Entry #9: Listening Presentation #2 & The Continental

Listening Presentation #2

Welcome to a journey into the unknown, well, partially unknown. We start with a track from my favorite cover band which features some extra heavy low brass, along with the usual big band instrumentation. Then we travel into the brass band territory, featuring groups from or inspired by nations all over the world. Finally, we hear a few brass quintets from semi-familiar composers before finishing off with the latest track from my blog theme, The Continental. Hope you enjoy!

8-Bit Big Band - Megalomania

Performed by the 8-Bit Big Band

The 8-Bit Big Band is a Grammy award winning 30-65 member Jazz/Pops "orchestra" that formed to celebrate and realize some of the best musical themes written from various video games from all consoles! The members of the 8-Bit Big Band come from all around the world, but most reside primarily in New York City, and are some of the most highly sought after musicians and performers, all gamers at heart who enjoy playing their favorite games of all time! "Megalovania" is an instrumental track composed by Toby Fox, which was made popular by the video game Undertale. This track features a lot of low brass playing, including Cimbasso, as well as the usual trombones, trumpets, saxes, and even horn!

Hot 8 Brass Band - Ain't No Sunshine

Performed by Hot 8 Brass Band

The Hot 8 Brass Band is a New Orleans–based brass band which blends hip-hop, jazz and funk styles with traditional New Orleans brass sounds. It was formed by Bennie Pete, Jerome Jones, and Harry Cook in 1995. This track is an arrangement of Bill Wither's song, Ain't No Sunshine.

Red Baraat - Zindabad

Performed by Red Baraat

Drummer-led Red Baraat is from Brooklyn, but their music grows out of the hard-partying tradition of Punjabi wedding bands. They bring brass instruments, drums, rock guitar, jazzy improvisations, and the call-and-response vocals to create a one of a kind experience. Red Baraat is led by Sunny Jain, a composer, drummer & dhol player.

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - War

Performed by the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is an eight-piece, Chicago-based brass ensemble consisting of eight sons of the jazz trumpeter Phil Cohran. Their musical style ranges from hip hop to jazz to funk and rock. "War" was featured in the 2012 box office hit The Hunger Games as the theme song for the in-universe sport host, Caesar Flickerman. You can view that clip here.

Performed by the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

A second track by the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, "Delta" from a live studio session. Recorded as part of the Bad Boys of Jazz in-studio series. "Raw take. Real energy. No edits."

When a Body Meets a Body - Bruce Broughton

Performed by All Star Brass

Bruce Broughton, perhaps best known for his score to Silverado, wrote this brass quintet "When a Body Meets a Body" in 2009. An active and challenging quintet in one movement, inspired while dodging London taxicabs, composed for a “Brass Blowout” performance in Calgary, Canada. Performers include Ryan Anthony (trumpet), Jens Lindemann (trumpet), Martin Hackelman (horn), Wycliffe Gordon (trombone) or Keith Dyrda (trombone), Patrick Sheridan (tuba).

Gangbé Brass Band - Djohodo

Performed by Gangbé Brass Band

The Gangbé Brass Band is a 10-member Beninese musical ensemble founded in 1994. The word "gangbe" means "sound of metal" in the Fon language. They blend West African jùjú and traditional Vodou music with Western jazz and big-band sounds. Their unusual instrumentation of trumpet, trombone, and sousaphone, along with West African percussion and vocals is, to some extent, part of West Africa's colonial legacy.

Apex Predators - Cathy Likhuta

Performed by Lyrebird Brass

Catherine Likhuta is an Australian-based composer, pianist and recording artist. Her music exhibits high emotional charge, programmatic nature and rhythmic complexity. She is very well-known (and well loved) in the horn world, with several pieces commissioned and performed each year. Her piece "Apex Predators" was written in 2013 and commissioned by the Atlantic Brass Quintet.

Billy May - The Continental

Performed by Billy May's Big Fat Brass Ensemble

Keeping with the theme of my blog, here is Billy May's Big Fat Brass performing "The Continental" written by Con Conrad and Herbert Magidson.

Until next time!

-Jacob