Egg Yolk Jubilee Music Band, The Champions of Breakfast (Independent)

The Egg Yolk Jubilee Music Band burst onto the New Orleans scene two years ago with a concept so perfectly sensible you wonder why no one had thought of it before: avant garde Dixieland To ears numbed by our seemingly infinite supply of white funk bands, Egg Yolk Jubilee’s raucous irreverent take on New Orleans Jazz was a breath of fresh air, expanding the boundaries of New Orleans music while at the same time honoring its roots. The Champions of Breakfast, Egg Yolk Jubilee’s debut CD, collects 14 of the band’s live stand-bys, including such reliable show stoppers as “Reefer Man,” “Brazil,” “Five Foot Two,” “Sunny Side of the Street,” “Ain’t She Sweet” and a swingin’ take on Ozzy Osbourne’s “Flying High Again.” There’s a rowdy, reckless tone throughout , and vocalist Paul Grass sings with cartoonish gusto that fits the music, which at times recalls Raymond Scott as much as the ODJB. Egg Yolk Jubilee branches out on Henry Threadgill’s “Bermuda Blues,” a modern jazz tune that hints at their affection for avant jazz (as does their tip of the hat to spiritual godfather Frank Zappa in the liner notes). The self-production is adequate at best. A few tracks could benefit from better mixes, but as far as capturing their energy and audacity, The Champions of Breakfast is a grand slam.