The cultural legacy of New Orleans' brass bands

New Orleans brass bands, like Rebirth, are at the heart of a living musical tradition.

Complete coverage: "48 Hours Presents: The Whole Gritty City"

Rebirth Brass Band

Rebirth, one of New Orleans' best-known brass bands, won a Grammy last year for their album "Rebirth of New Orleans".

The song, "The Dilemma", is heard in the end credits of "The Whole Gritty City" and in
the preview trailer. New Orleans' brass bands have deep connections with the city's school marching bands.

Complete coverage: "48 Hours Presents: The Whole Gritty City

Derrick Tabb

Rebirth's snare drummer, Derrick Tabb, founded The Roots of Music program and marching band to do for a new generation of kids what his own middle school band did for him. He credits The Bell Marching
Band for transforming and saving his life.

Complete coverage: "48 Hours Presents: The Whole Gritty City"

Second Line Parades

The brass bands play at clubs, funerals, parties and at "second line parades". These Sunday afternoon parades are sponsored by "social aid and pleasure clubs," whose members create costumes and dance in front of the band in the "first line."

The "second line" consists of everyone who wants to listen, joining in the celebration as it travels through the neighborhoods.

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The Brass Bands of NOLA

The brass bands are direct descendants of the very first jazz bands of a century ago. The style has evolved to incorporate R&B, funk and hip hop. But the music retains a core that's unmistakably New Orleans.

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The Stooges Brass Band

Most brass band players started their musical education in a school marching band. Some players, like Derrick Tabb, also continue the tradition as band teachers. Virgil Tiller, sax player in The Stooges Brass
Band, is a band director.

Here, The Stooges rehearse in a living room as an aspiring young snare drummer takes it all in.

Complete coverage: "48 Hours Presents: the Whole Gritty City"

The Hot 8 Brass Band

Dinerral Shaver was snare drummer for The Hot 8 Brass Band when he founded the L.E. Rabouin HighSchool Marching Band.

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The Original Pinettes

The Original Pinettes is New Orleans' only all-female brass band. Jazz Henry, who appears in "The Whole Gritty City" at age 12-13, is now a trumpet player in The Pinettes.

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TBC Brass Band

The TBC Brass Band is made up of former band students of Wilbert and Lawrence Rawlins. Here Wilbert Rawlins joins the band at his birthday celebration.

Wilbert Rawlins: A band leader's take on the drug dealer's dress code

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Marching on...

The Rebirth Brass Band plays at gigs outside of New Orleans as well, with tour dates throughout the U.S. and all over the world.

Other New Orleans brass bands include The Stooges, TBC, The Soul Rebels, The
Hot 8, The Treme Brass Band, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Baby Boyz, The Original Pinettes ... and the list goes on.

Complete coverage: "48 Hours Presents: The Whole Gritty City"