StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Party time with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band

This week, we turn our spotlight on New Orleans' Dirty Dozen Brass Band, who will return to St. Louis this Thursday, November 19 to perform at the Broadway Oyster Bar. The DDBB have been frequent visitors to St. Louis since the 1980s, with this appearance coming as part of what's being billed as the group's 25th anniversary tour.

Today's clips provide four examples of the band's signature sound, an updated version of the traditional brass band that stirs jazz, funk, soul, blues, gospel and pop into a syncopated stew. First up is a version of "Ain't Nothing But A Party" recorded in 2002 at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. In the second slot, the band tackles the Meters' "Cissy Strut" at a show in Boston.

The third clip features a rendition of "It's All Over Now" from a show in Gainesville, FL, and the fourth is a performance of the gospel standard "I'll Fly Away" taken from the band's show at the Portland Blues Festival. The video quality of the clips varies, as in a couple of cases the videographer seems to be boogieing right along with the rest of the crowd. However, the audio quality is pretty good across the board, and the DDBB's spirit and energy are, as usual, infectious.