SCHWEE MICHAEL SCHWARTZ lead vocals, rhymes, alto saxophone
ROBBY MARSHALL tenor saxophone
DAN WEINSTEIN sousaphone, trombone
MIKE BOLGER trumpet, mellophone
BENJAMIN ADAMSON trumpet
CESAR (CEZ-ONE) VENTURA percussion wildcard
GABRIEL ZEKE LOIEDERMAN snare drum
RAFI BENJAMIN LOIEDERMAN bass drum, cymbal
JUSTIN KIRK trombone
I TIMOTHY MOYNAHAN trombone, crinklebone
BEN MCINTOSH trombone
SHAUNTE PALMER trombone
JEROME KIMBLE sousaphone
BIG CHIEF ALVIN HARRISON Grand Marshall
BESTON BARNETT No Half Steppers SAPC, percussion
The CRITICAL BRASS brass band brings the swing with their rather rump-thumping trademark blend of New Orleans Hiphop Jazz Dixie Soul Second Line Funk!
The only fully-mobile, logarhythmic, hyperthermic, philmelodic orchestra
of its kind in the Wild Southwest, the self-sustaining euphoria known as
CRITICAL BRASS has performed at many of the hottest spots in town including Temple Bar, House of Blues, The Knitting Factory, The Getty Center, The Conga Room, Fais Do Do, The Derby, Foxx Club, The Skirball Center, Elbo Room (SF), Cat Club, The Onyx Room (SD) and Spaceland. Perennial tours include the San Diego Street Scene, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Long Beach Bayou Fest, and the North Beach (SF) Jazz Fest.
Members of the group have been schooled in the New Orleans family
tradition, and have performed in many of the most famous venues in the
Crescent City such as Preservation Hall, Cafe Brazil, the Louisiana Music Factory, Donna’s, the Jazz & Heritage Festival, the State Palace Theatre, Tipitina's, Funky Butt, House of Blues, Howlin’ Wolf, Joe's Cozy Corner, Caledonia’s, Vaughan’s, Twi-Ro-Pa Mills, Mayoral Inauguration parades, & celebrity funerals, with various legendary New Orleans groups such as Trombone Shorty, James Andrews, the NewBirth, Lil' Rascals and Treme Brass Bands, and members of the Meters, the Neville Brothers, the Rebirth and Dirty Dozen Brass Bands.
Their mission is to keep the second-line tradition alive and rump-thumpin'
all along the West Coast and right here at home in the Angel City.
The music is dynamically-tailored for all occasions including private parties,
banquets, cocktail hours, weddings, funerals, nightclubs, street parades, music festivals, farmer's markets, school assemblies, and backyard barbeques. In addition to the full soundscape of an amplified stage set, they are willing, able, and destined to perform unplugged in any geographical setting, with the exception of extreme, brass-eroding weather...
--- ---> UNITED SWINGDOM presents the CD release CRITICAL BRASS "Sustain the Chain" available for direct purchase through the CDBABY link as well as by download on I-TUNES, Real Rhapsody, Napster, and over 40 other digital distribution networks (see blogs for links).
wattup critical brass? I miss playing with you guys. Hope to lay down some bass lines with you guys when I'm in town. Give my regards to my homie Dan on the big axe! Peace!
