MEDIA ADVISORY For Immediate Release : January 12, 2012 Press information: Jessica Wolf 310.825.7789 [email protected] Image Library : www.cap.ucla/press-images

CAP UCLA Celebrates Mardi Gras With and Dirty Dozen Feb. 12 at Royce Hall

Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA brings a slice of authentic style “All on a Mardi Gras Day” to Royce Hall with R&B legend Allen Toussaint and Dirty Dozen Brass Band Tuesday, February 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets ($20-$60) are now available via cap.ucla.edu , Ticketmaster or at the UCLA Central Ticket Office (310. 825.2101).

One of the most influential figures in New Orleans R&B, Allen Toussaint has crossed many paths in his illustrious 40-year (and counting) career. He has produced, written for, arranged, had his songs covered by, and performed with music giants The Judds, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, , Patti , Mac "Dr. John" Rebannac, Aaron and , Joe Cocker, The (original) Meters, Glen Campbell, The Band, Little Feat, , , Ernie K-Doe, , Irma Thomas, Etta James, Ramsey Lewis, Eric Gale and the countless others.

Toussaint’s live performances are punctuated by spellbinding storytelling and a fascinating set list of instantly recognizable tunes from his vast repertoire of hit songs, as performed with the warmth and humor of a true great. Toussaint’s 2009 , and first solo release in a decade, the critically-acclaimed “The Bright Mississippi,” was his first -oriented set, displaying the same effortless swing and relaxed charm he brought to his classic rock and roll sides. He salutes Big Easy stars of a previous generation, the jazz greats who, in the early 20th century, built the genre from the ground up and turned the ears of the world to New Orleans.

Toussaint will be honored this spring alongside fellow New Orleans music legend Dr. John by Tulane University with an honorary doctor of fine arts degree.

An appetite for musicological adventure, a commitment to honor tradition while not being constrained by it, and a healthy sense of humor have brought the world-traveling Dirty Dozen Brass Band to a remarkable juncture its already storied career. To celebrate its 35th Anniversary, in May 2012 the band released “Twenty Dozen,” the septet’s first studio release in six years. With a resolutely upbeat effort that seamlessly blends R&B, jazz, , Afro-Latino grooves, some Caribbean flavor, and even a Rihanna cover, “Twenty Dozen” mirrors in flow and feel a vibrant DDBB live set.

While traditional numbers infused with a DDBB flavor have always been crowd-pleasing staples of the group’s repertoire, it’s the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s willingness to look beyond the New Orleans songbook and find connections among a wider range of music that has endeared them to critics, fellow musicians and a multi- generational audience across the globe. They’ve been embraced enthusiastically by the jam-band followers at Bonnaroo as well as by the devotees who flock to the yearly New Orleans Jazz Fest. Acts like and have taken them on tour and artists from Dizzy Gillespie to Elvis Costello to Norah Jones have joined them in the studio. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, DDBB participated in the From the Big Apple to the Big Easy benefit at ’s Madison Square Garden and offered its own response to the aftermath of the disaster with an acclaimed 2006 song-by-song remake of ’s “What’s Going On” Their music has been featured on the HBO series, “Treme,” named after the New Orleans mid-city neighborhood where the band had formed, and the group performed on screen with and rapper Juvenile in Season 2. New Orleans remains a wellspring of musical inspiration and DDBB is a living, breathing embodiment of the continued vitality and evolution of the sounds of the city.

CAP UCLA’s Royce Bar will be offering a special menu for the evening, featuring a pre-show crawfish boil on the Royce Terrace starting at 7 p.m.

ABOUT CAP UCLA Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA (CAP UCLA) is dedicated to the advancement of contemporary performing arts in all disciplines — dance, music, spoken word and theater, as well the emerging digital, collaborative and cross-art platforms inspired by today's leading artists and creators. CAP supports the creation, presentation and critical dialogues vital to the ongoing innovation and expressive potential of artists whose work, whether vibrantly emerging or internationally acclaimed, forms the dynamic and evolving heritage of contemporary performance. Based in UCLA's iconic Royce Hall, CAP UCLA is the university's public center for the presentation of the performing arts and contributes to the cultural life of the campus and greater Los Angeles, promoting civic dialogue and creative inquiry. Through an annual season of performing arts programs and extensive community- engagement events — including artist fellows and residency programs, K–12 arts education (Design for Sharing), student mentorship (Student Committee for the Arts), and art-making and experiential activities (Art in Action) — CAP UCLA advances the importance of art in society by celebrating and deepening the connection between artist and audience.

PRESS REVIEW TICKETS/PHOTO PASSES/ INTERVIEW REQUESTS Contact Jessica Wolf at [email protected] 310.825.7789

IMAGES Available for download at cap.ucla.edu/press-images . Register for access.

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