4 brass-centered dance bands
perform a concert dinner-dance festival
SOMERVILLE and BOSTON, MA Issued September 29, 2015… Cuisine en Locale, Somerville’s locally sourced catering company and function facility, presents Brass Attack!, a concert festival featuring Cocek! Brass Band, Somerville Symphony Orkestar, The Brian Thomas/Alex Lee Clark Big Band and The Raya Brass Band on Friday, November 6, from 7 pm to midnight at ONCE Somerville, 156 Highland Avenue, Somerville.
Brass Attack! offers a night of eclectic entertainment, dining and dancing with 4 diverse styles of brass-heavy dance bands performing Balkan Brass, Funk, Big Band, Gypsy-Punk music and more. Cuisine en Locale prepares authentic food pairings from locally sourced ingredients to round out the evening’s escape to Europe. A cash bar is available.
Balkan-style group Cocek! Brass Band performs original repertoire by Sam Dechenne (trumpet, vocals, composer), drawing from traditions originating in Eastern Europe. Performing a blend of dance music studded with stellar improvisational melodies that evoke their cultural heritage, Cocek! inspires audiences to stand, dance and reminisce. Dechenne is joined by internationally recognized musicians (from touring ensembles including John Brown’s Body and Itzhak Perlman) including Ezra Weller (Flugelhorn), Clayton DeWalt (Trombone), Jim Gray (Sousaphone) and Grant Smith (Tappan Drum).
Blossoming from the Slavic heart of Greater Boston, the Somerville Symphony Orkestar (SSO) is an all-original Eastern European Punk Funk band. Formed in 2009, SSO has been gained notable recognition across the music scene around New England. Musicians Joel Edinberg (band leader, saxophone), Peter Fanelli (trombone), Travis Pullman (guitar), Greg Toro (bass), Matt Ellis (drums) transform Balkan, Klezmer, and traditional Russian music into funky-punk. Complex six-piece arrangements explode into equal parts mosh-pit and hora.
The Brian Thomas/Alex Lee Clark Big Band features some of the best players in Boston performing undeniably unique compositions. Tapping the tradition of big bands like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Thad Jones, the 18-piece ensemble infuses their music with the funk of their idols like Parliament Funkadelic, The Crusaders, The Meters, James Brown & the JB’s, and many more. The resulting sound pushes the art of big band forward, while still delivering pure entertainment for all.
Raya Brass Band thrills with an energetic brand of soul shaking, border defying dance music. Given the way these five musicians electrify clubs, festivals, underground parties, and even subway cars with their riotous performances, it’s no wonder that they’re often mistaken for a band twice the size. Each band member brings their own unique voice, creating a sound informed by their love for the fierce and seductive music of the Balkans, New Orleans brass bands, punk rock, out jazz, and a host of other international sounds. Musicians Greg Squared (saxophone), Ben Syversen (trumpet), Matthew “Max” Fass (accordion), Don Godwin (tuba), Nezih Antakli (percussion) gets straight to the point in concert, dancing, sweating, and shouting alongside its audience. This performance is a stop on their Northeast tour for their release of their new album, available this fall.
Tickets for Brass Attack! are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. To purchase tickets in advance, visit http://www.eventbrite.com/e/brass-attack-tickets-18829099343. For directions of more information about Cuisine en Locale, visit http://cuisineenlocale.com/.
Photos: Courtesy Images
Top Right: Cocek! Brass Band
Top Left: Somerville Symphony Orkestar (SSO)
Bottom Right: The Brian Thomas/Alex Lee Clark Big Band
Bottom Left: Raya Brass Band
