During a period when most New Orleans brass bands have followed the lead of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and emphasize r&b and funk, the Storyville Stompers Brass Band is one of the leaders of the traditional groups. They have been together for 44 years and have performed more than 6,000 times and counting. While they have not recorded that often, Count Your Blessings is only the third CD listed on their website, the Storyville Stompers remains a popular and busy band today.
The focus during the eight numbers on Count Your Blessings is on religious songs that can easily be transformed into New Orleans jazz including such standards as “Old Time Religion,” “Just A Closer Walk With Thee,” “Old Rugged Cross,” and the lesser-known “Savior, Lead Me Lest I Stray.” For this set, the Storyville Stompers Brass Band consists of co-leaders Woody Penouilh (sousaphone) and trombonist Craig Klein, trumpeters Will Smith (who contributes some joyful vocals) and Doyle Cooper, trombonist Gerry Dallman, tenor-saxophonist Steve Burke, clarinetist Bruce Brackman, Jeffrey Hills Sr. on sousaphone, bass drummer Cayetano Hingle, and either Kerry Brown or Shawn King on snare drum. Topsy Chapman’s two daughters Yolanda Robinson and Kiki Chapman have guest vocals on two numbers.
Most unusual for a brass band is that organist Rickie Monie is on six songs. But while marching band organists are as scarce (and impractical) as brass band pianists, Monie’s inclusion makes sense. The Storyville Stompers Brass Band’s role model is the Olympia Brass Band and in 1977 for that group’s album In A Gospel Mood, Monie also played organ.
While various horn players take the lead at times, Count Your Blessings is essentially ensemble-oriented New Orleans jazz. None of the players are virtuosos and there are brief sections where the intonation is not flawless, but the group easily compensates for that with their spirit, enthusiastic ensembles, and consistent happiness. Acquiring Count Your Blessings lets listeners have their own New Orleans parade anytime they put on the CD.
Storyville Stompers Brass Band • Count Your Blessings
Jazz Fuel
www.storyvillestompers.com
Since 1975 Scott Yanow has been a regular reviewer of albums in many jazz styles. He has written for many jazz and arts magazines, including JazzTimes, Jazziz, Down Beat, Cadence, CODA, and the Los Angeles Jazz Scene, and was the jazz editor for Record Review. He has written an in-depth biography on Dizzy Gillespie for AllMusic.com. He has authored 11 books on jazz, over 900 liner notes for CDs and over 20,000 reviews of jazz recordings.
Yanow was a contributor to and co-editor of the third edition of the All Music Guide to Jazz. He continues to write for Downbeat, Jazziz, the Los Angeles Jazz Scene, the Jazz Rag, the New York City Jazz Record and other publications.
