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Biography by Greg Prato (AMG)
Hailing from New Orleans and merging the jazzy sounds of brass with hip-hop, the Coolbone Brass Band is comprised of members Steven "Coolbone" Johnson, Earl Conway, Vincent Broussard, Thadeus Ford II, Jeremy Cole, Ronell Johnson, Randall Anderson, and Terrell Warren, among others. Formed in the mid-'90s, the group issued an independent debut, Coolbone Swing Troop, before signing with Hollywood Records. Their major-label debut, Brass Hop, followed in 1997 but their union with Hollywood was a fleeting one as their third overall release, 2000's Bone Swing, was released on another independent label, Louisiana Red.
Review by Leo Stanley (AMG)
Perhaps it's not surprising that a New Orleans musical collective would latch onto the idea of fusing a brass band with hip-hop, but Coolbone's debut album Brass-Hop is startling nevertheless. Using gritty New Orleans R&B, jazz and funk as a foundation, the group works elements of urban soul and hip-hop into their music, creating a truly eclectic and infectious album. Theoretically, such juxtapositions shouldn't work, and occasionally the group don't quite fulfill their ambitions, but at its best, Coolbone is utterly modern, creative and funky soul.
THE COOLBONE BRASS BAND
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Steven Johnson: leader, trombone
Terrell Warren: trombone
Jeremy Cole: tromba
Larry Thompson: tromba
Ronell Johnson: tuba
Vincent Broussard: sax
Phillip Armand: rullante
Randall Anderson: grancassa
Earl Conway: Grand Marshal
Bill Withers: Rap
Tracklisting:
01.Mellow Roo [0:26]
02.Brass-hop [2:56]
03.Float Like A Butterfly [4:09]
04.I Ain't Got None [3:18]
05.The Rescue [4:11]
06.Gotta Sweat (When Ya Black) [3:29]
07.The Middle Passage [2:13]
08.Nothin' But Strife [4:23]
09.What's Hip [3:17]
10.Changing Hands [0:50]
11.Layin' It Down [3:51]
12.Phat City [3:33]
13.Multitude Of Blues [0:19]
14.Use Me [5:41]
15.The Saints [3:16]
16.Spread Da Funk [4:36]
17.Mellow Roo (Slight Return) [1:11]
18.Nothin' But Strife (Groove Mix) [4:08]