Throughout most of the country, funerals are a time of grieving for family members, mourning the loss of a loved one. New Orleans is the exception: they celebrate the life of the loved one, often accompanied by loud brass instruments playing down the street.
New Orleans has held a strong tradition of parades and marching bands throughout the past two hundred years. The first documentation of New Orleans funeral marches date back to 1819, but the African-American marching band tradition did not begin until 1900. They utilized left behind military instruments and played uplifting, celebratory music to celebrate the life of the person who passed. Jazz music can find its roots within this music.
Milwaukee’s own Stubby Chubbz Brass Band has taken that New Orleans tradition and fused it with traditional songs and their own arrangements of popular songs.
Trombonist Nick Weckman wanted to keep in touch with his fellow UWM classmates and New Orleans jazz enthusiasts and he felt that the best way to do that was to create a Facebook group. Not knowing what to call themselves, he just put down the first two words he could think of: Stubby Chubbz. They have played under that name ever since.
Stubby Chubbz will be performing at Bremen Cafe on Thursday July 3rd at 8pm. They are performing at Summerfeston the 4th of July at 3pm with the band Uncle Larry. They will also play at The Uptowner on Center Street at 8pm on the 4th of July.
