KEN FIELD'S REVOLUTIONARY SNAKE ENSEMBLE - YEAR OF THE SNAKE

• ken field's revolutionary snake ensemble: year of the snake
  (2003, cd, usa, innova recordings innova 599)

I received this album last week, and I've been playing it ever since.
The Revolutionary Snake Ensemble is led by alto sax player Ken Field. It's a costumed, experimental funk/street beat / improvisational brass band, performing both original and traditional music.

The band got formed in 1990 and has quite a reputation performing at festivals, parades, fairs, etceteras (they have even done concerts during train rides).
The RSE has also released two albums: "Year Of The Snake" in 2003, and "Forked Tongue" in 2008.

"Year Of The Snake" is a very impressive album. It has all the energy of a New Orleans brass band compressed on one little silver disc.

This is jazz. This is funky.
The RSE combines an impressive rhythm section with an excellent brass section!
No wonder that the ensemble includes their version of James Brown's 'Soul Power' and Sun Ra's ''A Call For All Demons' on this album. They fit in just perfect.

Out on Innova.
http://www.innova.mu/

I've included two YouTube movies to give you an idea of what the RSE sounds like.
The first one is one that you might have heard before. It's "Parade of Numbers" from Sesame Street, with music by the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble. The second one is from a concert.

Recommended !