Seattle's 45th St Brass find plenty of funky fun in the tradition of New Orleans brass bands, but they also take the opportunity to stretch the possibilities of this classic lineup of horns and drums.
Led by the baritone sax of Peter Daniel, forming a tight rhythm section with Nelson Bell on tuba and D'Vonne Lewis (playing on half of the new album) drumming for this performance.
The trombones of Jason Cressey and David Marriott play with and against each other, and trumpeter Shawn Mickelson added a bright sharpness to their sound.
On their new release, The Curtain Show, the group wrote a few shorter songs designed for guest vocalists that take brass band funk in the direction of modern soul and indie rock.
In the KNKX studios, they played a pair of instrumentals, an original and a Snarky Puppy cover, and split their session set with a powerful vocal performance from their seventh band member, singer Annie Jantzer. It's no easy task to challenge the muscular horns behind her, but Jantzer was certainly their equal.
You can get your brass band groove on at Conor Byrne in Ballard on Thanksgiving Eve, November 22nd when 45th St Brass takes the stage. And if you hear horns approaching you on the streets of Seattle, don't panic - just dance!