Hot 8 Brass Band coming to The Ridgefield Playhouse on February 8
New Orleans' own Hot 8 Brass Band has epitomized New Orleans street music for over a decade-during the Katrina relief project their energetic sound was heard all over the city uplifting spirits. Now this fabled band is bringing their sound to The Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and the Performing Arts just before Mardi Gras on Sunday, February 8 at 8 p.m. as part of the Danbury Audi Jazz Series. A pre-performance discussion with band members about musicians' lives post Katrina at 7 p.m. will be moderated by Ira Joe Fisher and Morton Dean.
The Hot 8 Brass Band plays the traditional Second Line Parades, hosted each Sunday afternoon by Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs, infusing their performances with the funk and energy that Makes New Orleans music what it is. Second line parades are the descendants of the city's famous jazz funerals and, apart from a casket, mourners and a cemetery visit, they carry many of the same traditions with them as they march down the streets. Today, the parades are not tied to any particular event, holiday or commemoration; rather, they are generally held for their own sake and to let the good times roll-whether it be in New Orleans, Japan or Ridgefield.
The Hot 8 Brass Band is funded in part by the Expeditions program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Tour Program and the American Masterpieces initiative.
For tickets ($50/$45) and further information about The Ridgefield Playhouse, call the box office at 203-438-5795; tickets may also be purchased online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Playhouse is at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street.
