Album review: Wild Iris Brass Band - Way Up (Ear Up)

Jeff Coffin (soprano, tenor, baritone, electro-sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, vocals); Ray Mason (trombone, vocals); Emmanuel Echem (trumpet, vocals); Jovan Quallo (alto cax, vocals); Neil Konouchi (sousaphone, vocals); Justin Amaral (drums, perc., vocals); Ryoko Suzuki (tambourine, vocals) + Steven Bernstein (electric slide trumpet tk 1); Bob Lanzetti (guitar tk 3); Weedie Braimah (djembe, congas tk 3); Bela Fleck (banjo tk 6); Yuko Bannai (vocals tk 7); Bernardo Aguiar (Brazilian perc. on tk 8)

There's no disputing the exuberance, the excitement and the infectious enthusiasm that the Wild Iris Brass Band unleash when they are let loose to create their own brand of musical mayhem.

It's a hoot and, given their Nashville roots, purt nigh a hootenanny after the jug has done the rounds a few times.

We're the Wild Iris builds into a cacophony of sound with the band chanting "we're the Wild Iris" whilst Bernstein produces strange sounds from an electric slide trumpet and co-leader Mason's trombone is pleasantly raucous (delete pleasantly).

9 to 5 isn't quite the same without Dolly but, nevertheless, Echem's trumpet solo and the devil take the hindmost free for all that follows also raise the temperature, albeit in a different way.

Eye of the Cyclops, composed by Coffin, is set up for guitarist Lanzetti and percussionist Braimah to work out although Mason, Quallo and Coffin himself also have their say. I'd love to have heard this band marching into Durham on Gala day back when there was a coal mine on every other corner.

Bramble Ramble, another Coffin comp. A suggestion of Ellington creates a mood that has both leaders giving it one over Konouchi's pumping sousaphone. Quallo and Echem are in there too. Continuing the Durham Miners' Gala theme  I can imagine the lads and lasses dancing down the street and this quote from The Floral Dance doesn't seem out of place:

Every boy took a girl 'round the waist, And hurried her off in tremendous haste, Whether they knew one another I care not, Whether they cared at all, I know not, But they kissed as they danced along.

Steppin' Up: Again Coffin is the tune's perp. Most of the big hitters step up to the plate and hit a few home runs.

The Slow Express brings Bela Fleck and his banjo on board. Mason, smoother than usual, provides the overture to banjo picking Bela's solo with the horns providing a nice riff.

Let it Slide, composed by the two leaders with Coffin blowing electro-sax and the band making like a choir before Echem shoots for the moon.

To the Bone features percussionist Aguiar as well as Mason and Coffin who nails it (nails it - get it?)

A unique album, in many ways difficult to pigeonhole. A marching band,for sure, but there's so much more going on - they tick a lot of boxes! Lance