The Dirty Dozen Brass Band

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s mix of R&B and its native New Orleans’ jazz has only taken on more gritty urgency as the band has aged; as such, the band was a cinch for a recent appearance on David Simon’s NOLA-set drama Treme. Channeling their own experiences surviving Hurricane Katrina, the band members summon such a pugnacious groove to open their song-by-song reworking of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On? that a guest rap from Chuck D feels like a perfect fit. Then again, G. Love contributed vocals to the Dozen’s version of “Mercy, Mercy Me,” which shows the group can also channel that aggression into something a little more slow-burning and festive.

Updated 05/17/2011