Where:
Regattabar at the Charles Hotel
One Bennett Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Admission:
$22
Categories:
Music, Nightlife, Party
Event website:
http://www.getshowtix.com/regattabar/moreinfo.cgi?id=3776
Revolutionary Snake Ensemble celebrates Mardi Gras with special guests Henri Smith and Charles Neville. For basic information: 617-395-7757, http://www.regattabarjazz.com.
Labeled "explosive" by the Boston Globe, the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble (RSE) returns to Regattabar for their annual Fat Tuesday celebration that has become a Boston Mardi Gras tradition. The evening will feature special guests saxophonist Charles Neville of the legendary Neville Brothers and electrifying vocalist Henri Smith.
Twice nominated best jazz group by the New England Music Awards, RSE released their CD "I Want That Sound!" late last year, hitting CMJ's top ten jazz radio charts within 2 weeks time. "I Want That Sound!" critiques are also surfacing at a rapid rate:
--"Revolutionary Snake Ensemble has been putting its unique and somewhat twisted twist on the New Orleans brass band tradition for more than 25 years ... hard-partying avant-funk, with boisterous soloing ... I Want That Sound! is a strong example of how Ken Field and the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble continue to push the brass band tradition forward in an entirely original way, all the while making music that's a heck of a lot of fun." (NYC Jazz Record);
--"[RSE] continues to mine the vein of New Orleans -- with post-bop, and touches of Avant -- this band cooks; edgy, raucous, fun, and first rate!" (KBCS Seattle Public Radio);
--"People tend to think of second line bands -- brass bands steeped in New Orleans traditions -- as instant party starters. It's a great compliment, maybe the best compliment ever, but it limits the sonic and emotional range of these bands. Revolutionary Snake Ensemble can absolutely get a party started. But on the local horn collective's fourth album, "I Want That Sound!," the players also explore the wild outerlands of jazz." (Boston Herald);
--"... immensely enjoyable, whipping up high spirits without the need of any visual theatrics. It should set the feet of most of its listeners dancing, or marching." (ArtsFuse)
RSE is known to get a furious dance party going. But with Tom Hall (tenor sax), Ken Field (alto sax), Jerry Sabatini (trumpet), David Harris (trombone & tuba), Blake Newman (bass) and Phil Neighbors (drums) joining forces with Charles Neville and Henri Smith, the work-out will definitely surpass all expectations.
Further background information:
Further information on RSE can be found at http://www.RevolutionarySnakeEnsemble.org and http://www.facebook.com/RevolutionarySnakeEnsemble.
Grammy Award winning saxophonist Charles Neville is a member of the legendary Neville Brothers band. Born in 1938 in New Orleans, Neville has performed with James Brown, B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Ray Charles, Allen Toussaint, James Booker, Ernie K-Doe, Wilson Pickett, Big Joe Turner, and many more, and has led his own band, Diversity, since 1991. With gold & platinum records in six different countries, Neville has appeared on such popular TV shows as the The Today Show, Oprah, Saturday Night Live, Tonight Show, and Letterman. His ethereal performances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival have made him an annual fixture there. http://www.charlesnevillesite.com
Vocalist Henri Smith has been thrilling New Orleans audiences for years with his sophisticated swing and dramatic delivery of jazz, blues, and Cajun flavored music. He relocated to Massachusetts in 2005 after losing his home to Katrina. New Orleans born and bred, Smith has long been a radio personality on the legendary WWOZ, where his radio show featured the contemporary jazz that he loves and now sings professionally. With many connections in the music world, he frequently served as emcee and vocalist at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival for artists such as Kermit Ruffins and Ellis Marsalis. http://www.henrismith.com