The Hot 8 Brass Band return, announcing ‘Big Tuba’
The announcement of ‘Big Tuba’ marks the return of the Hot 8 Brass Band with their first new project since 2019. The album features the singles “Big Tuba”, and their cover of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine”.
‘Big Tuba’ is released on vinyl, CD and digital. The vinyl release includes a special 3-colour A-Side/B-Side vinyl with a 12” poster insert, and an exclusive 7” featuring the final album track, Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”, and the bands iconic cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing (Bossman Edit)”, making it’s vinyl debut.
Pre-order or pre-save ‘Big Tuba’ HERE
The title of the new album is a heartfelt tribute to Bennie Pete, the band’s co-founder and sousaphone player: “On September 6 2021, we, the Hot 8 Brass Band, lost our beloved bandleader, Bennie Pete. He was more than just our leader; he was a constant galvanising force within our own family of fellow musicians and beyond. Bennie was a rock in our lives. Yes, he was a leader, a teacher, and a mentor. More than that, Bennie was an inspiration to our band and to many other musicians, and the entire musical and cultural community. He helped each and every one of us, from our horn players to the folks dancing in the second lines and to the entire New Orleans community, during the most difficult and darkest times. Bennie helped all of us endure, to heal by encouraging us to continue to play our music despite any adversities.”
With nine tracks on vinyl, and “Let’s Stay Together” also available digitally, this album delves into the traditional jazz heritage of their hometown of New Orleans. The release includes a special 3-color A-Side/B-Side vinyl, a 12” poster insert, and an exclusive 7” featuring Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing (Bossman Edit)” and Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”, both making their vinyl debut.
The band will be touring the US East Coast, Europe, the UK, and Ireland in February, March and April as part of the Big Tuba Tour, following a series of dates along the US West Coast. This tour builds on the success of their previous sold-out tours, including the Bossman Tour (2023), Mardi Gras (2020), and Take Cover (2019), which featured sold-out shows at venues like London’s Roundhouse and Brighton Dome.
Hot 8 Brass Band are renowned for including elements of funk, hip hop, rap and its local variation, “bounce”, in their music. The collective earned a win in the 64th Annual Grammy Awards 2022 for their feature on John Batiste’s ‘Album of The Year’, following the nomination of their ‘The Life & Times Of…’ LP for ‘Best Regional Roots Album’ in 2013.
