Beginnings
Originating in one of Brooklyn's oldest seaside neighborhoods,
the The
Red Hook Ramblers were formed in 2005 by friends who share
a passion
for classic jazz. Over several months, the group's performances
built
out from kitchen jams to regular gigs at Sunny's
Bar, Red Hook's
famous mariner's haunt, and their repertoire came to encompass
a wide
range of early jazz songs and styles, learned by studying recordings
dating from the 1890s to the late 1930s. Blues, ragtime, spirituals,
New Orleans ensemble playing, Chicago-style soloing, and a
number of
New York's Tin Pan Alley and Harlem "jungle" tunes
all mixed in to
make the Red Hook Ramblers an "all-things traditional
jazz" unit.
Present
While the line-up has varied over the years, the Ramblers
have always maintained a six-piece ensemble of cornet, clarinet,
trombone, tuba, banjo (or piano when available), and drums.
Several members of the group also contribute vocals. The
Ramblers have played all over Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and
Long
Island in a huge variety of settings: bars, clubs, churches,
gardens,
streets, parks, high society fund raisers, museums, festivals,
radio
performances, holiday parties, and much more. The Red Hook
Ramblers
are also in demand as specialists in providing a jazzy, upbeat
lift to
wedding ceremonies and cocktail receptions. In 2008, the band
was
featured in a two-page special in New
York Magazine's Summer
Weddings Issue, which
covered the marvelous Taras-Wallach
wedding of October, 2007 at
Empire–Fulton
Ferry State Park. For more information about hiring the
Ramblers,
please click HERE.
Future
Classic jazz is timeless, joyous music, music
of the heart and soul;
it's fun, swinging and irresitable for dancing. The Red Hook Ramblers
are proud to be keeping alive the traditions of this quintessentially
American music, and they look forward to bringing its sound to new
ears and longtime fans for years to come.
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