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United States Tuba Skinny is a globally recognized American street band, rooted in New Orleans, known for their authentic performances of early jazz, ragtime, and blues music from the 1920s and 1930s. They have released over a dozen albums and toured extensively, attracting a dedicated international following.
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Request A ShowTuba Skinny collaborated with American singer Maria Muldaur on the album 'Let's Get Happy Together', released in 2021. The album received the Best Traditional Jazz Album award at OffBeat's Best of The Beat Awards.
During the summer of 2018, Tuba Skinny performed five nights a week with the Ashton Brothers circus in the Netherlands, providing musical accompaniment for various circus acts.
In 2022, the Jazz Foundation of America presented Tuba Skinny on a weekly basis at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, recognizing their contributions to jazz music.
Tuba Skinny won an Arhoolie Award in 2022, a citation presented by the Arhoolie Foundation to American bands that document, preserve, present, and disseminate authentic traditional and regional vernacular music.
Erika Lewis and Shaye Cohn, members of Tuba Skinny, released a country album titled 'Waiting For Stars' in September 2016 with their other band, The Lonesome Doves. The album consisted entirely of songs composed by Lewis.
Tuba Skinny's music was featured in the soundtrack for the second series of 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries' (2013).
Tuba Skinny performed the song 'Delta Bound' for the 2016 film 'Alive and Kicking'.
Tuba Skinny performed the song 'Jubilee Stomp' for the 2023 film 'Hit Man'.
Tuba Skinny formed in New Orleans in 2009, although its core members had been active in the city’s street music scene for several years prior. Many of the band members, including Shaye Cohn (cornet), Barnabus Jones (trombone), and Todd Burdick (tuba), relocated to New Orleans between 2003 and 2005, drawn by the city’s musical heritage. Before forming Tuba Skinny, several members played in the Dead Man Street Orchestra, a busking band that performed in the post-Hurricane Katrina streets of New Orleans, largely out of necessity. During this period, the musicians, often subsisting in modest circumstances, played various folk and global music styles, frequently busking in locations such as Jackson Square. This early experience fostered a DIY ethos and a direct connection with audiences that remains a hallmark of Tuba Skinny’s approach.
The musicians subsequently joined the Loose Marbles, another New Orleans busking ensemble, where they delved into traditional jazz. Shaye Cohn, originally a classical pianist, took up the cornet during this time after salvaging a flood-damaged instrument. Todd Burdick, the band’s tuba player, similarly transitioned from punk and experimental music. By 2009, Cohn, Jones, Burdick, and others had begun playing hot jazz on Royal Street in the French Quarter, seeking out more accessible musical forms. The band adopted the name “Tuba Skinny” after a sarcastic remark directed at Burdick, a slender sousaphone player, referencing the local legend Anthony “Tuba Fats” Lacen. Their dedication to historical accuracy in 1920s jazz, a genre often overlooked, significantly contributed to their growing popularity.
Over the past decade and a half, Tuba Skinny has released more than twelve albums, beginning with their self-titled debut in 2009. They have toured extensively worldwide, including performances in Mexico, Sweden, Australia, Italy, France, and Spain. Despite international acclaim and paid appearances at jazz festivals, the band consistently returns to busking, maintaining its direct engagement with the public. In 2018, they performed with the Ashton Brothers circus in the Netherlands, and in 2022, they received an Arhoolie Award for their dedication to authentic traditional and regional vernacular music. Their repertoire, spanning over 400 songs, includes interpretations of works by classic artists such as Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, and Bessie Smith, alongside original compositions, solidifying their position as a leading traditional jazz band.
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