Roll With It: Brass Bands in the Streets of New Orleans

Refiguring American Music

by Matt Sakakeeny

Roll With It  is a firsthand account of the precarious lives of brass band musicians in New Orleans. These young men are celebrated as cultural icons for upholding the proud traditions of the jazz funeral and the second line parade, yet they remain subject to the perils of poverty, racial marginalization, and urban violence that characterize life for many black Americans. The gripping narrative follows members of the Rebirth, Soul Rebels, and Hot 8 brass bands from back street to backstage, before and after Hurricane Katrina, always in step with the tap of the snare drum, the thud of the bass drum, and the boom of the tuba.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

248 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Matt Sakakeeny is Associate Professor of Music at Tulane University, and the author of Roll With It: Brass Bands in the Streets of New Orleans, also published by Duke University Press.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart and moving. I want a companion volume that looks at women. But, really, a compelling and evocative book.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Orleans is like the Canary Islands, home to cultures that evolve independently from the rest of the world. The local brass bands -- the descendents of 19th century oompah bands that along the way crossbred with funk and hip-hop beats -- are a prime example. Roll With It puts these remarkable bands in in their larger context (the focus is on Rebirth, Soul Rebels and the Hot 8), while also being timely in reporting on post-Katrina changes in brass culture. Consider it an essential field guide to sounds of the city's streets.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about the brass bands of New Orleans and how they have evolved in recent years, to some extent in a way at odds with the traditions from which they started. Several well-known bands are followed and one learns about jazz funerals, second line parades, New Orleans love affair with music, and the often dangerous culture in which the musicians live. The passion these musicians develop for music, at a young age, is also readily seen. A very entertaining and educational read.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Orleans brass band culture is on display here. Like the city itself, brass bands are in a constant flux of tradition and innovation and they, somehow, manage to maintain both beautifully but not without struggle.

[molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sensitive and original examination of New Orleans's brass bands and brass-band culture. I learned a lot, not only about the cultural economy, formal and informal, but also about race, representation, and appropriation.

[Kimberley Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only complaint: no samples of the music to listen to!
Definitely enjoyed this book and illustrations; definitely recommend.

[David Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible