Kermit Ruffins - Live At Vaughan's

Styles:  Vocal, Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:19
Size: 152,4 MB
Art: Front

(1:00)  1. Introduction
(5:49)  2. Skokiaan
(4:51)  3. World On A String
(4:18)  4. Drop Me Off In New Orleans
(3:05)  5. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?
(6:22)  6. Palm Court Strut
(5:06)  7. Treme' Second Line
(3:35)  8. Can't Take My Baby Nowhere
(4:25)  9. Hide The Reefer
(6:06) 10. If You Want Me To Stay
(7:39) 11. Be Thankful For What You Got
(8:28) 12. Talking Loud And Saying Nothing
(4:28) 13. O-o-h Child

Trumpeter/vocalist Kermit Ruffins sure knows how to throw a party, and frankly, he should. As the founder of two great New Orleans jazz bands, the Rebirth Brass Band and the Barbeque Swingers, Ruffins has become somewhat of a New Orleans musical diplomat, embracing a vigorous touring schedule that has brought him further from home than many of the city's mainstays. Live at Vaughan's is a different story though, as Ruffins brings his Barbeque Swingers back home for a Thursday night set. The full house is in all-out party mode, and Ruffins delivers with his brand of modern New Orleans jazz, complete with to-the-point soloing, heartfelt vocals, and endless musings. If Ruffins knows how to do anything, he knows how to put on a show. After a brief introduction, things kick off with the infectious opener "Skokiaan." After his trumpet trilling over his rock-steady backing band, Ruffins enters vocally with an extended howl before voicing the rollicking lyrics. His voice, though far from exceptional, does have a certain energy and spirit to it. Ruffins slows it down for the next number, Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler's classic "World on a String." His rendition is an honest one, and it only heats up when Richard Knox tickles the electric ivories in fine fashion. The night soon turns into a family affair, as Ruffins brings in his daughter Neshia to sing on "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?" One of the great things about Ruffins, and something that really shines through on this disc in particular, is his broad range of influences. He brings the same care and passion to an old Arlen ballad as he does to Sly Stone's "If You Want Me to Stay," a masterpiece of over-the-deep-end funk. 

His covers never lose Ruffins' own touch, though, and he brings a completely different kind of energy to the song. The opening two-minute jam on the unmistakable bass line is pure fire, and it's clear the band has really hit their stride. Again, his voice doesn't come close to matching Stone's, but his energy is enough to carry it. He even mixes in a few lines from hip-hop staple the Roots's "You Got Me," for Ruffins is a man who embraces all forms of music. These small details are part of what makes Live at Vaughan's such a fun ride. The album closer only certifies Ruffins' role as a musical unifier. The Five Stairsteps' ballad "O-o-h Child" is presented with a funky edge before Ruffins begins rapping over the song's chord changes. For Ruffins, it isn't about playing a style of music; it's about just playing so that people can enjoy themselves. When Ruffins asks the non-New Orleans residents in the audience to scream, he is met with a wall of noise. Looks like it's working. ~ Henry Smith https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-vaughans-kermit-ruffins-basin-street-records-review-by-henry-smith.php

Personnel: Kermit Ruffins: vocals, trumpet; Richard Knox: electric keyboards; Derrick Freeman: drums, vocals; Kevin Morris: electric bass; Neshia Ruffins: vocals; Roderick Paulin: saxophone; Corey Henry: trombone; Percy Williams: percussion; Dirty Rice: washboard; Bob French: introduction.

Live At Vaughan's

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Kermit Ruffins, Irvin Mayfield - A Beautiful World

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:59
Size: 169,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:10)  1. Well, Alright
(0:21)  2. Kermit, Turn It Down Interlude (feat. Wendell Pierce)
(2:29)  3. Drop Me Off in New Orleans (feat. Dr. Michael White)
(5:00)  4. Don't Worry Be Happy (feat. Jason Marsalis, Cyril Neville, Haley Reinhart & Glen David Andrews)
(0:11)  5. Irvin, Turn It Up Interlude (feat. Wendell Pierce)
(4:56)  6. Good Life (feat. Bailey Flores, Glen David Andrews & John Boutte)
(4:20)  7. Good Morning New Orleans
(0:35)  8. You Don't Look Good Interlude (feat. Wendell Pierce)
(4:28)  9. Mystic
(0:15) 10. Dad, Turn It Up Interlude (feat. Irvin Mayfield III)
(5:16) 11. Move On Ahead (feat. Jolynda Kiki Chapman)
(0:32) 12. Practicing Interlude (feat. The Urban Cellist)
(3:31) 13. Just Playin' (feat. Wendell Brunious, Leroy Jones, Leon Kid Chocolate Brown & Andrew Baham)
(0:16) 14. Soul Sister Interlude (feat. DJ Soul Sister)
(4:13) 15. Sister Soul (feat. Wendell Pierce & Bill Summers)
(3:45) 16. Allen Toussaint (feat. Cyril Neville)
(0:27) 17. King Lear Interlude (feat. Wendell Pierce)
(4:33) 18. Beautiful World (For Imani) (feat. Haley Reinhart)
(2:18) 19. Do Whatcha Wanna Interlude (feat. Rebirth Brass Band)
(5:36) 20. Be My Lady (feat. Cyril Neville & George Porter, Jr.)
(2:27) 21. Footwork (feat. Rebirth Brass Band & Cyril Neville)
(1:20) 22. Trumpet Bounce
(2:40) 23. Lexine (feat. Denisia)
(1:24) 24. Li'l Liza Jane Interlude
(4:04) 25. Just a Closer Walk with Thee (feat. Topsy Chapman, Jolynda Kiki Chapman & Yolanda Robinson)
(2:42) 26. When the Saints Go Marching In

In celebration of Basin Street Records’ 20th anniversary, label mates and trumpeters Kermit Ruffins and Irvin Mayfield join forces on A Beautiful World. These two mock adversaries, who used to hilariously battle it out musically at local clubs, stand as Basin Street’s most recorded artists and helped put the local label on the national map.  They share composing credits for the albums’ first cut, “Well, Alright,” which, not surprisingly, swings like crazy and is made complete with hand clapping, singing and Ruffins cheerleading “Follow the umbrella!” It’s a big band number filled with saxophone, trombone and trumpet sections. The trumpeters kick things off with tenor saxophonist Ed “Sweetbread” Petersen soon standing up for an inspired solo and Trevarri Huff-Boone blowing some fine bari.  Well, alright, there are some 60, primarily very well-known New Orleans musicians on this album that boasts 26 cuts. Granted, there are several very short, spoken word interludes with several amusingly orated by actor Wendell Pierce. Nonetheless, that leaves room for a lot of music that varies greatly stylistically including the traditional sounds of the Ruffins and Mayfield penned “Just Playin’” that includes trumpeters Wendell Brunious, Leroy Jones, Leon “Kid Chocolate” Brown and Andrew Baham. Here, Shannon Powell takes over on drums that are often occupied by Adonis Rose.  There is even a string septet on three numbers, including the title cut, “Beautiful World,” the name of which was an inspired way to pay tribute to trumpeter Louis Armstrong by referencing his hit “What a Wonderful World.” Haley Reinhart, perhaps best recognized as a finalist on American Idol, sings with passion the song written by Mayfield and arranged by trombonist Emily Fredrickson, who also adds some fine tonal accents. Cyril Neville, who is prominent on many of the album’s selections, contributes his voice in harmony.  Neville takes the lead on a highlight of the disc, “Allen Toussaint,” a jaunty number he co-wrote with Ruffins and Mayfield. It embraces all of what might be described as Toussaint-isms the prominent rollicking piano here provided by Ronald Markham, the distinctive horn arrangements, that certain lilting rhythm and humor. After recalling his first time spotting Toussaint, Neville exclaims, “All I can say, when I saw that, is man, when I grow up I wanna be like that!” The song ingeniously heads out quoting the master’s lyrics from “Working in the Coal Mine,” “Workin’, goin’, workin’, goin’…”  Just as Basin Street Records has done for 20 years, A Beautiful World celebrates New Orleans and its rich community of musicians. http://www.offbeat.com/music/kermit-ruffins-irvin-mayfield-beautiful-world-basin-street-records/

