Back-to-Back Bands in Multiple Locations!
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AVENUE B OPEN STREETS (Ave B between 10th / 11th Street)
Bloco La Conga is a community of musicians dedicated to the study and performance of Carnaval music of the Americas. Our repertoire is influenced mostly by styles from Cuba, Brazil, the USA, and the African Diaspora in general. In Brazil a bloco is a street band that mobilizes, excites and inspires revelers during Carnaval. In Santiago de Cuba, this would be called a conga (as in "conga line"). La Conga is currently on a mission to introduce the Conga Santiaguera , the unique and exciting sound of Santiago de Cuba's carnaval, to audiences in the New York area. Previous Performances include: Long Island University, NY Presbyterian Hospital, NYRican Poets Café, NYC Halloween Parade, Shrine, and Sabor Latino. Through Education and Outreach, we share knowledge of the music that we study and perform. Our main mission is to spread the word about conga santiaguera, the unique and exciting sound of Santiago de Cuba's carnaval.
Demolition Brass Band was created out of their love for the great music of New Orleans. They capture that same energy and excitement and deliver it to audiences outside of the Crescent City, where many of the musicians perform regularly with NOLA royalty such as the Dirty Dozen Brass Band (who have recorded with them) and the Treme Brass Band. The band members have also performed/recorded with a who's who in the music industry such as Nile Rodgers, Frank Sinatra, Gloria Gaynor, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., Parliament Funkadelic, Buddy Rich, Ben Vereen, Christian McBride, Billy Hart, Les Paul, Roy Ayers, George Porter Jr., Gil Scott Heron, Walter "Wolfman" Washington, and many others. In addition, they've performed at Radio City, Gotham Hall, on Broadway, Madison Square Garden, Yankee Stadium and numerous others as well as venues all over the world. The Demolition Brass Band is also working on their next release, to be released soon.
Frank London started playing brass band music in the late 1970's with Les Misérables Brass Band. Over the decades, he and his friends have traveled the world and played with brass & percussion bands including Roma superstar Boban Marcovich, Eqypt's Hasaballa Brass Band, Spock's Frevo & Maracatú NY, Lester Bowie...and always love playing HONK NYC>
Hellfighters 2 is named in hopeful honor of the 369th Infantry Regiment "The Harlem Hellfighters", a dynamic ensemble led by legendary Black bandleader and visionary James Reese Europe who brought ragtime, blues, and proto-jazz musics to the forefront of the United States and western Europe during World War I era. The legacy of this ensemble is most integral to the fabric and historical development of music in the United States; the cultural market of New York City; and the installation of the "street" band in the northeastern U.S. In memory of that heralded ensemble, Hellfighters 2 performs music of the Black Diaspora connected to the rich history and culture of New York City and guided by the spirit of Jim Europe and his radical vision of Blackness.
Mac $ Cheez Balkan Power Trio is an acoustic group specializing in traditional and modern village and urban folk music from the southern Balkans. Their repertoire features music from Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greek, and Turkey and is strongly influenced by Roma and Ottoman cultures and traditions. This music is typically performed for social-cultural occasions such as weddings, holidays and annual village festivals celebrating the seasons. Tim Allen (saxophone), Matthew "Max" Fass (accordion) and Johanna Dun (percussion) bring an ancient-modern musical synthesis from the regions where East and West overlap and present it in their own style to audiences throughout the Hudson Valley and beyond.
Mariachi Real de México was founded in New York City in 1991 by father and son, Ramon Ponce, Sr and Ramon Ponce, Jr. and is now considered the most important and sought after Mariachi band in the East Coast of The United States. In 2002, the group established The Mariachi Academy of New York a non-profit organization devoted to teaching the music and tradition of mariachi for free in New York City.
The brainchild of drummer Todd Isler and saxophonist, Lily White, Swunky Z is a celebration of horns that combines Swing and Funk (Swunk). You will dance and dance and dance.
