SUMMER, SUMMER, SUMMERTIME (Five Countries in Five Weeks)

Time to check back in and letch'all know what we've been up to. We had a nice little run down the eastern seaboard to kick things off this summer, including a tour closer with old friends, Michael Franti and DJ Logic...but that was merely a warm-up.

This weekend, we hop over the pond and brave the myths of the great Loch Ness, where we will be performing at the RockNess Festival in Inverness, Scotland on Saturday, June 13th on the So Co Social Stage at 2pm. On the prior evening, we will be performing an intimate show in Glasgow.

From Scotland, we tackle the Great White North, as we visit three fantastic Canadian cities for three out-of-this-world packages. We kick things off at the Calgary Jazz Festival with Big Easy treasure and Grammy co-conspirator, Allen Toussaint on June 22nd. On June 27th, we will be at the SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival with K-OS before playing a late-night show in town as part of the festival. The tour wraps up with a stop in Winnipeg for the Jazz Winnipeg Festival on June 29th with the great Al Green.

No rest for the weary, and we jump right back over the pond for a one-week European adventure filled with festivals performances throughout Spain and a special performance in Rome, Italy at Villa Ada on July 9th.

For all of the details, head on over to the shows page for all of your needs.

LONG OVERDUE UPDATE, TIME TO CONNECT

Let's just say we've been admiring from afar, but it is time to re-engage online with all of you. We've been having some fun with all of the social mediaplatforms, so you can now find an official Dirty Dozen group on Facebook, the ever-updated myspace page, as well as everybody's new favorite phenomenon, Twitter.

Hopefully, this will give you even more opportunities to catch up with everything the band is up to ... and there is a lot in the works.

MY FEET CAN'T FAIL ME NOW CELEBRATES 25 YEARS IN 2009

Can you believe it? It has been 25 years since we first put this thing to wax ... yup, that's right, it was long enough ago that "putting it to wax" was what we were doing at the time...and it has stood the test of time.

With classic cuts such as "Lil Liza Jane" and the stirring version of "St. James Infirmary," in addition to rousing originals such as "Blackbird Special" and the title track, this album set the standard for what was to become a reinvigorated brass band scene in the Crescent City.

Throughout 2009, the band will be celebrating the anniversary of our debut album with many surprises throughout the year. We will keep you abreast of all news related to this special anniversary.

WEDNESDAY WOODSHEDS AT THE MAPLE LEAF; BAND RETURNS TO BOGIE'S IN BATON ROUGE ON MARCH 14th

We've been setting up shop at the Maple Leaf, one of our favorite uptown haunts, every Wednesday. The residency will continue for two more Wednesday's (3/11 and 3/18) before the band concludes these intimate free-for-alls. With the band working out new material, you can never quite be certain what to expect.

A little less formal than a standard Dirty Dozen get-down, these Maple Leaf sets have seen a whose who of musicians walk through the doors and onto the stage, including up and coming New Orleans players like Big Sam and Trombone Shorty. Don't miss these last two events because you never know what you may be missing.

While hanging around the homestead, the Dozen will head up to Bogie's just off the LSU Campus in Baton Rouge for an encore performance. We are thrilled to be returning to the scene of one of the rowdiest Dirty Dozen parties of 2008. With the economy putting the pinch on everybody, this one is a can't miss for the Baton Rouge faithful with the low-low ticket price of $5.

DIRTY DOZEN CONFIRM 2009 JAZZFEST SCHEDULE; INCLUDING COLLABORATIONS WITH SPOON, BOOKER T AND MORE!!

It's that time of year, and while everybody's grids get as clogged up as their arteries, we are trying to make things a bit easier on y'all (stealing our language from a couple of years back).