Personnel:  Kermit Ruffins – Trumpet, Vocals;  Irvin Mayfield – Trumpet, Flugel Horn, Vocals, Piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Vocoder, Talkbox, Tamborine, Conductor;  Rebirth Brass Band;  Dr. Michael White – Clarinet;  Bill Summers – Percussion;  Jason Marsalis – Vibraphone, Marimba, Whistle, Woodblocks, Voice, Shakers, Snaps, Claps, Chest Drum

A Beautiful World

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Kermit Ruffins - Big Easy

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:55
Size: 161,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:24)  1. Tiger Rag
(5:47)  2. Skokiaan
(7:30)  3. When I Die (You Better Second Line)
(5:50)  4. Wake Up Neesie
(5:02)  5. Palm Court Strut
(5:20)  6. Stardust
(5:11)  7. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(4:03)  8. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
(6:33)  9. Big Easy
(7:09) 10. The World Is A Ghetto
(5:50) 11. Basin Street Blues
(3:56) 12. One Life
(3:15) 13. Skokiaan (Remix)

New Orleans is one of the greatest cultural conglomerations on the face of the earth. From the remains of past conquerors like Spain and France, to leftovers from the thousands of international expatriates who gather for the Crescent City’s festivals and endless parties, it remains a gumbo within the American melting pot. On his latest CD, Nawlins horn man Kermit Ruffins dips in a big ladle and comes up with a tasty menu of multi-ethnic flavors that range from his own roots in jazz to tinges of reggae to rock. From the opening Dixieland theme song "Tiger Rag" and the easy-going swing of "Basin Street Blues," to such second liners as "When I Die" and the butt-shaking "Palm Court Strut," it is evident that Ruffins has his hometown well in hand when he lays it on his horn. Through the musical march of the subtly but noticeably rearranged "On the Sunny Side of the Street" and the Latin spice of "The World is a Ghetto," Ruffins also shows other sides of his jazz repertoire; a mode he escapes with the Wyclef-ian jam "One Life." Along the way, Ruffins also returns to his childhood with the juvenile family affair "Breakfast Lunch and Dinner" and then to one of his personal favorites with a second mix of "Skokian" that closes the album with all the energy and flavor of the broadly talented performer and the wonderfully diverse city he calls home. ~ AAJ Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/big-easy-kermit-ruffins-basin-street-records-review-by-aaj-staff.php

Personnel: Kermit Ruffins (vocals, trumpet); Juanita Brooks (vocals); Detroit Brooks (banjo); Matt Rhody, Rachel Jordan (violin); Eric Traub (tenor saxophone); Corey Henry (trombone, background vocals); Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, Wendell Eugene (trombone); Herlin Riley (drums, cowbells); Shannon Powell (drums, cymbals, tambourine); Jerry Anderson (drums, wood block); Bill Summers (percussion)

Big Easy

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Kermit Ruffins - The Big Butter & Egg Man

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:23
Size: 91,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:54)  1. I'll Drink Ta Dat
(4:06)  2. The Big Butter And Egg Man
(4:07)  3. Besame Mucho
(4:46)  4. Out Of Left Field
(3:59)  5. The Undertaker Man
(3:08)  6. Leshianne
(4:17)  7. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
(3:10)  8. If You're A Viper
(3:53)  9. Li'l Liza Jan
(3:57) 10. West Indies Jazz Dance

With his outgoing personality, New Orleans-style trumpet playing, and likable singing style, Kermit Ruffins has the potential to develop into a new Louis Prima. This CD from Justice hints at his potential, but it is quite erratic. Some of the songs (particularly those featuring the tenor of Roderick Paulin) are too modern; Ruffins's solos are streaky, and the varied material does not all succeed. Best are such good-time numbers as "I'll Drink Ta Dat," "The Undertaker Man" and "Li'l Liza Jane," although one wishes that this rendition of "Struttin' with Some Barbecue" were a lot stronger. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-big-butter-egg-man-mw0000628068

Personnel:  Trumpet, Vocals – Kermit Ruffins;  Drums – Jerry Anderson;  Piano – Dwight Fitch;  Saxophone – Roderick Paulin;  Trombone – Corey Henry;  Tuba – Philip Fraizer

The Big Butter & Egg Man

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Kermit Ruffins - World On A String

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:23
Size: 95,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. Monday Night In New Orleans
(3:22)  2. Honey Chile
(2:44)  3. I've Got The Wold On A String
(3:11)  4. Kermit's Second Line
(5:12)  5. Georgia On My Mind
(5:59)  6. Girl Of My Dreams
(3:43)  7. Rosetta
(2:24)  8. Happy Birthday
(2:46)  9. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
(4:44) 10. When My Dreamboat Comes Home
(3:42) 11. The Glory Of Love

The music on this first solo effort from trumpeter Kermit Ruffins is so good-natured and joyous that one can mostly overlook its derivative nature. Ruffins clearly had a good time playing trumpet (and occasionally singing) on such numbers as "Monday Night In New Orleans," "Girl of My Dreams" and "When My Dreamboat Comes Home." Not everything works on the date: "Rosetta" is taken much too fast for the musicians; there are a few too many average vocals; Ruffins did not have that original a sound yet; and some of the performances are quite predictable. So, although pianist Ellis Marsalis, bassist Walter Payton and banjoist Danny Barker are in the band (along with some younger lesser-known players), this is only a slightly above average set of New Orleans jazz. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/world-on-a-string-mw0000113730

Personnel: Kermit Ruffins (vocals, trumpet); Doreen Ketchens (clarinet); Lucien Barbarin (trombone); Anthony Lacen (tuba); Ellis Marsalis (piano); Danny Barker (banjo); Walter Payton (bass); Shannon Powell (drums); James Andrews (background vocals).

World On A String

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Kermit Ruffins & The Barbecue Swingers - #imsoneworleans

Size: 111,6 MB
Time: 48:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. I'm So New Orleans (5:27)
02. Tipitina (6:23)
03. Mexican Special (4:03)
04. At Last (6:10)
05. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (5:17)
06. Put Your Right Foot Forward (4:29)
07. Jock-A-Mo (Iko Iko) (5:10)
08. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (5:11)
09. I'm So New Orleans Part 2 (5:50)

Kermit Ruffins (born December 19, 1964) is an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and composer from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He has been influenced by Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan and says that the highest note he can hit on trumpet is a high C. He often accompanies his songs with his own vocals. Most of his bands perform New Orleans jazz standards, though he also composes many of his own pieces. Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote, "Mr. Ruffins is an unabashed entertainer who plays trumpet with a bright, silvery tone, sings with off-the-cuff charm and never gets too abstruse in his material."

#imsoneworleans

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Jeremy Davenport - We'll Dance 'Til Dawn

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:56
Size: 115,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:19)  1. Almost Never
(4:20)  2. When I Take My Sugar To Tea
(5:18)  3. That Old Black Magic
(3:35)  4. Mr. New Orleans
(5:18)  5. We'll Dance 'Til Dawn
(4:12)  6. There's a Small Hotel
(4:17)  7. The Lady Is a Tramp
(4:04)  8. Forever
(3:40)  9. By the Time I Get to Phoenix
(2:54) 10. I Could Hear Your Heartbeat
(5:07) 11. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(3:45) 12. Come Rain or Come Shine

A blithely swinging crooner with a warm and jaunty improvisational style, trumpeter/vocalist Jeremy Davenport showcases his nightclub-honed charm on his third studio album and Basin Street Records debut, We'll Dance 'Til Dawn. A regular on the New Orleans music scene, Davenport made good on his '90s tag as Harry Connick, Jr.'s protégé by performing weekly at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in the French Quarter. If Davenport's 2005 concert album, Live at the Bistro, was an earthy, unpredictable, and unfiltered document of his nightclub act, then 2009's We'll Dance 'Til Dawn is the more refined and polished business card follow-up. 

Where Bistro showcased how Davenport a Missouri-born/N.Y.C. trained musician had fully steeped himself in the rhythmic gumbo of the New Orleans jazz tradition, We'll Dance 'Til Dawn is a dry martini of an album filled with crisp, urbanely delivered standards and supple afterglow ballads. In that sense, it's a much more modern take on the New Orleans tradition and frames Davenport in a wider lens than just a New Orleans act. Here listeners find more of Davenport's clever, Gershwin-esque originals like "Almost Never" and "I Could Hear Your Heartbeat." Equally as engaging are his cover choices, like his propulsive Latin-tinged take on "That Old Black Magic" and his surprisingly effective contemporary jazz reworking of Jimmy Webb's "By the Time I Get to Phoenix." That said, there's plenty of Southern hospitality here, including Davenport's playful duet with the famous city's other singing/trumpet-playing institution, Kermit Ruffins, on "Mr. New Orleans." 

