New Birth Brass Band was formed by trumpeter and vocalist James "Twelve" Andrews, an offshoot of the Young Olympia Brass Band, itself formed in part by Milton Batiste in the 1980s. Andrews had come up playing in Danny Barker's Roots of Jazz Brass Band before leading his own group, and brought that background to New Birth with a clear intent: renewing New Orleans brass band tradition with a contemporary spin. As Andrews put it, the older generation played mostly sacred dirges and traditional standards, and New Birth wanted to bring that same tradition a new beat.
The band's 1997 debut album, D-Boy, was produced by Allen Toussaint and released on the NYNO label, featuring Andrews alongside trumpeter Derrick Shezbie, tuba player Kerwin James (younger brother of Rebirth Brass Band's Keith and Philip Frazier), snare drummer Kerry Hunter, bass drummer Cayetano "Tanio" Hingle, trombonists Reginald Steward and Corey Henry, and percussionist Mister Action. Kerwin James became one of the band's key composers, writing hits including "A.P. Tureaud" and "Who Dat Call The Police?," both built around his signature tuba riffs.
Kerwin James, a Hurricane Katrina survivor like so many other Crescent City brass musicians, suffered a stroke in the summer of 2006 and died in a coma in September 2007 at age 35. His memorial second line was controversially halted by police after noise complaints from newer residents unfamiliar with the city's parade traditions — a moment often cited as emblematic of post-Katrina New Orleans' shifting cultural landscape. The band's later lineups have included trombonists Rob Harris and Glen David Andrews, saxophonist Darryl Adams, and trumpeter Mervin Campbell, with Hingle continuing to lead. New Birth's catalog also includes New Birth Family (2005) and New Orleans Second Line! (2006), and the band remains active across the city's brass band circuit today.
