FINAL MAG

solo sections. It would then go back to a
sousaphone led groove for the rest of it.
Dave had written a real New Orleans-y
tune called the Big Shake Up and it
became one of the first tunes I arranged
for Bad Ass Brass.”
While agonizing over a new name for
the group, Russell Bennett – one of
Jon’s closest friends - suggested pulling
a tune out of the pad and calling the
band after it. Sure enough, it was that
very tune from O’Higgins’ album.
In November 2016, the group launched
their first EP under the new name.
This 5-part release features three
brilliant original works by Russell
Bennett, Dave O’Higgin’s Big Shake-
Up and Callum Au’s fine arrangement of
God Bless the Child featuring vocals by
Sharleen Linton. This is a collection of
lots of different styles – something that
reflects the group’s intentions to bridge
the gap between big band, pop, jazz
music and beyond.
The group is on fine form as they offer
an impossibly high level of playing with
great energy. Jon leads the band and
adds even more to the experience of
seeing the group live; he’s passionate
about engaging every audience they
play for.
Jon: “I would almost say I enjoy
presenting concerts more than I enjoy
playing the trombone. It’s not so much
the counting in and the leading, I just
love chatting to the audience, I could
sit on stage and chat for hours – in fact,
I often do. The guys in the band are
always going ‘come on, we need to play
another tune!’.”
As well as their work as performers,
the group are passionate educators too.
Ella Haller Zeiwrzchowska
The ensemble has long standing
partnerships with a variety of schools,
music services and festivals.
Jon: “We do all sorts. It’s mainly
improvisation – getting young players to
think about coming out of their music.
We go in to schools and do workshops
where we compose a piece with them,
work out parts and perform it as part
of a concert with them. We bring lots
of New Orleans stuff to little kids
too – Fats Domino’s I’m Walking is a
favourite.
We also love teaching brass bands
a tune by ear, a favourite for this is
Branford Marsalis’ tune Mo’ Better
Blues. They love it!”
The Big Shake-Up are not only set on
inspiring the next generation to pick
up instruments, but they are keen to
promote the art of writing and arranging
too. They even hope to encourage new
material for the group to try.
What’s next for the Big Shake Up?
Jon: “We would love to do some more
Jazz festivals and have plans to release
another album too. I imagine this
would be another live recording and it
will be all original compositions, and
all pretty crazy. That’s the idea!”
The Big Shake-Up and ensembles alike
are paving the way for musicians to
pursue what they love and believe in.
This group of friends have worked hard
to create something together and this
true collaboration shines across their
output; I am sure we all look forward to
hearing more from The Big Shake-Up.
For more information, please visit
www.bigshakeup.co.uk.
Jane Salmon
THE NEW ORLEANS
BRASS BAND
New Orleans Brass Band music
dates back to the end of the civil
war when army bands were
disbanded and lots of marching
band instruments became available.
Black musicians in particular
started to play their own music on
instruments that were unfamiliar
and a style started to develop.
In particular the brass marching
band was popular for funerals, the
film cliché of the band somberly
marching, while playing a slow
tempo, only to suddenly break
out into a joyous sound while
everyone starts to dance and sing.
Overcoming adversity and finding
the real joy in existence was the
main aim of this music.
The music became more codified
and became a fairly standard line
up. It would generally include
drums, tuba or sousaphone,
trombones, trumpets and clarinets
or saxophones. It was very similar
to the music line-ups and music
of early jazz pioneers like Buddy
Bolden and Louis Armstrong.
The bands tended to not have a
harmony instrument as it’s not
much fun marching with a piano.
They developed a style using
backings and a rhythmic relationship
between the drums and bass which
filled a lot of the space, allowing the
other instruments to blow together
over a solid background.
Like Township Jazz or Gypsy brass
bands the energy of the music comes
not from a high level of musical
education but from learning the
music together as a folk tradition.
Later again, the music stretched
away from traditional jazz by
adding funk rhythms and other
traditional ideas from other
communities.
The modern style is defined by funk
rhythms rather than swing. The bass
and drums underpin the music and
the other instruments improvise on
top and provide backings. The Treme
Brass Band is a wonderful example
of this tradition. Another is the
Rebirth Brass Band.
Paul Moylan
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