Hot 8 Brass Band

The Hot 8 Brass Band plays in second line parades hosted Sunday afternoons by Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs; in the New Orleans metropolitan area they also play at traditional jazz funerals[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6735417 Drummer's Funeral Underlines New Orleans Violence], All Things Considered, January 6, 2007. NPR. and at local jazz nightclubs. They play regularly at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and have played in the Zulu Parade, San Antonio Zulu Association Festival, the City of New Orleans New Year's Celebration and Mo' Fest, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, and the Master P music video "Hootie Hoo". The Hot 8 Brass Band has toured in Japan, Italy, France, Spain, Finland, and England.[http://www.baylinartists.com/hot8.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807124025/http://www.baylinartists.com/hot8.htm|date=August 7, 2008}}

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Hot 8 Brass Band was propelled to wider prominence by an appearance in Spike Lee's 2006 documentary When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts. Because of the appearance according to National Public Radio, "A new legion of fans caught onto the band's mix of traditional marching music, hip hop, and R&B."

In 2009, the band added its New Orleans style to an "Iko Iko" cover song of the Swiss band Schtärneföifi, who re-recorded their Swiss German version from 1995's Heicho – Ohni Znacht is Bed together with The Dixie Cups in New Orleans. The song was released on the album, Wältberüemt.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42iI0zEXP4U Swiss television magazine Schtärneföifi in New Orleans with the Dixie Cups and The Hot 8 Brass Band][http://www.schtaerne5i.ch/mp3/heicho09-pre.mp3 Audio sample of "Heicho" where the Hot 8 Brass Band add its unique New Orleans style]In 2014 the band's cover of "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye was featured in the movie "Chef" and appeared on the soundtrack.

Four members of the band have died since its formation. Past and present band members include:

• Bennie "Big Peter" Pete (sousaphone and band leader)
• Terrell "Burger" Batiste (trumpet)
• Harry "Swamp Thang" Cook (bass drum)
• Jerome "Baybay" Jones (trombone)
• Alvarez "B.I.G. AL" Huntley (trumpet)
• Dinerral "Dick" Shavers (snare drum)
• Raymond "Dr. Rackle" Williams (trumpet)
• Maurice "Moe" Curtis (trumpet)
• Keith "Wolf" Anderson (trombone)
• Jereau "Cousin" Fournett (trombone)
• Wendell "Cliff" Stewart (saxophone)
• Demond "Bart" Dorsey (trombone)
• Jacob Johnson (trumpet)
• Joseph "Shotgun Joe" Williams (trombone)
• Gregory "Koon" Veals (trombone)
• Derrick Tabb (snare drum)
• John "Prince" Gilbert (saxophone)

In October 2007, the band released Rock with The Hot 8, their first studio album, on the Tru Thoughts label.[http://www.tru-thoughts.co.uk/releases/Hot-8-Brass-Band/TRU141 Rock With The Hot 8] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929061510/http://www.tru-thoughts.co.uk/releases/Hot-8-Brass-Band/TRU141 |date=September 29, 2008 }}, from the Tru Thoughts website Hot 8 Brass Band was featured on Down in New Orleans, the 2008 album by the Blind Boys of Alabama. They released their second studio album, The Life and Times of the Hot 8 Brass Band in November 2012.{{cite web|last=Campbell |first=Al |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-life-times-of-mw0002419308 |title=The Life & Times Of... - The Hot 8 Brass Band : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date=November 6, 2012 |access-date=December 17, 2012}} In May 2013 "Tombstone" was released, the sister album to "The Life and Times...," a recording mostly dedicated to former band members, living and dead.{{cite web|last=Jurek |first=Thom |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/tombstone-mw0002515728 |title=Tombstone – The Hot 8 Brass Band : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=November 20, 2014}}

The band has been mentioned in the U.S. media because three of its members, all of whom were between the ages of 17 and 25, over the years have died due to handgun violence. In 1996, 17-year-old trumpet player Jacob Johnson was found shot execution-style in his home. In 2004, trombone player Joseph "Shotgun Joe" Williams was shot dead by police in controversial circumstances. According to a local news source:{{cite news|url=http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/why/Content?oid=1243177|first=Katy|last=Reckdahl|title=Why?|publisher=Gambit Weekly|date=August 17, 2004|access-date=January 6, 2007|archive-date=September 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912062421/http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/why/Content?oid=1243177|url-status=dead}}

:According to New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) accounts, officers were stopping 22-year-old trombonist Joe Williams for driving an allegedly stolen vehicle when Williams slammed the white Ford F-150 into reverse, accelerating into an NOPD squad car and officer. His actions, says Deputy Superintendent Marlin Defillo, caused officers to fear for their lives and thus open fire, killing Williams.

The same source reported that several eyewitnesses say that police shot Williams while he was unarmed and his hands were in the air.

In 2006, drummer Dinerral "Dick" Shavers was shot and killed while driving with his family. According to The Times-Picayune:{{citation|url=http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-18/116737610147820.xml?NZNPMT&coll=1|title=Two die in New Orleans shootings|first=Gwen|last=Filosa|newspaper=The Times-Picayune|date=December 29, 2006|access-date=January 6, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704134856/http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-18%2F116737610147820.xml%3FNZNPMT&coll=1|archive-date=July 4, 2007}}

:Dinerral Shavers, 25, died from a gunshot to the back of his head at about 5:30 p.m. while behind the wheel of his black Chevrolet Malibu in the 2200 block of Dumaine Street… His family was not injured… Although critically wounded, Shavers continued driving four blocks up Dumaine before stopping. By 6 p.m., Shavers lay motionless on his back in the middle of the street just outside the open driver's side door… Shavers was taken to a hospital but died within an hour.

Police said the bullet was intended for Shavers's fifteen-year-old stepson.{{Citation

|last = Philbin

|first = Walt

|title = Teen held in slaying of drummer

|newspaper = The Times-Picayune

|date = December 30, 2006

|url = http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-19/1167462335258450.xml&coll=1

|access-date = August 24, 2007

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930182549/http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fnews-19%2F1167462335258450.xml&coll=1

|archive-date = September 30, 2007

}} The Hot 8 Brass Band played at Shavers' funeral. Bennie Pete died in September 2021 from complications from sarcoidosis and COVID-19.{{cite web |last1=Blistein |first1=Jon |title=Bennie Pete, Co-Founder of New Orleans Greats Hot 8 Brass Band, Dead at 45 |date=September 8, 2021 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bennie-pete-hot-8-brass-band-dead-obit-1221267/ |publisher=Rolling Stone |access-date=September 10, 2021}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite journal |last1= Leland |first1= Jacob |date=August 2011 |title= The Hot 8 Brass Band: Home in My Horn |journal= OffBeat (music magazine)|url=http://offbeat.com/2011/08/01/the-hot-8-brass-band-home-in-my-horn/ |access-date=December 2, 2011}}

{{Commons category}}

• [http://www.hot8brassband.com/ Hot 8 official site]
• [https://vimeo.com/94576449 Hot 8 Documentary]
• {{Discogs artist|Hot 8 Brass Band}}
• {{IMDb name|4473680}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Musical groups established in 1995

Category:Jazz ensembles from New Orleans

Category:Brass bands from New Orleans

Category:1995 establishments in Louisiana

Category:Tru Thoughts artists