A Davenport original, the track finds the two members of this dynamic duo celebrating and poking fun at their respective reputations, with the gruff Ruffins as "King of Treme" and the boyish Davenport as "Mr. Fancy Pants." It's a joyous wink of a tune and the type of track that only performers confident in their personas can get away with. Ultimately, that's the clearest thing about Davenport on We'll Dance 'Til Dawn he knows he's got you in a spin as long as he wants. ~ Matt Collar  http://www.allmusic.com/album/well-dance-til-dawn-mw0000820085

Personnel: Jeremy Davenport (vocals, trumpet); Kermit Ruffins (vocals, trumpet); David Torkanowsky (piano); George Porter, Jr., Roland Guerin (bass instrument); Troy Davis (drums, percussion); Herman Ernest, Herman V. Ernest III (drums); Michael Skinkus (percussion).

We'll Dance'Til Dawn

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Kermit Ruffins - Happy Talk

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:26
Size: 143,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:17)  1. Panama
(7:46)  2. Sugar
(3:59)  3. More Today Than Yesterday
(6:36)  4. New Irleans (My Home Town)
(3:41)  5. Hey Look Me Over
(3:34)  6. Ain't That Good News
(3:54)  7. La Vie En Rose
(5:20)  8. Happy Talk
(9:08)  9. If I Only Had A Brain
(4:26) 10. High Hopes
(5:45) 11. I Got A Treme' Woman
(2:56) 12. Shine

It's no secret that New Orleans is a melting pot, a nexus that mixed African, Cuban, Native American, and European music to create a distinctive rhythm and attitude that can be found nowhere else in the U.S. New Orleans is the only city in American with a distinctive sound, and while you may not be able to describe it, you know it when you hear it. Even in a city known for musicians with a unique take on things, bandleader and trumpet player Kermit Ruffins stands out for his wide-ranging stylistic approach. Happy Talk tackles everything from low-down blues to Dixieland, with Ruffins well-known panache. "If I Only Had a Brain," from The Wizard of Oz, is given a Latin tinge by Herlin Riley's inventive percussion work. Ruffins sings the lyric simply, then gives the band plenty of room to explored the tune's changes with fine solos from Ruffins, Riley, trombonist Corey Henry, and pianist Matt Lemmler. 

Ruffins swings through "Happy Talk," an optimistic love song from South Pacific, delivers a jumpin' jivey version of "Hey Look Me Over" from Lucille Ball's Wildcat, and plays Edith Piaf's "La Vie en Rose" in a slow, mournful tempo that intensifies the song's feeling of hopeless love. His expressive vocal wrings every bit of emotion out of each word with a measured delivery that stretches every breath almost to its breaking point. Ruffins also contributes two original tunes. "New Orleans (My Home Town)" is a slow blues featuring Ruffins' smoky, muted trumpet and playful vocal, Lemmler's late-night piano, and Daryll McCoy's Memphis-style guitar fills, while "I Got a Tremé Woman" is a rousing jump blues with an exuberant, barely contained energy that features the trombone of Henry and David Pulphus' inventive acoustic bass. Ruffins has been getting a lot of exposure on the HBO series Tremé, and although he's been touring more, he still holds down his weekly gig at Vaughan's Lounge, just as he's done for the past 17 years. ~ j.poet  http://www.allmusic.com/album/happy-talk-mw0002041345

Personnel: Kermit Ruffins (vocals, trumpet); Matt Lemmler (piano); Herlin Riley (drums).

Happy Talk

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Kermit Ruffins - Swing This!

