Led by notable New Orleans radio disc jockey and brass band afficiando, "DJ Davis" Rogan,
All That are one of several Crescent City bands who combine brass band music with rap, hip-hop and funk. Unlike the other most well-known practioners of this style, (
Soul Rebels,
New Birth Brass Band and Cool Bone), Rogan and "krew" employ not only traditional brass band instrumentation (tuba, trumpet, trombone, sax, bass drum, snare drum) but guitar, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, full drum kit and occasional upright bass. Like
Soul Rebels and New Birth,
All That relies heavily on '70s funk-influenced vamps and traditional brass band unison/harmony horn lines, but employ more rapping than its contemporaries. In addition,
All That isn't afraid to combine serious attempts at social commentary with
Beastie Boys-style frat party silliness. Although the brass musicians on
The Whop Boom Bam don't often reach the same levels of sheer power and virtuosity as the best young players in New Orleans, that isn't really the point. All That's vibe seems to come as much from the indie-rock school of self-referential irony (as a straight, but excellent, cover of Led Zeppelin's "Moby Dick" will attest) as from the jazz tradition. Most importantly,
All That simultaneously (and successfully) captures the inimitable "party 'til you drop" spirit of the Big Easy while injecting non-traditional musical elements and a new brand of humor into the mix. ~ Pemberton Roach