Once again, you will have more than one opportunity to catch up with your favorite band. Our dance card is full on both weekends, with one-of-a-kind pairings with an amazing array of world-class performers ... so enough hyperbole already, let's get down to business:

• Friday, April 24th (daytime) - New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Fairgrounds; Spoon w/ the Dirty Dozen Horns
• Friday, April 24th (night) - Republic; The Dirty Dozen Brass Band w/ special guest, Booker T (on organ), w/ Hill Country Revue (part of the Backbeat Jazzfest Series)
• Saturday, April 25th (night) - The Maple Leaf
• Sunday, April 26th (night) - Tipitina's Uptown, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band support The Blind Boys of Alabama
• Friday, May 1st (daytime) - New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Fairgrounds; The Dirty Dozen Brass Band presents a Glass House Reunion
• Friday, May 1st (night) - Preservation Hall Midnite Preserves Session
• Saturday, May 2nd (night) - Tipitina's French Quarter (part of the Backbeat Jazzfest Series)

DIRTY DOZEN MAKING FIRST APPEARANCE AT VOODOO

Let's just say we've been admiring from afar. We are excited to be participating in the 10th Annual Voodoo Music Experience at City Park. We will be performing on the WWOZ Stage on Sunday, October 26th.

Other acts on the festival line-up include Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails and REM as the headliners, as well as New Orleans hitters such as Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Rebirth, and Soul Rebels. We'll be mixing it up for the big hometown fest. You can find ticketing info and all of the fest details at thetenthritual.com.

HORNS HOOK UP WITH GALACTIC FOR OUTSIDE LANDS

We will be hitting up the inaugural Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in Golden Gate Park. This time we'll be dropping something a little different, as the Dirty Dozen Horns hook up with Galactic for a one-of-a-kind performance on Saturday, August 23rd, 2008.

GOIN' HOME: A TRIBUTE TO FATS DOMINO

We've been honored to share the stage with him, the studio with him and it is only fitting that we participate in a tribute to him ... the great Fats Domino.

We are thrilled and honored to contribute a track to the double-disc set, "Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino" which is scheduled to be released on September 25th through Vanguard Records. This project will help raise desparately needed funds specifically earmarked for instruments to be donated to New Orleans public school children through the great efforts of the Tipitina's Foundation.

The band laid down the instrumental and vocal tracks for the Fats classic, "Every Night About this Time" with soulstress, Joss Stone, and blues legend, Buddy Guy. The result is pure magic and we hope that it does Fats proud.

In addition to our contribution to this two-disc set, other collaborators include, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Elton John, and Robert Plant, as well as Allen Touissant, Irma Thomas, Rebirth Brass Band, Trombone Shorty, Galactic, and Walter "Wolfman" Washington and a whose-who of international music stars, all coming together under the banner of paying tribute to one of the true forefathers of rock and roll.

For more information about the album, please click here.

JUPITER INSTRUMENTS AND DIRTY DOZEN GIVE BACK AT INSTRUMENTS A COMIN'

Jupiter Instruments and the band are pleased to announce the winner of the First Annual Jupiter Student Jazz Solo Competition.

Jordan Townsend (tenor sax) from Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts will be joining us on stage at Tipitina's on Monday, April 30th. Jupiter has worked with the Tipitina's Foundation to procure instruments for many high school students over the past few years, and are proud to give back with the Dozen on this special evening.

DIRTY DOZEN TO BE INDUCTED INTO TIPITINA'S WALK OF FAME; TWO PERFORMANCES AT HALLOWED HALL DURING FESS'TIVAL

Tipitina's and the Dirty Dozen have had somewhat parralel careers within the scope of New Orleans history. Both the band and the club got their start in the Crescent City during the late-1970's and both have been there for each other throughout. That is what makes this particular Jazzfest so special.

The Dirty Dozen are entering their 30th Anniversary and we couldn't think of a better way to ring in this banner anniversary than being inducted into the Tipitina's Walk of Fame. This year, on Monday, April 29th, the Dirty Dozen will be inducted into the Tip's Walk of Fame along with the incomparable Marcia Ball (with whom we will be touring later this summer). Both the Dozen and Marcia will also be performing at this year's Instruments a Comin' Benefit show, along with the likes of Galactic, New Orleans Social Club, Wolfman Washington, and Trombone Shorty, among others.

The induction ceremony begins at 8:00 pm and the Dozen hit at 9:15 pm, so don't hesitate to be a part of this special evening.

In addition, on Thursday, May 3rd, The Dozen will be hitting the famous stage one more time during the Festival week, in what is quickly becoming an annual tradition, with our brothers-in-arms, the Rebirth Brass Band. Rebirth will kick things off at 9pm and the Dozen will close the show. This is the early show at Tips on this particular evening.

Tickets for both Tips shows can be purchased by following this link.

DOZEN JOIN WEEN FOR SUPERFLY AFTER DARK SERIES AT JAZZFEST

Jazzfest wouldn't really be complete without one special evening show with the fine folks at Superfly...and this year is no different, as we will team up with the indescribable WEEN for an evening of histrionics at the Contemporary Arts Center. Tickets are available now by clicking here.

A POSTSRCIPT TO THE RELEASE OF "WHAT'S GOING ON"

Continuing to pass along information with regard to our one-month old new release, "What's Going On," we've added a very special message that was written for the packaging of the Japanese release of the album. The translated and re-printed by Mari Watanabe, the author of the piece, and a noted local New Orleans pianist (by way of Japan), you can read the essay in its entirety over in the bio section.

THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND ASK "WHAT'S GOING ON"

On August 29th, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band will release the most ambitious recording of their career.

In recognition of the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation of New Orleans and the Gulf coast, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band will release a meaningful reinterpretation of the Marvin Gaye classic What’s Going On.  Thirty-five years after its original release, the evocative themes and social commentary found in the songs on What’s Going On are just as relevant today.   Guest vocalists Chuck D, Ivan Neville, G. Love, Guru and Bettye LaVette contribute to The Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s musical message.  In stores August 29th, Shout! Factory and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each copy of What’s Going On to the Tipitina’s Foundation, benefiting the music community of New Orleans.

Order your copy of "What's Going On" today right here

To view the Dirty Dozen Brass Band "What's Going On" e-card, click here.

TUNE IN AND TURN ON TO "WHAT'S GOING ON"

We want to make sure that everybody across the planet knows "What's Going On" with the Dirty Dozen and the city of New Orleans, and to that end, we will be getting the word out through radio, online and print media, among other areas...and to keep everybody abreast of where you can tune in to listen, see or read about this incredible project, check out the links and lines below:

DIRTY DOZEN APPEAR ON ABC'S "GOOD MORNING AMERICA" AND "WORLD NEWS TONIGHT"
The Dirty Dozen were marching thorugh Lakeview on Good Morning America: Live from New Orleans on August 28th. The band and Trombone Shorty entertained the live audience with numbers such as "Blackbird Special" and "Feet Can't Fail Me Now."

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band was recently featured on ABC World News Tonight with Charles Gibson, featuring interviews and live performance footage from the band's "What's Going On" album release party at Tipitina's. If you missed it the first time around, click here to watch it now.

AOL LISTENING PARTY - "WHAT'S GOING ON"

AOL online, Shout! Factory and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band are pleased to announce that you can listen to the upcoming release, "What's Going On," featuring guest appearances by Chuck D, Bettye Lavette, Ivan Neville, G Love and Guru, before the rest of the world can get their hands on the disc. Come on over to AOL MUSIC on Monday, August 28th to get a sneak peak of one of our proudest achievements to date.

MP3.COM LISTENING PARTY ANNOUNCED

Head on over to mp.3.com all next week and jointhe Dirty Dozen Brass Band listening party for "What's Going On." Take a listen to some of the music over at the Listening Party before purchasing what AllMusic.com has called "the most fitting tribute yet to [Marvin] Gaye"

DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND "GOING ON AGAIN" RADIO DOCUMENTARY

One-Hour Special Airs Labor Day Weekend on Stations Nationwide,
Timed to the Release of the Band’s August 29th Album, What’s Going On

New Orleans-based actor and writer Harry Shearer (This Is Spinal Tap), star of public radio’s Le Show, has signed-on to host the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s radio tribute to the people of New Orleans, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band: Going On Again.  

In this new one-hour music-intensive program recorded live to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band pays homage to its New Orleans home with an uplifting and emotionally-charged reinterpretation of Marvin Gaye’s classic protest album, What’s Going On, interspersed with other New Orleans classics and discussions of Gaye's enduring message and how it relates to the people of New Orleans living in Katrina’s wake. 

Produced by Tres Hombres Productions (“Johnny Cash: The Last Highway”) to tie-in with Shout! Factory’s August 29th release of The Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s new album, What’s Going On, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band: Going On Again radio special is set to air over Labor Day weekend on over 150 stations across the country.

(CLICK HERE TO VIEW A PRELIMINARY LIST OF STATIONS CONFIRMED TO AIR THE SPECIALAND THE DATE/TIME OF THE SPECIAL IN YOUR AREA)

DIRTY DOZEN TAKE "NEWS AND NOTES" ON NPR

Roger Lewis stopped by the NPR Studios in Los Angeles recently to sit down with News and Notes to discuss the new album and the current situation facing the city of New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast region. Don't be fooled by the positive messages from the outside, listen to what is really going on down there.

The original episode aired on August 22nd, but you can listed to a stream of the interview by clicking here now.

We will also be stopping by the KMEZ and WWOZ studios in New Orleans on August 28th, WDET in Detroit on September 5th, KBCO and KGNU in Boulder on September 15th, and the Tavis Smiley Show on September 20th. Keep checking the site for updates, as we will be updating the site frequently.

"FROM THE BIG APPLE TO THE BIG EASY" DVD

On August 22, 2006, Rhino Entertainment, in association with MSG Entertainment (MSGE), to release a double disc DVD of the landmark Katrina benefit concert, FROM THE BIG APPLE TO THE BIG EASY: The Concert For New Orleans, which was held on September 20th, 2005 at Madison Square Garden to support the long-term relief and rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Katrina, it was announced today. As the one-year anniversary of the disaster approaches (August 29), Rhino Entertainment and MSGE invite you to bring home the DVD of the live concert performance that has touched so many lives. FROM THE BIG APPLE TO THE BIG EASY unites the biggest names in music with New Orleans legends to create a poignant musical journey. The live concert raised approximately nine million dollars to benefit long-term hurricane relief efforts. 100% of net proceeds from the sale of this DVD will continue to raise money and awareness for those victims.

WE'RE COMING HOME

We felt that Fat Tuesday would be the appropriate time to announce that we will be coming back to New Orleans for our first post-Katrina performance in the cityon March 24th at Tipitina's and we know that "It's About Time"! But before that, we have a lot of road to cover, incuding a return trip to Colorado (and a return engagement in Boulder with our boys in the North Mississippi Allstars at the Boulder Theatre on March 16th and a tour closing return to Auditorium Shores in Austin for The City of New Orleans Tribute at this year's South by Southwest Music Conference.

We will be shacking up in Austin for a week to complete recording our follow-up to 2004's Funeral for a Friend, which will be released later this year on Shout Factory Records. We are going to keep a few things under wraps for now, but we are really looking forward to bringing this very special record to your ears before the year is out.

We;ve added a bunch of tourdates to the tour page so click here for the most up-to-date tourdates.

HURRICANE KATRINA, THE DOZEN, AND THE CITY WE LOVE

We want to thank each of you for all of your kindness and concern with regard to the safety of each of us and our loved ones. We were on our way back to New Orleans after our tour when Katrina was heading for the city. The city was evacuated before we arrived home, and we have been in touch with many of our loved ones. It has been a devastating time not only to us, but to all of the citizens of the great city of New Orleans, but in the tradition of the Big Easy, we must persevere through these difficult times. Please donate to the Red Cross or a number of other charities to help the city

With that said, we will continue to perform our scheduled concerts outside of New Orleans and we will bring the spirit of the City with us each and every time we take the bandstand. We have added a special performance on September 2nd in St. Paul, Minnesota, where we will be taping a performance of Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keilor. For a listing of where and when you can listen in your area, please click here. We will also continue with our scheduled performances in Baton Rouge, Huntsville, and Austin, as well as the tour that we will be starting on October 1st in Washington, D.C.

FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND Charms Critics at Off Beat Awards

This past year saw the release of a very special album in the canon of Dozen recordings..."Funeral for a Friend" caught the ears of many listeners, both new and old this year. We thank all of you who made it out to our many shows ... and for those of you who saw us more than once this year, we thank you more than once...haha.

In addition to the earlier nods from sources like amazon.com and allaboutjazz.com, our hometown source for musical information, OFF BEAT honored the Dozen with two BEST OF THE BEAT AWARDS for Best Brass Band and Best Brass Band Album. Thank you to OffBeat and to all of the other incredible musicians that make the Crescent City shine!

Funeral For A Friend:

FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND was released across the country on May 11th, 2004.

The album was produced by Craig Street, who also manned the boards for our ropeadope debut, 2002's Medicated Magic and will be released again by our friends at ropeadope records.

You can read all about the new recording in some of your favorite publications, including Rolling Stone, Down Beat, Tracks, and the New York Times, among others. But who needs to hear what other people are saying about the record, just head on over here and pick up a copy for yourself.

I thought I heard the Dozen...

But keep your eyes out on the road this summer because we're planning on pulling a few surprises on y'all this summer, just to keep you on your toes.

Tribute to Tuba Fats

On Sunday, January 11th, 2004, New Orleans and the rest of the world lost a friend. Anthony "Tuba Fats" Lacen passed away at his home. Tuba Fats was a fixture of the New Orleans music scene for over thirty years and his presence out at Jackson Square will be impossible to replace.

As the original Tuba player for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and as a lifelong friend of the band, the loss of Tuba Fats puts us all at a loss for words. In a New Orleans Funeral Ceremony fit for the legend that he was, Tuba Fats life was celebrated by thousands of friends and fans on Sunday, January 18th, when the Jazz Funeral began at the steps of City Hall.

Dirty Dozen Brass Band Announces Live Album Available Now - Worldwide

Head on over to the merch table next time you are at one of our shows and pick up the limited edition live album "We Got Robbed - Live in New Orleans" featuring 8 tracks culled from last year's run at TwiRoPa during Jazzfest. All initial accounts have been positive as our fans continue to shower us with love and thanks for the long overdue live album.

"We Got Robbed - Live in New Orleans" is available NOW at the following online and retail locations: the ropeadope online store, Louisiana Music Factory (online and at the store on Decatur in NOLA), our friends at the Homegrown Music Network, and the Virgin Megastore-New Orleans (on Decatur). The album was designed to be a limited edition keepsake for the band's longtime fans. We felt that giving the fans another place to hear the live machine that is the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, would be a nice way to close out our 25-year anniversary.

In conjunction with RYKODISC, "We Got Robbed - Live in New Orleans" will be available throughout the world at all of your favorite record stores. The album is available now across the globe. And since we kept you waiting a bit longer than the folks who are stateside, we've decided to add one more track to the stew, so "Handa Wanda" will be a bonus-track on the International release. Oh, and for you in Japan ... a whole extra disc of material from the TwiRoPa run.

"We Got Robbed - Live in New Orleans"
Track Listing:
1. Charlie Dozen
2. Dead Dog in the Street
3. Unclean Waters
4. We Got Robbed
5. Remember When
6. Use Your Brain
7. My Feet Can't Fail Me Now
8. Red Hot Mama

Twas a "Night of Joy" Indeed

Actually, it was a week of joy for us, as we reunited with our good friends, Widespread Panic, last fall for four historic shows (2 at Madison Square Garden and 2 more at the House of Blues - Myrtle Beach).

On March 23rd, 2004, we will be able to re-live those incredible moments, musical and otherwise, as Widespread Records/Sanctuary Records will be releasing "Night of Joy," featuring the powerful combination of Widespread Panic and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band on all nine cuts.

For ordering information and more details, head on over here and do your thing.

Feet Can't Fail Me Now

We know you've been listening to the Dirty Dozen do our thing for years now and we know you want to see us come through your town again and again, so now after years of doing it to death on our own, we are calling out to all of you Dirty fans to help us spread the word about all things Dirty. Sign up for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band Mailing List to keep up to date on all of the band's activities. We will also be offering special exclusive surprises to our mailing list subscribers from time to time, so don't sleep on us.