By James Casey
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 2, 1997

Oh Daddy

Ian Mayer Arizona Daily Wildcat Sousaphone player Tony Rosano of Tucson's own swinging brass band Crawdaddy-O played last week at The Rock.

"Mardi Gras mambo grooves" and "funky brass" are the defining sounds of Crawdaddy-O, Tucson's own swinging brass band. Blending 1920s jazz with New Orleans drinking music, one's first impression of Crawdaddy-O is a sense of camaraderie between the members and their music, as the quintet never seem to miss a beat.

Formed over a year ago, Crawdaddy-O (Tony Rosano - sousaphone, Dante Rosano - trumpet, Marco Rosano - saxophone, Evan Dain - trombone and Jimmy Carr - drums) found instant success, playing their first show with Buckwheat Zydeco, forefather of Louisiana swing, at the Rialto Theatre in downtown Tucson. Their success that night led to their cleaning-up at the 1997 TAMMIES, the Tucson Area Music Awards, winning for Best New Band and Best Horn section.

Crawdaddy-O's influences range from James Brown to Maceo Parker, with elements of funk thrown into the mix. As Jimmy Carr, the band's drummer, jokingly said, "You could say that there's even Russian drinking music in our sound."

This blend of styles creates a unique and fresh sound, unavailable to anyone outside of New Orleans. That is, until now.

Earlier this year the band traveled to Austin, Texas, to play in the South by Southwest festival, and became a fast favorite, laying down their signature grooves for many an awestruck onlooker. This success brought on a considerable following and many favorable reviews from national publications.

Unpredictable and entertaining, Crawdaddy-O guarantee to liven up even the dullest night, forcing their audience to break into song and dance. "The Tucson Tango" is one of the rare gems of a tune that the group have to offer, and will, rest assured, bring you to your feet and keep you there.

Trumpet, trombone, saxophone and sousaphone (similar to a tuba) make up the brass section of the band. The boom of the sousaphone is reinforced by rock-steady drums, which are, in turn, sugar-coated by the remainder of the horn section.

After watching a performance, one might be fooled into thinking that Crawdaddy-O have been together for far longer than a year. The powerful sense of tightness between the members of the group allows for spontaneous improvisation and hilarious tomfoolery.

Ian Mayer Arizona Daily Wildcat Jimmy Carr (drums), Marco Rosano (saxophone), and Evan Dain (trombone) of Crawdaddy-O leaves the stage and parades around the pool room at The Rock during last week's concert. The band's recent success has lead to a weekly show at The Rock on Wednesday night's.

At a recent show at The Rock (Park Avenue and Ninth Street), Crawdaddy-O played their signature ditties and shone as the improvisers that they are known to be. The music was top quality, and the atmosphere was far more vibrant than that of most other shows in the area.

The set started with an upbeat serving of James Brown, sung with raucous wit and flair, accompanied by the wickedly melodic and fast paced horns, and in turn by the grand and majestic sousaphone.

The upbeat jazz grooves and soulful swing seemed to mesmerize the audience into a trance-like state.

'Down by the Riverside', a Dixieland classic, and 'Tequila ... on crack', a sped up version of the original party song were some highlights of the show. They were, however, only a couple of the surprises that the five musicians had on offer that evening, which also included 'Were gonna have a good ol' time ...', a standard in melodic and vibrant jazz and swing.

The stage had a large camouflage awning draped over the back of the set, giving it a bit of the appearance of a Louisianan Bayou, in which, if you listened hard enough you might even had heard Uncle Tom in his cabin, singing into the night.

The spontaneity of Crawdaddy-O often takes over their live set, as when the members dispersed around the bar, and began contacting other via their instruments. The instant effect was that of night creatures harmoniously calling to each other, complimenting each other's voices with their own.

Eventually, the group reformed and triumphantly paraded round the area, jesting with the crowd. These pranks and theatrics included the donning of large conical hats, bicycle helmets, dressed mannequins and a humorous game of pool which substituted a trombone for cues.

The recent success of the band has led to a weekly show at The Rock on Wednesday nights. Judging by past performance, these shows will highlight that element of unpredictability with which Crawdaddy-O is synonymous. The show will usually run for over two hours, and is a sure fire method of brightening up your night.

If you happen to be under 21 (meaning you can't usually get in to The Rock), don't fret or despair, as a self-titled, independent CD release is scheduled to be in stores on October 14. The album contains 12 original tracks.

If it's soul and swing that you are looking for, or even just a great night out, Crawdaddy-O will prove to be the answer, and one of the most entertaining alternatives to other local night-life available.

The Crawdaddy-O experience is one of the few little gems that make living in a small city, like Tucson, worthwhile.

Crawdaddy-O play The Rock (136 N. Park Ave.) every Wednesday, starting the show at around 10 p.m., 21 and over only. Their self-titled LP will be available at the shows and at CD DEPOT, LAST WAX RECORDS, HEAR'S MUSIC and other fine record stores around Tucson.