
3 minute read
Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Presents
MARDI GRAS MAMBO FEATURING DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND AND NATHAN AND THE ZYDECO CHA-CHAS
Roger Lewis – Baritone Sax/Vocals Kevin Harris – Tenor Sax/Vocals Gregory Davis – Trumpet/Vocals Kirk Joseph – Sousaphone TJ Norris – Trombone/Vocals Julian Addison – Drums Takeshi Shimmura – Guitar Nathan Williams – Accordion
Friday, February 11, 2022 8 p.m.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Virginia G. Piper Theater
DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND
PROGRAM Mardi Gras Mambo: The Dirty Dozen Brass Band are pioneers of the modern New Orleans brass band movement, recognized worldwide as an unstoppable musical machine. And Nathan Williams delivers a direct connection to Zydeco’s storied pioneers such as Clifton Chenier and Boozoo Chavis. Together, it’s a non-stop dancefest—a masterclass in blues, Cajun, New Orleans soul, zydeco, and R&B from two of Louisiana’s best!
BIOGRAPHY The Dirty Dozen Brass Band Celebrating more than 40 years since their founding in 1977, New Orleans-based Dirty Dozen Brass Band has taken the traditional foundation of brass band music and incorporated it into a blend of genres including bebop jazz, funk, and R&B/soul. This unique sound, described by the band as “musical gumbo,” has allowed the Dirty Dozen to tour across five continents and more than 30 countries, record 12 studio albums, and collaborate with a range of artists, from Modest Mouse to Widespread Panic to Norah Jones. Decades later, the Dirty Dozen Brass band is a world-famous music machine, whose name is synonymous with genre-bending romps and high-octane performances. The History of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band In 1977, The Dirty Dozen Social and Pleasure Club in New Orleans began showcasing a traditional Crescent City brass band. It was a joining of two proud, but antiquated, traditions at the time: social and pleasure clubs date back over a century to a time when Black southerners could rarely afford life insurance, and the clubs would provide proper funeral arrangements. Brass bands, early predecessors of jazz as we know it, would often follow the funeral procession, playing somber dirges, then once the family of the deceased was out of earshot, burst into jubilant dance tunes as casual onlookers danced in the streets. By the late ’70s, few of either existed. The Dirty Dozen Social and Pleasure club decided to assemble this group as a house band, and over the course of these early gigs, the seven-member ensemble adopted the venue’s name, becoming The Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas With over three decades under his hat, Nathan Williams is renowned as one of Southwest Louisiana’s most beloved Creole music and culture pioneers. After founding his Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas ensemble in 1985, Williams has since released 11 recordings and has brought his unique take on South Louisiana’s regional music to all corners of the globe. Williams’s lively stage show has crossed all barriers to bring Acadiana's unique French Creole culture and zydeco music to audiences worldwide. A 2005 inductee into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, Williams has also been honored with Louisiana's Zydeco Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. The Cha-Chas have been voted the top Festival Band in the country and have won New Orleans' OffBeat magazine's coveted Big Easy Award for Best Zydeco Band for several years running.
MOMIX
Friday, March 11, 8 p.m. Tickets start at $29 VIVA MOMIX celebrates the most memorable works from the last 40 years in MOMIX’s repertoire. The company will perform excerpts from Baseball, which was commissioned in 1992 in conjunction with the opening of the Scottsdale Stadium as the new spring training home of the San Francisco Giants.
Dance Series Presenting Sponsors: Karen and John Voris & Betty Hum and Alan Yudell
Click ScottsdalePerformingArts.org Call 480-499-TKTS (8587) Visit 7380 E. Second St. Donate Donate.ScottsdaleArts.org
