Monday, January 20, 2025

Brass Queens: “Hot Tub Sessions Vol. 1” (2024) CD Review

This country is in need of some strong female energy. On a day when we should be celebrating the inauguration of our first female president, we are instead opening the doors of the White House to a rapist and convicted felon, to a man completely devoid of compassion, sympathy, warmth, humor, intelligence, love, curiosity, integrity and wisdom, to a man who tried to have his warped followers overthrow the government just four years ago. What happened, folks? How did this country become so depraved and backward, so repulsive and stupid? While I worry for the future of this nation, and lament its current state, I refuse to succumb to anger and despair. We still need to celebrate, to find things to celebrate. We need to embrace the better parts of humanity, and those people who demonstrate those characteristics. We will celebrate everything the new occupant of the White House is not. And we will do it with joy. And I hear joy in the music of Brass Queens. This group, based in New York, is full of the kind of spirit and energy we need right now. And besides that, the music is great. Hot Tub Sessions Vol. 1 features all original material. The group is made up of Alex Harris on trumpet, Stephanie King on trumpet, Minerva Johnson on trumpet and percussion, Ally Chapel on alto saxophone, Jenna Murdoch on tenor saxophone, Elizabeth Arce on trombone, Stephanie Young on trombone, Nora Nalepka on sousaphone, Ashley Baier on the drum kit, and Caitlin Cawley on percussion.

The first track, “Look At Me Now,” has an interesting opening, like a call from beneath the ocean or above the mountains, reaching us in waves. But it isn’t long before the party begins, ushered in by the drums. And then wherever we are when we listen, we are in the heart of New Orleans, where people dance even as they walk, where music is in the streets and coming from every doorway. “Look at me now/I’m better than I’ve ever been,” they sing. That’s the attitude! And I’m digging that percussion. “Now I’m gonna do my thing!” Yes, yes, yes! That sort of spirit overtakes us, and we should let it do just that. Let the music embrace us, lift us up, carry us along until we can dance down the streets ourselves, until we can carry this spirit along wherever we need to go. This track ends at it began. The energy might be a little more relaxed on “Make Believe,” but that joy is there, that warmth is there, and the track features more great stuff on percussion. It is welcoming, the sound from the brass instruments. And in the middle the trumpet helps light the way forward to a place we all want to be. Then toward the end, the vocals come in. “And I’ll play make believe.”  They repeat, “Make believe, make believe,” and it begins to sound like a suggestion of something we should all do, and it becomes stronger with each repetition.

“Hot Tub Hotel II” kicks in with a delightful and powerful force, something that cannot be denied or lessened. Let this group take over the country, they’ll have stomped out the hatred and stupidity within the span of one side of an LP. Seriously, this is great. How big is this hot tub? It feels like there is room for all of us. And we’re invited, perhaps our feet are even charmed to lead us to that place, charmed by the horns. There is some great percussion here too. This is one of my favorite tracks. It was composed by Stephanie Young. “Night Wine” then announces itself with a bright energy. There is nothing hesitant or shy here. This music makes me almost giddy with joy. It has that power in it, that special something. And we are undoubtedly in need of this. This tune feels like it might lead us in a parade before some sporting event where good will triumph, not by entering the competition, but by eliminating the need for competition altogether. It brings us all together. This one was composed by Jenna Murdoch with Ashley Baier and Nora Nalepski.

“Moon Shine” has a fun feel, like the brass version of some modern pop dance number. So go ahead, strut your stuff on the floor. You’ll be joined by all manner of happy creatures, dressed in hats and glitter and furs and lights and excitement, shaking and bopping, moving and sliding between and around and over. Again, we need this joy, we need this energy, for our own sanity and to combat the ugliness of the country. Let this music with its many crazy limbs spread out across the land. And that saxophone has something to say to us all. Things then slow down with “Sleepover Energy,” at least for its opening moments. But then the drums lead us into the body of the song, and the music gets playful and light, with a youthful energy. It feels like a game of sorts. The horns make some announcements, and then it’s back to that groove. This one was written by Stephanie King with Caitlin Cawley, Minerva Johnson and Stephanie Young.

“Take The Throne” opens with a delicious rhythm on drums, soon joined by the sousaphone. And the horns encourage us, telling us in no uncertain terms that we can do this, and in fact maybe we are doing this, whatever this is. Life can still be a party with the right attitude, and these musicians are overflowing with that attitude. Somehow we need to apply this music to different aspects of our lives, as people and as a nation. Do the Brass Queens need to take the throne? Hell, the throne should be handed to them without any discussion. I’d love for this group of women to be running the country. This track is yet another of the disc’s highlights. The album then concludes with “Karma Queen.” This one features Heather Ewer on sousaphone. This is the kind of music you want to shake loose to, letting all cares fall from your body. I am willing to bet we are taller, lighter by the end.

CD Track List

  1. Look At Me Now
  2. Make Believe
  3. Hot Tub Hotel II
  4. Night Wine
  5. Moon Shine
  6. Sleepover Energy
  7. Take The Throne
  8. Karma Queen

Hot Tub Sessions Vol. 1 was released on October 18, 2024.

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