Recording: The Woodshed Brass Band

Artist: The Woodshed Brass Band

Songs: Love Letter To New Orleans + Basic Count [composer: Dave Clark]^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Tribute to the Life of Ken Aldcroft), October 7, 2016.

The Woodshed Brass Band - Love Letter To New Orleans

The Woodshed Brass Band - Basic Count

Taken shockingly suddenly and entirely too soon, Ken Aldcroft's passing left a heavy mark on many groups: family, friends, neighbours, students as well as musical collaborators and appreciators. All of these were gathered together to share their sorrow and find some joy through fellowship and music in an evening of remembrances and sounds at The Tranzac, where Aldcroft had played so often. The evening started with a New Orleans style second line parade, a band marching slowly down Brunswick Street, back up the alley and around on the Bloor Street sidewalk before looping back to its starting point. It was truly a beautiful and transcendent thing. The recording here's a bit rough in spots as I struggled to keep pace with the band, but I think it expresses the procession's ragged joyfulness.

^* Thanks to Dave Clark for passing along the titles to these!

Photos and additional field recording by Matthew Fava.