Track Listing

1. Ain't Misbehavin'
2. Monday Night in New Orleans
3. On the Sunny Side of the Street
4. After You've Gone
5. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
6. Goodnight
7. Leshianne
8. When My Dream Boat Comes Home
9. Kermit's Second Line
10. Bye and Bye
11. Do the Fat Tuesday

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #157723 in Music
• Released on: 2005-01-25
• Number of discs: 1

Album Description
A favorite on the New Orleans music scene, trumpeter Kermit Ruffins combines the spirit of classic New Orleans music with the energy and creativity of the modern Crescent City sound. On this retrospective, featuring selections from Ruffins’ seven solo albums on Basin Street and Justice Records, Putumayo hopes to bring the music of this remarkable musician to a wider audience.

Ruffins helped spark a brass band revival in the 1980s when he co-founded the Rebirth Brass Band, a dynamic group of teenage musicians who started playing in the streets of the French Quarter. The group released numerous critically-acclaimed records and brought their energetic performances to concert halls around the world.

In 1992, after seven CDs and extensive touring with Rebirth, Ruffins set off on a solo career. Seeking to focus on his passion for classic New Orleans jazz, he established the Barbecue Swingers, a quintet whose name comes from Kermit’s habit of cooking up savory barbecue from the back of his pickup truck before many of his gigs.

Ruffins has since recorded seven albums on his own. Audiences applaud his original compositions and revel in his innovative versions of jazz and swing classics. His energy, virtuoso trumpet playing and expressive voice have earned him regular comparisons to Louis Armstrong.

Ruffins’ laid-back demeanor, zest for life and appreciation of good food, music and company embody the unique character of the city where he was born and raised. His fans will find some of his most memorable solo tracks on this collection, many of which are now out of print. For those who have yet to discover the work of this irrepressible showman and talented musician, Kermit Ruffins is the perfect introduction.

Customer Reviews

Joyous music for a time when we need it most
It seems very odd to listen to true New Orleans music in these days following Hurricane Katrina, but I find his joyous attitude to be strangely comforting. For as much as I enjoyed this album before Katrina, I find it almost indespensible now- it helps restore a sense of connection to what was and what hopefully will be again.

This album was my first introduction to Kermit Ruffins other than having seen him as a guest artist on a television show. The music is wonderful "good times" music which speaks of simply enjoying life. There is nothing offensive or even indiscreet in his lyrics, making it easy to listen to with the family around. Every song is a celebration of life and of life in New Orleans. Ruffins is a first rate horn player and every song will bring both a smile to your face and a picture to your mind of what life in New Orleans was until a few weeks ago.

Fine Album!
I've started buying jazz albums lately, and I saw this CD in a store. I tried it out in the store, and I liked. it. I don't know much about Kermit Ruffins or the rest of his work, and I'm not a jazz expert. But I know a little about jazz, and used to play a decent trumpet. I took this album home, listened to it, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I now listen to it in the car while commuting. It's a fun album.

good fun in new orleans
Not a conoisseur of Ruffin's work, I can't really tell how representative this album is of his usual music;
all I can say - it's fun, it's swinging, sometimes funky;
a healthy mix of traditional jazz and pop-music - not insulting to jazz fans, entertaining enough for the wider audiences.

Obviously, this entertainer's main influence is Louis Armstrong; it would be silly to compare him seriously with the good old Satchmo, but Kermit Ruffins definitively keeps a great deal of his legacy alive...

Almost all of the songs feature Kermit's often charming vocals (in addition to the trumpet).