Festival International de Louisiane
April 26, 2012
Heading back down
Jefferson I hear the unmistakable high-pitched taa-daa-daaaaa -- daa
of a New Orleans brass band. The Soul Express Brass Band is holding court on the
corner of Jefferson and Vermillion, the epicenter of the festival.
Except this is a home grown outfit. "The Soul Express Brass Band is
Opelousas' very own 1st jazz brass band. Soul Express Brass Band was
established October 7, 2007 by band members Reginald Jackson and David
Smith. The band consists of seven members, trumpet players Brandon
Richardson and Freddie Ford, trombone David Smith, baritone Therion
Winbush, tuba Jeremy Jenkins, bass drummer Nathaniel Sonnier, and snare
drummer Reginald Jackson."
Nothing in the known universe
sounds like a New Orleans style brass band. The sheer raw power
firepower of pealing trumpets, glissando raking trombones, a big bad
tuba, crackling snare drums, and one booming bass drum, with that
particular rolling thunder New Orleans rhythm inspires foot stomping
booty shaking hand clapping behavior from anyone with a beating heart.
The gospel according to the Soul Express.
There is
something immensely liberating about brass band music. Like a benign
black hole, the band draws instant eight-cylinder energy into its core.
Little girls hold hands and dance around in circles. Big girls - their
moms, aunts, cousins and teenaged neighbors - shimmy and shake. I don’t
know how spontaneous Lafayette residents usually are, but here they are
shaking just about everything God gave them to the beat of the band.
Photos and video by Paul A. Tamburello, Jr.
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