Tuba Skinny

Tuba Skinny
Several members of Tuba Skinny performing on the streets of New Orleans
In performance in New Orleans, 2009
Background information
OriginNew Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Genres
Years active2009 (2009)–present
Members
  • Shaye Cohn[a]
  • Barnabus Jones
  • Todd Burdick
  • Craig Flory
  • Gregory Sherman
  • Max Bien-Kahn
  • Jason Lawrence
  • Robin Rapuzzi
  • Erika Lewis[b]
Websitetubaskinny.com

Tuba Skinny is a traditional jazz street band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's instrumentation includes cornet, clarinet, trombone, tuba, tenor banjo, guitar, frottoir, and vocals. The ensemble draws its inspiration from the early jazz, ragtime, and blues music of the 1920s and 1930s.[1] The group began as an itinerant busking band and has performed around the world, including at music festivals in Mexico,[2] Sweden,[3] Australia,[4] Italy,[5] France,[5] Switzerland,[3] and Spain.[6][7]

For over a decade, Tuba Skinny "has grown steadily in popularity, releasing [ten] albums, frequently touring, and attracting high-profile fans from R. Crumb to Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman. They've garnered fans from all over the world—young and old, neophytes and niche-enthusiasts."[8] Their albums have garnered multiple awards,[9][10][11] and they have been hailed by Offbeat magazine, The Syncopated Times, and other publications as one of the best traditional early jazz bands performing today.[8][12][13]

The band is popular on YouTube with "more than 500 videos, many with 100,000-plus views, in a variety of languages."[8][3] However, the ensemble does not have an official YouTube page, and nearly all of the recorded footage is fan-made.[8][3] The band's fan base has been described as possessing a "lighthearted, fun, flapper vibe," a reflection of the Jazz Age time period evoked by their music.[14] Despite the band's global fame and frequent performances in nightclubs and at jazz festivals, they have continued to perform on the streets of New Orleans and other cities to maintain their intimate connection with audiences.[5][2]


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  1. ^ Reynolds 2019.
  2. ^ a b Rawls 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d Coffee 2018.
  4. ^ Nichols 2014.
  5. ^ a b c Himes 2014.
  6. ^ Coffee 2014a.
  7. ^ Coffee 2020, p. 6.
  8. ^ a b c d Bridewell 2018.
  9. ^ Offbeat Magazine's Awards 2014.
  10. ^ 2014 Beat Award Winner.
  11. ^ Stone 2020.
  12. ^ New Orleans Renaissance 2018.
  13. ^ Orr 2019.
  14. ^ Burjek 2015.