines trace their roots back to the 19th century and the fraternal societies and neighborhood organizations that collectively provided insurance and burial services to members, especially among the African American community. The "first line" of a funeral consisted of the people who were an integral part of the ceremony, such as the members of the club or krewe, or family and friends of the deceased. The "second line" originally referred to people who were attracted to the music. Led by a "Grand Marshal," the band played a dirge on the way to the burial site, but on the way back, the music became more joyful and the mourners and the second line, some sporting umbrellas and handkerchiefs, would dance with exuberance.  "Second line" is also the name of a unique dance performed to the beat of New Orleans` traditional jazz. The dance is an evolved version of an old African dance known as the Bambula.

Members of the Hot 8 Brass Band (musician bios below) have toured in Japan, Italy, France, Spain, Finland, England and Sardinia. The band performs annually at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and at world and jazz festivals across the US and Europe. The Hot 8 has released three critically acclaimed recordings and is featured on the latest Blind Boys of Alabama recording on Time-Life Records.

Hot 8 Brass Band has been part of an important relief project following Hurricane Katrina, called SAVE OUR BRASS!, a local grass-roots project that has brought music and instruments to shelters, temporary trailer parks, and communities across the Gulf Coast. Like many in New Orleans, the Band has had its share of tragedy.  In the aftermath of Katrina, drummer Dinerral Shavers was shot and killed while driving with his wife and child in New Orleans. Two other members of the band have lost their lives due to violence on the city streets. Trumpet player Terrell Batiste, who still plays with the band, lost both legs in an automobile accident. In response to these tragic setbacks, the Hot 8 Brass Band has recommitted itself to bringing people together through their unique brand of music to heal, to learn, and to celebrate. Despite the pain -- and perhaps because of it -- the Hot 8 Brass Band is all about forgetting your troubles and letting the good times roll.

Listen and watch here:  http://www.baylinartists.com/artist/hot_8_brass_band/
                                                 
The ‘Iolani School Stage Band, led by Curtis Abe, performs a wide variety of music styles, ranging from the classic sounds of the big band era to Latin, Funk, and Rhythm and Blues. Established in 1969 under the direction of Mr. Wayne DeMello, it was the first high school ensemble of it's kind in the state of Hawai‘i. The program has grown to include three separate bands, a jazz combo, and a rhythm section fundamentals class. They have entertained audiences in places such as Australia, Japan, Singapore, Mexico, New Orleans, and at jazz festivals in California, Texas, and Nevada. The stage bands have also hosted numerous world-class jazz clinicians and featured top musicians as guest artists.
 
The Hawai‘i Pacific University Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of  Dr. Patrick Hennessey, performs at public functions as well as shopping malls and private events for the HPU community. Composed of select musicians from the HPU band program, the ensemble’s repertoire includes everything from the traditional swing of the Count Basie Orchestra to the most current trends in jazz. When not playing jazz or hitting the books, the Ensemble's musicians can also be heard entertaining crowds at HPU’s sporting events.

A University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa Outreach College presentation, sponsored in part by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, UH Manoa's Student Activity and Program Fee Board, the National Endowment for the Arts and WESTAF. The Mānoa Jazz Festival is a UH Mānoa Arts & Minds event.
 

* Related UHM Outreach College workshop:

Cajun Cooking with Kevin "Two Boots" Tate
Saturday, September 12 • 10:00am-1:00pm • UHM Agricultural Science 224 • $45, plus $15 lab fee  • To register, call 956-8400 or visit www.outreach.Hawaiʻi.edu/noncredit/courses/
Cajun cooking is renowned worldwide for its delectable flavors and distinctive spices. Learn how to prepare roux for a variety of delicious gumbos (chicken and sausage, seafood, and vegetable). Chef Tate will also show you how to prepare his award winning Louisiana jambalaya (as it will be prepared for the upcoming Mānoa Jazz Festival!) Recipes and special tastings included. Kevin Tate, a private chef and caterer, is renowned for his Cajun and southern specialties, as well as his beloved restaurant, "Kevin's Two Boots."
 

For more information, visit: http://www.outreach.hawaii.edu/community