Treme Brass Band

The Treme Brass Band may be one the most well known traditional New Orleans style brass bands. They have been featured in the documentary, Tradition is a Temple, and David Simon's television show, Treme. This band has been active since 1990 and dress in the style of early 1900's parade bands wearing white captain's hats, white shirts, black pants, and black shoes. I think it's important that this group has embraced the traditional New Orleans style, which is not to say there is anything wrong with bands that are trying to break the mold.

Photo by Tom Pich. - http://www.nea.gov/about/NEARTS/15-2007vol1/15p13treme.html, Public Domain, Link

The way the Treme Brass Band has worked to preserve the earliest sounds of the genre works almost like a time capsule as other more popular bands continue to evolve around them. While evolution is an important part of any style of music, and is certainly something this style owes its existence to, it is nice to have a more traditional sound to refer back to. To demonstrate this "more traditional" sound I've included The Bugle Boy March, which show a more stripped down sound than other recordings I've chosen. They playing on this track is also less than perfect, which I think gives it life. I hope you enjoy it!