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:41
Size: 122.9 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, New Orleans jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[4:28] 1. Bogalusa Strut
[5:35] 2. Things Are Getting Better
[2:05] 3. He's Making Eyes At Me Ma
[4:34] 4. Ain't Misbehavin'
[5:23] 5. But Not For Me
[2:19] 6. This Little Light
[5:47] 7. Treme Second Line-Blow Da Whistle
[3:50] 8. Can't Take My Baby Nowhere
[3:23] 9. Hide The Reefer
[4:45] 10. Fruit Punch
[4:38] 11. Swing This!
[6:47] 12. Bucket's Got A Hole In It

New Orleans trumpeter/vocalist Ruffins concentrates on good time jive and swing, with a big band taste and second-line influence on this CD with his group, the Barbeque Kings. His bright trumpet sound and slightly Louis Armstrong-inflected vocal style is complemented by his band of fellow young jazzmen, the most distinctive being trombonist Corey Henry. Ruffins wrote four of the 12 selections: "Treme Second Line" (Blow Da Whistle)," "Can't Take My Baby Nowhere," and "Hide the Reefer" are silly goof numbers, the latter with a Gene Krupa rhythm. The title track is a bopping instrumental where Ruffins, Henry, and tenor saxophonist Roderick Paulin get to blow a little. Ed Frank's "Fruit Punch" is also a swinging instrumental with promising solos. Ruffins cops Eddie Jefferson's lyric on "Things Are Getting Better," adding a peanut vendor line. He sings "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Bucket's Got a Hole in It" with that self-effaced Satchmo charm. Additional horns turn the ensemble into a big band sound for "Ma, He's Makin' Eyes at Me" and "But Not for Me." Six-year-old Neshia Ruffins and seven-year-old Christina Ruffins join four-year-old Milan Arriola on a truly kiddish "This Little Light of Mine," and the CD kicks with a true New Orleans trad classic, "Bogalusa Strut." As he matures, Ruffins should grow out of camp into pure musical value. This is a quite an entertaining recording. ~Michael G. Nastos

Swing This!

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Kermit Ruffins - Have a Crazy Cool Christmas

Styles: New Orleans Jazz
Label: Basin Street Records
Released: 2009
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 136,2 MB
Time: 59:29
Art: front

1. Silent Night - 5:18
2. Santa Clause is Coming to Town - 5:15
3. What Will Santa Say When He Finds Everybody Swingin' - 3:32
4. O Christmas Tree - 3:16
5. Baby It's Cold Outside - 4:24
6. A Saints Christmas - 5:04
7. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow - 4:22
8. Little Drummer Boy - 6:34
9. Silver Bells - 5:17
10. Crazy Cool Christmas - 5:04
11. Winter Wonderland - 4:05
12. This Christmas - 3:55
13. Jingle Bells - 3:17

Personnel:
Kermit Ruffins (vocals, trumpet)
Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews (trombone)
Matt Lemmler (piano)
Irvin Mayfield (organ)
Herlin Riley (drums)
Vincent Broussard (Tenor Sax)
Neal Caine (Bass)
Corey Henry (Trombone)
Derrick Tabb (Snare Drums)
Eric Traub (Tenor Sax)

Notes: Kermit Ruffins’ role as the Bard of Good Times in New Orleans has led him into some musically dubious spots, places where clichés rule. Have a Crazy Cool Christmas suits him beautifully because it lets his personality dominate, and his exuberant sense of fun carries the day. You can hear his smile when he sings, “Santa Claus is swingin’ to town,” and when he sneaks the pick-up to “They All Asked for You” into “O Tannenbaum.” Throughout, the band swings with authority—a given on Ruffins’ albums—even at a breakneck pace on his version of Louis Prima’s “What Will Santa Say (When He Finds Everybody Swinging?).”
In a stroke of prescience, Ruffins wrote a new Christmas song, “A Saints Christmas.” Like many of his originals, the song’s success depends on the goodwill of his audience; those who love the sentiment will excuse some easy lines, and those who don’t, won’t. Fortunately for Ruffins, his songs comes out during the Saints’ best start ever, far stronger than it was in 2004 when Greg Barnhill and New Birth Brass Band cut “All I Want for Christmas is the Saints to Win.” The offhanded vibe that comes through on Ruffins’ album is part of his charm. There are points, though, where that borders on slack. The album includes a version of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas” with Rebirth Brass Band, and they move the song to the street parade vibe beautifully, remaking an intimate track as a public celebration. But the song’s key is too high for Ruffins and he flounders with the high notes in the chorus. Fortunately, the version only includes one verse and chorus, so the moment passes, but it’s a sour note—literally—near the end of an album that in most ways is a fine addition to any Christmas collection.

Have a Crazy Cool Christmas

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