Tuba Skinny

Biography

Tuba Skinny is an American street band based in New Orleans, Louisiana, formed in 2009 from a loose collective of itinerant musicians who initially performed as the Dead Man Street Orchestra in the hurricane-ravaged streets following Hurricane Katrina. The band's core members—Todd Burdick (tuba), Shaye Cohn (cornet), Barnabus Jones (trombone), and others—chose to focus on early jazz because they considered it the most accessible form of music for street performance. Unlike many traditional jazz revival bands, Tuba Skinny deliberately sought to emulate the sound of jazz from the 1920s and 1930s, specifically before phonographs became widely available, giving their music a historically authentic and raucous quality that distinguished them in New Orleans' music scene.

Since their formation, Tuba Skinny has evolved from street buskers into internationally recognized performers while maintaining their commitment to street performance, particularly on Royal Street in the French Quarter. The ensemble has released more than a dozen albums, toured extensively across Europe, Australia, Mexico, and North America, and attracted high-profile admirers including R. Crumb, Amanda Palmer, and Neil Gaiman. Despite their international acclaim and paid festival appearances, the band continues to perform regularly on New Orleans streets, viewing this as essential to maintaining their connection with audiences and developing their musical craft. Their sound encompasses early jazz, ragtime, blues, jug band music, and string band traditions, reflecting a comprehensive genealogy of American popular music from an early 20th-century perspective.

Fun Facts

• The band's name originated as a tongue-in-cheek reference to legendary New Orleans tuba player Anthony Lacen (Tuba Fats), who died in 2004; when tall, slender Todd Burdick arrived playing tuba in 2008, he inevitably became 'Tuba Skinny' as a contrasting nickname.
• Shaye Cohn, the band's cornet player and musical director, was classically trained as a pianist for twelve years before experiencing burnout from repetitive practice; she discovered a flood-damaged 'swamp trumpet' in an abandoned New Orleans building and became devoted to the horn.
• Despite achieving international acclaim and touring in Spain, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Mexico, Australia, Belgium, France, and Holland, Tuba Skinny maintains their spiritual home on Royal Street in the French Quarter, where they regularly perform for street audiences to preserve the intimate atmosphere and work on their craft.
• The band achieved a wide following on YouTube despite having no official channel, demonstrating organic grassroots popularity through fan-uploaded performances of their street busking.

Members

• Max Bien-Kahn - resonator guitar
• Todd Burdick - sousaphone
• Shaye Cohn - cornet
• Craig Flory - clarinet
• Jason Lawrence - banjo
• Barnabus Jones - trombone
• Erika Lewis
• Robin Rapuzzi - washboard
• Greg Sherman - guitar

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Tuba Fats (Anthony Lacen) - The band's name was inspired by this legendary New Orleans tuba player; Todd Burdick became known as 'Tuba Skinny' as a contrasting reference to Fats (New Orleans street jazz tradition) [Pre-2008 (Fats died in 2004)]

Key Collaborators

• Shaye Cohn - Cornet player and musical director; classically-trained pianist and violinist who became a core founding member (All Tuba Skinny albums since 2009) [2009-present]
• Barnabus Jones - Trombonist and founding member; arrived as banjo-player and violinist, mastered trombone to complement Cohn's cornet (All Tuba Skinny albums since 2009) [2009-present]
• Todd Burdick - Tuba player and founding member; arrived as banjo player, rapidly mastered tuba (All Tuba Skinny albums since 2009) [2009-present]
• Erika Lewis - Vocalist and bass drummer; provides soulful vocals with perfect phrasing and intonation (All Tuba Skinny albums since 2009) [2009-present]
• Maria Muldaur - Iconic jug-band veteran who collaborated with Tuba Skinny on the album 'Let's Get Happy Together' (Let's Get Happy Together) [Recent collaboration]
• Craig Flory - Clarinet and reed player from Seattle; current ensemble member (Recent Tuba Skinny albums) [2012-present]
• Jon Doyle - Texan clarinet and saxophone player who enriched the band's sound on their fourth album (Rag Band (2012)) [2012]
• Ewan Bleach - English clarinet and saxophone player who contributed to the band's expanded sound (Rag Band (2012)) [2012]

Artists Influenced

• Hurray for the Riff Raff - Band led by Alynda Segarra, who performed with the Dead Man Street Orchestra (Tuba Skinny's predecessor ensemble) (Formed from shared New Orleans street music community) [2005 onwards]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #dixieland, #jazz