One of the brightest new bands on the New Orleans scene made their NYC debut on a scorching night in late July, as The Rumble took to the voodoo-draped stage at City Winery in Manhattan on Wednesday the 26th.
Touring on the back of their debut album Live at The Maple Leaf, the six-piece band of Second Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. of the Golden Eagles, trumpeter Aurélien Barnes, trombonist José Maize Jr., guitarist Ari Teitel, keyboardist Andriu Yanovski, and drummer Trenton O’Neal brought the real deal, Big Easy good times to the Big Apple.
Opening with a bumping introduction, the group welcomed Boudreaux Jr. to the stage and explored “Up Until The Morning” with funky guitar/drumming laying the foundation. During the tune, Barnes delivered an extended trumpet solo complete with wah-wah effects which was a show highlight while Maize Jr.’s trombone work to close was backed only by tambourines and percussion.
The head-bopping groove of “Uptown” followed with Yanovski’s keys shining brightly (while also doing double duty on electro bass) as the band seamlessly flowed into “Bow Down” which was accentuated by sweet swelling horn work. “Golden Crown” was a slow rolling, hot and sticky jam just like the night air, while the band’s theme song “The Rumble” was a showcase for Teitel who sang and played a clean, burning, guitar solo.
The energy then picked up with the group’s delivery of the fantastic “My People” as the small but exuberant crowd got out of their chairs and got down with the band. With most of this group having played in the band Cha Wa on their Grammy-nominated recent album My People, The Rumble has clearly now made those songs their own.
The Mardi Gras Indian tale told during “Stories From The Battlefield” had horns blaring, “By The Riverside” morphed into an easy strolling jaunt down the Mississippi/Hudson on this night, “Now You Know” was a throwdown party jam, and the raucous “Wildman” was a monster of a tune that found more shredding from Teitel and the band clicking on all levels.
Wrapping up with the hip-hop-spiced “Second Line Girl” the crowd started its own second line around the venue complete with napkins waving and umbrellas pumping. For an NYC debut, The Rumble delivered the gumbo-flavored goods as the young New Orleans culture bearers brought the funk, rock, and soul.
