| Funky Jazz |
Crazy, incisive, hard-hitting, and incredibly groovy, this brass band is simply brilliant with a touch of Daliesque (in reference to the painter Dali), who was not just crazy about Lanvin chocolate…
There is enough here to write novels full of humor and twists. This band is more about funk with a fanfare twist than adhering to jazz norms, but that certainly doesn’t scare us! Thus, we learn that considered the first festive brass band from Edmonton, Brasstactics has brought the fiery spirit of New Orleans brass band music to the heart of western Canada. With total mobility and an entirely acoustic sound, Brasstactics has become a staple at outdoor parties, music festivals, and sporting events for nearly five years. Inspired by groups like Rebirth Brass Band, MEUTE, and The Soul Rebels, this nine-piece ensemble performs a mosaic of original songs and reimagined covers. Whether it’s 80s rock, 90s hip-hop, or Billboard Top 40 hits, Brasstactics gets the audience dancing and singing for sure.
One can perfectly imagine the live atmosphere of these fabulous artists, who show an exaggerated originality and are champions of arrangements, making this brass band sound ultra-groovy, which is far from as simple as it might seem at first glance. Imagine for a moment these merry companions playing at bus stops, on rooftops, in parking lots, and on sidewalks. The brass band has paraded through the prairies and the Rockies, bringing joy to its fans and community. In recent years, they have opened for bands like Five Alarm Funk and My Son The Hurricane, and collaborated with local DJs and hip-hop artists like jingnjoc on their song ‘Do One Two.’ The band wove the stories of their journey into their first album, Tribute To The Groove, a colorful collection of nine songs inspired by New Orleans brass bands, full of courage and energy. Overflowing with explosive brass lines, rhythmic marching percussion, and occasional rap verses, Tribute To The Groove is a festive album dedicated to the community that supported the band every step of the way.
The production of this album includes sounds of everyday electronic objects, more to amuse the delirious crowd than to mark their rooting in today’s world, and I was taken in by it. Indeed, how could it be otherwise? Knowing it’s their first album, one can only be happy for them and hope they tour the world and churn out albums like hotcakes in the years to come. After consulting the stars and Saint Dali, we felt compelled to classify this illustrious album in the phantasmagoric category of our particularly “Indispensable” albums.
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, June 14th 2024
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Le joyeux brass band :
Jonathan Deppisch – Alto Saxophone
Jonny McCormack – Tenor Saxophone
Allison Ochoa – Baritone Saxophone
Liam Shearer – Trumpet
Zach Semanuik – Trumpet
Nicholas Froman – Trombone
Audrey Ochoa – Trombone
Matthew Laird – Sousaphone
Bramwell Park – Drums
Blair Wilkie – Drums