LA PLAZA CULTURAL (9th Street at Avenue C)
Batalá New York is a part of a global arts project made up of over 30 bands around the world. The music of Batalá originates in Salvador, the capital of the state of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil. The international Batalá family owes its existence to Giba Gonçalves, a percussionist, composer and choreographer from Salvador. The first representation of Batalá in New York City, known as ‘Batalá NYC,’ was born in 2012. In the summer of 2016, under new leadership, this band incorporated as a not-for-profit organization, now called simply ‘Batalá New York.’
Founded in early 2018 and based in Hudson, NY, Brasskill is a lively 15-piece party brass band whose mission is to get your party out on the dance floor. Bringing funky decibels to parties, festivals, parades and other merry gatherings in the Hudson Valley and surrounding areas, Brasskill's high-energy live performances feature a driving percussion section, shiny, melodic horns, innovative band choreography, LED lights, and the finest thrift store sparkly attire that one can find. The band's wide-ranging repertoire includes music from the New Orleans second line tradition, punk and pop covers, international grooves, as well as original compositions and arrangements.
Founded in 2017 by some nostalgic band-geeks-for-life, the L Train Brass Band serves the NYC community by providing a truly unique, engaging—and most importantly, FUN—experience for adult musicians of all experience levels. They’re on a mission to empower adults to pick up an instrument and make music. LTBB fosters a safe, structured, and friendly creative environment by promoting self-expression and welcoming individuals from all musical backgrounds and walks of life. They engage with the public, community leaders, and educational organizations to support and accelerate the accessibility of NOLA brass band music in NYC, and beyond.
CHILDREN’S MAGICAL GARDEN (Stanton & Norfolk)
Plezi Rara is a rara band formed in 2016 in Brooklyn, NY. Our talented musicians come from a wide range of musical backgrounds leading back to Haiti.
Underground Horns is a Brooklyn based brass band playing Afro Funk Latin New Orleans grooves and beyond. AllAboutJazz called their debut record FUNK MONK "kick-ass dance music…that brushes up against psychedelia…with shots of funky brass juice." Underground Horns performed internationally in Brazil, Egypt and Germany, stateside at the Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival, NYC Winter Jazz Festival, Dizzy's (Jazz at Lincoln Center) and various Jam Band Festivals, sharing the bill with Rebirth Brass Band, Big Sam's Funky Nation and B.B. King. In the big city they make people dance in subway stations, parks and at their club dates at nublu, the Blue Note and Brooklyn Bowl, among others. They also have been playing as a marching band, namely at the spectacular NYC Village Halloween Parade.
Unintended Consequences is a funky little instrumental band that has entertained NYC since 2015 with a truly eclectic playlist covering over a century of pop & show tunes and movie & TV themes. Their album, "Meet the Consequences" is on bandcamp.com.
EL JARDIN DE PARAISO (5th Street between C & D)
Brass By The Slice is a New York brass band playing all your favorite pop hits! Come find us (with our little red bucket) all over New York serving hot slices of brass mash-ups.
eGALitarian is an all female brass group dedicated to inspiring and impacting the lives of women in our New York City community. eGALitarian originally began several years ago as a classical brass quintet and since our inception, we have performed in various settings such as recitals, galas, church services, and fundraising events. As a brass band with drums, eGALitarian’s repertoire is pop, jazz, new orleans, and latin tunes. eGALitarian is co-led by trumpeter Kate Amrine and tuba player Caitlin Jodoin.
Escalation Horns is a New York City based, 7-Piece brass band blending the sounds of soul, blues, funk, jazz, and New Orleans. Our repertoire includes original music as well as songs from Stevie Wonder, James, Brown, The Fugees, Rebirth Brass Band, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and more. The group was founded in 2019 by Craig McGorry, Steve Moskowitz, and Matthew Jermiason. During the 2020 Pandemic, the group went into hiatus, when NYC became the epicenter of the Covid-19 virus and shut down. We made a brief return in November 2020 for a "Get Out The Vote" Election Day event and then fully reformed around the Spring of 2021, when, with most performing venues still closed, we began busking regularly around NYC. Recently, we have also begun returning to performing in club venues. Escalation Horns was also recently featured in an article in The Village Sun. The instrumentation of our group includes tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, trumpet, trombone, tuba, and drums. But, we also love to collaborate with vocalists and other instruments, including bass, guitar, and keyboard. Escalation Horns takes the music to the next level!