The Hummingbird Brigade (Reigning Parade)

Clarinetist and bandleader James Danderfer describes the Hummingbird Brigade as “New Orleans brass band–inspired”, but what he’s actually done here is invent a brand-new micro-genre: sports-bar jazz. That’s not a knock.

Before we go any further, though, there’s something that needs to be clarified, which is that the Hummingbird Brigade is a band as well as Danderfer’s new album. A meaty, beaty, big, and bouncy all-star band, in fact, one that includes local luminaries Chris Gestrin on keyboards, Chad Makela on baritone sax, and Joe Poole on drums, along with some names that aren’t quite as familiar.

Stars or not, they all play with focused intensity on this debut recording, which is a lot more contemporary-sounding than the “New Orleans brass” tag might indicate. More Trombone Shorty than Kid Ory, in other words, which is another reason why if the powers that be at Hockey Night in Canada had any sense, they’d immediately commission Danderfer to pen a permanent replacement for Dolores Claman’s much-missed “The Hockey Theme”.

And if that landed the Hummingbird Brigade in sports bars, I might start drinking.