Whether it’s Ringling Brothers or Circus Vargas, there’s a certain mood and sound when the three rings and the big tent come to your town. Here are three albums that sound like it’s time for the popcorn, cotton candy and elephants.
With its roots in Ethiopia, the 12 piece Debo band mixes saxes, violins, accordion, guitars and drums along with Bruck Tesfaye’s voice on an upbeat and at times frenetic party. An upbeat mix of Klezmer and ska are felt on”Ele” and”Yalanchi” while cantoral violins wail on”Sak” and a mix of Cajun and surf rock rides the waves on “Jeguol Naw Betwa” and”Hiyamikachi Bushi.” The horns snap like Blood Sweat and Tears on “Kehulum Abliche” and the Middle East even gets throuwn in in “Eyew Demamu”. Step right up!!
Brooklyn Blowhards have a muscular front line of saxes (Jeff Lederer/ts-ss, Petr Cancura/ts) and brass (Kirk Knuffke/ct-sltp, Brian Drye/tb) which wags the rhythm tail of Art Bailey/acc, Matt Wilson/perc, AllisonMiller/perc and Stephen Larosa/perc though a wild and wooley ride of traditional music and free jazzer Albert Ayler. Once you get your hands around that, then Add Mary Larose’s voice for a mix of folk and free on “ Black Ball Line” and “Island Harvest” as well as “The Seaman’s Myth” from Moby Dick, and you realize you’re not in Kansas anymore. Part New Orleans Second Line, part Ellington horn section and part running through a series of wedding parties, you’ll be spinning with a smile on your face. WHEW!
The organist Samson Y Hiss actually performs a musical story about a circus, but it’s more like Boris Karloff is the master of ceremonies. Four “Voice” tunes include eerie dialogue and screams by Samuel Faustine, Ross Travis and Deanna Hammond to make you feel like Stephen King is on the trapeze. Funereal sounds form an organ from the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland have trumpet, trombone and tuba taking you on Mr. Toads Wild Ride and you’ll want to keep the night light on when taking in “Thunder & Blades” and “Suicide Sid.” Mommy, can we go home now?