There is nothing like the anticipation of a party revving up. People start gathering and the music and dancing begin. The night is all about excitement. Life’s a celebration and the Brass-A-Holics, a New Orleans-based band, visit the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage Sunday evening.
The backbone of this eight-piece ensemble consists of its brass elements, trumpet, trombone, saxophone and tuba. Equal portions from the go-go funk genre are added with the inclusion of percussion, keyboard, drums and electric guitar to provide the beat. All are mixed and stirred like the perfect cocktail.
| Onstage |
| Brass-A-Holics |
| Where: Millennium Stage, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW |
| When: 6 p.m. Sunday |
| Info: Free, 800-444-1324 or 202-467-4600, kennedy-center.org |
“Our band members are from different countries and states,” said Brass-A-Holics founder and trombonist Winston Turner. “We sit down with each other to find out what makes everybody tick and we explore different options in music. We play everything from Miles Davis to Nirvana.”
The group typically performs from the American Songbook and will play a bit of their own compositions before jumping into Wham, Cyndi Lauper, Kanye West and Louis Armstrong — all in one set.
“I actually came up with the [group’s] name,” added trumpet player Tannan Williams. “It’s such an intoxicating sound.”
Turner adds that he loves the rich sounds and harmonies coming from three horns, while the tuba and lead guitar strike up the energy, fueled by the melodies of the keyboard.
Those additional players striking up the band include Robin “Thick” Clabby on saxophone, Jason “Slick Slack” blowing on tuba, Dwayne Mohammed on percussion, Keiko Komaki at the keyboards, Ricky Cesar on drums, and finally, Matt Clark picking away at the electric guitar.
A formula for a good show, according to Turner, follows a few steps.
“We like to feature each musician first; you need to know them. And once they’re featured, we invite everybody to dance because we need your energy. Then we need you to just sit back at that point and enjoy the show,” he noted with the confidence and assuredness of a professional player and leader.
Turner is emphatic when he adds, “We just want to keep spreading the music, keep performing together. It doesn’t matter where we are, as long as we’re playing.”
