Revolutionary Snake Ensemble: Horns Aplenty
Music in its finest form springs from a joy of playing, people gathering together with voices or drums or horns or strings. While the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble doesn’t incorporate much of the human voice into their debut album Year of the Snake, they sure do know how to have some fun.
Revolutionary Snake Ensemble has been around for ten years playing in a variety of settings. According to alto saxophonist and bandleader Ken Field, “We started out pretty much as an improvisational horn and percussion group to play for a party for some friends, but soon started playing some of my original pieces plus obscure music by John Scofield, Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman, and others, mostly with a New Orleans funky marching groove. ”
While the band has existed as a live entity playing sporadically over the past decade, this marks the first time that they’re available on record. “For all of those ten years people have asked if we had a CD out so they could buy a copy,” Field said. “But I felt that there were enough great CDs out by New Orleans groups playing New Orleans music, and that we didn't need to burden the world with a CD of a Boston group playing New Orleans music. Recently my opinion changed, as we started, I think, to develop a sound that is somewhat unique - our own Boston angle on brass band funk and street beat music. I'm pleased that a number of people have said exactly that in response to the CD - that we've taken this style of music to a new place. So I'm glad we did it, finally. ”
Innova is a label based in Minnesota that releases lots of modern compositions and isn’t known for the revelatory tones of the French Quarter. Apparently getting them interested in this project wasn’t much of a challenge. Like anyone with a good set of ears, the label heard what makes Revolutionary Snake Ensemble special. “I sent it to them and they loved it,” Field said. They are a great cooperative label, and they've been a pleasure to work with. They normally release some very ‘serious’ music. I think they wanted something more fun, and I wanted the CD to be taken a bit more seriously as creative improvised music, so it works for both of us. ”
The nature of Revolutionary Snake Ensemble is that it’s a bunch of people gathering to play, and is with most party scenarios, sometimes the attendance at a celebration changes. Other than Field, only drummer Ethan Meyer appears on all ten of Year of the Snake’s tracks. The band tackles half a set of originals and a batch of other songs, including tunes by James Brown, Sun Ra, and John Scofield, recast in Revolutionary Snake Ensemble ’s inimitible style. The album features the trumpet of Jon Fraser, flügelhorn of Scott Detchell; trombones by Bob Pilkington, Lennie Peterson, and Brian Thomas; acoustic bass by Derek VanBeever and Aaron Bellamy, drumming and percussion by Eric Paull, Mickey Bones, Karen Aqua, Larry Dersch, and Field, tenor saxophone by Mark Caughill, and the baritone saxophone of Charlie Kohlhase. Past and present members of the "tribe" of Revolutionary Snake Ensemble players have also done time with groups as diverse as G Love & Special Sauce, Clem Snide, Binary System, Morphine, Either/Orchestra, Naftule's Dream, Board of Education, Hot Tamale Brass Band, Count Zero, Sugar Twins, Concussion Ensemble, Bad Art Ensemble, and Chandler Travis Philharmonic.
With most of their roots around the Boston area, Revolutionary Snake Ensemble doesn’t tour much, bet the overwhelming response that this CD has had made change that. The band was even #1 for two weeks in Alaska - though that doesn’t mean a four stop world tour that includes only Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Edmonton. “I wouldn't be surprised if we do some traveling this coming year. While we're in New Jersey in late February, we'll probably do a live performance on one or more NYC radio stations, which should help get the word out down there. We've gotten great airplay from Maine to Kentucky to New Orleans to New Mexico to Oregon and California, not to mention Greece. ” Airplay opens the door of opportunity for the band if a crack ensemble can be assembled for a trip out on the road.
rse may operate from the traditions of New Orleans music, but the boundaries are pushed wide open when they actually play. “We mostly play from ‘head’ charts, where everyone has the melody and chord changes in front of them. Since there's no guitar or keyboard, the horns can not only solo, they can also come up with backing lines, or do group soloing, and even alter the harmonies spontaneously,” Field said. “So there's a lot of improvisation. I also conduct some of the arrangements live, directing instruments to drop out, or play lines, etc. All the players are great at listening and doing the right thing at the right time. ” Having a band that can follow conductions and charts and build into these great song forms means you’ve got a good core of people at work. Doing all of the high art ministrations of improvisation and having an audible party at the same time really is the best of both worlds.
February 24th will find Field in New Orleas for Mardi Gras celebrations where he’ll be playing at a club in Slidell, just over the Lake from New Orleans. “I've been lucky to have made lots of friends down there over the years,” Field said, “and I even spent a few years working with a New Orleans theater company providing music for a few of their productions. They hooked me up with Delfeayo Marsalis, and I had the great opportunity to play a duo performance/workshop with him at a youth corrections facility a few years back. ” Revolutionary Snake Ensemble won’t be at Mardi Gras, but will be playing twice during the week after with performacnes at The Center for Arts in Natick on February 26th and and February 28th at the Puffin Cultural Forum in Teaneck, NJ
If a fun night of funky horn-driven mayhem seems to be your cup of tea (or more appropriately pitcher of Hurricanes with extra 151), Revolutionary Snake Ensemble is just the band to inspire your feet and stimulate your brain.