Mama Digdown's Brass Band Gives Back to Madison

On Sunday, September 7, Mama Digdown's Brass Band will thank its Madison fans for more than 15 years of support at a free family-friendly party that will include spaghetti & meatballs from R.P.'s Pasta Company and a special performance by the band.

Erik Jacobson (sousaphone) and Roc Ohly (saxophone) started the band as students, after meeting in Richard Davis's Black Music Ensemble class (itself a Madison musical institution). The band's first public performance was at the Art Fair on the Square in 1993. Says Ohly, "We pretty much crashed the event and were just thankful no one asked us to leave!" Mama Digdown's has been going strong ever since, making over 50 trips to New Orleans and playing everywhere from New York to Switzerland.

Although some members of the band now reside in Chicago and the Twin Cities, Madison is near and dear to the heart of the band. For a group playing New Orleans music up north, Madison has been uniquely receptive, perhaps due to the strong marching band tradition in the area. This receptivity has led the odd phenomenon of Madison having more brass bands per capita than anywhere outside of New Orleans, including such accomplished groups as Madison’s Youngblood Brass Band and at least eight groups of high school students. "Mama Digdown's Brass Band is a cultural institution," says Youngblood leader and former Digdown Dave Skogen. "One could argue that there were no more defining musical experiences for Youngblood's most long-term members than being in Mama Digdown’s."

The Madison culinary scene has been almost as important as the musical one. Speaking personally, I've never met a group of musicians more concerned with food. By the time I joined up in 2002, it was too late to participate in certain traditions, like the post-rehearsal trips to Rozino's Pizza, but a lot still remain. "Roc and I were splitting a party size 32 inch shrimp po' boy from New Orleans Take-Out when we planned the bands first trip to New Orleans," says Jacobson. It has not been uncommon to find Jacobson cooking turkey necks or jambalaya for the audience on the street outside of the King Club or the Majestic, but the band will have local standbys R.P.'s Pasta and the Great Dane to provide food and drink for the anniversary event.

Playing in this band has certainly enriched my Madison experience, and I hope the same is true for others, for years to come.

There will be a New Orleans-style second line parade starting at the Harmony Bar at noon, and festivities (including games, music, and a Digdown garage sale) will take place outside R.P.'s Pasta Company from 1 - 5 pm.