Jack Brass Band©Andrea Canter

“Not only do they emulate their teachers with exacting precision, they also leave their own distinctive imprint on a musical style that is now theirs.” –Ben Jaffe, Director, Preservation Hall

The only New Orleans style brass band based in Minneapolis, Jack Brass Band has been enthralling audiences since 1999. Mixing the Big Easy’s traditions with old-time blues, rock, hip-hop, pop, funk and reggae, they’ve impressed no less than Wynton Marsalis, who noted, "If you like your gumbo spicy and your music hot, check out the Jack Brass Band." And every Tuesday night at the Driftwood CharBar in south Minneapolis, JBB spices up the neighborhood, playing from 9:30 pm – midnight. Their next gig is Tuesday, July 10th.

JBB founder and bass drummer Mike Olander modeled Jack Brass after the famed Dirty Dozen Brass Band, bringing the revival of the New Orleans brass bands of the 80s and 90s to Minnesota, and with it the syncopation of the famed “second line” bands melded with rap and other modern sounds. Olander notes that “The New Orleans brass bands consist of a rhythm section (or back line) or sousaphone (tuba) and two drummers. That's the tradition and what we have based our instrumentation around. The front line is the horns (trumpets, saxophone, trombones).” Jack Brass opened for the Rebirth Brass Band at Jazz Fest in 2004 and, in the wake of Katrina, helped raise funds and sent instruments south to help revitalize and maintain the music traditions that they have helped celebrate in the Midwest.

Jack Brass Band©Andrea Canter

The JBB casts expands and contracts and rotates based on the nature of venue and musician schedules. At the recent Twin Cities Jazz Festival gig, musicians included Olander on bass drum, Reid Kennedy on snare, Adam Meckler and Zack Lozier on trumpets, Gus Sanberg on saxophone, Matt Hanzelka on trombone, and Mike Mello on sousaphone. The band has also included Scott Agster (trombone), Scott Moriarty (trombone), Adam Rossmiller (trumpet), Andrew Gillespie (snare drum) and Rob Seeger (sousaphone).

The Driftwood CharBar is a neighborhood bar with just enough space for Jack Brass, every Tuesday at 9:30 pm. No cover. 4415 Nicollet Avenue South. The JBB will also appear in a pre-concert performance before the Minnesota Orchestra Sommerfest concert at Ted Mann on July 26th at 6 pm. on More on Jack Brass Band at www.jackbrassband.com

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