Hailing from New Orleans, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band has been at the forefront of the brass band revival for over four decades, blending traditional New Orleans brass band music with funk, bebop, and R&B influences. Don't miss your chance to witness their infectious energy, unparalleled musicianship, and the sheer joy they bring to every performance.
Schedule
6:00pm, DJ Bennett
7:00pm, Torrénce BRANNON Reese
8:30pm, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
LOCATION, PARKING & FAQ click here
The History of The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
In 1977, The Dirty Dozen Social Aid and Pleasure Club in New Orleans began showcasing a traditional Crescent City brass band. It was a joining of two proud, but antiquated, traditions at the time: social aid and pleasure clubs dated back over a century to a time when black southerners could rarely afford life insurance, and the clubs would provide proper funeral arrangements. Brass bands, early predecessors of jazz as we know it, would often follow the funeral procession playing somber dirges, then once the family of the deceased was out of earshot, burst into jubilant dance tunes as casual onlookers danced in the streets. By the late '70s, few of either existed. The Dirty Dozen Social Aid and Pleasure Club decided to assemble this group as a house band, and over the course of these early gigs, the seven-member ensemble adopted the venue's name: The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
Now celebrating over 45 years since their founding in 1977, the GRAMMY Award-winning New Orleans-based Dirty Dozen Brass Band has taken the traditional foundation of brass band music and incorporated it into a blend of genres, including bebop jazz, funk and R&B/soul. This unique sound, described by the band as a “musical gumbo”, has allowed the Dirty Dozen to tour across five continents and more than thirty countries, record twelve studio albums and collaborate with a range of artists from Modest Mouse to Widespread Panic to Norah Jones. Forty-five plus years later, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a world-famous music machine whose name is synonymous with genre-bending romps and high-octane performances.
Band Members:
Roger Lewis - Baritone Sax/Vocals
Gregory Davis - Trumpet/Vocals
Kirk Joseph - Sousaphone
Trevarri Huff-Boone - Tenor Sax/Vocals
Stephen Walker - Trombone/Vocals
Julian Addison - Drums
Takeshi Shimmura - Guitar
Torrénce BRANNON Reese
Architect of da Renaissance! Torrence Brannon Reese draws inspiration from the vibrant soul of his birthplace, New Orleans, Louisiana—the city that birthed jazz, which is brimming with rich cultural richness, and resilience. Torrénce grew up singing in the Streets of the legendary French Quarter, and as a young man, became lead vocalist of the renowned local A'capella vocal group, The Sensational Uptowners, who opened up for Fats Domino, Erma Thomas, King Floyd, the Meters, Johnnie Adams, Alan Toussaint the Neville Brothers and several others!
As an honorably discharged Air Force Veteran and a graduate of USC (MSW in 2017) Torrence, affectionately known as Torre`, embarked on a journey that intertwined creativity, leadership, and advocacy.
Arriving in Los Angeles in the late 1980s, Torrence's magnetic personality quickly earned him the position of Student Government President at LA Southwest Community College. But his influence extended far beyond campus walls. A true Renaissance man, Torrence is a poet, guitarist, writer, mentor, educator, and social justice advocate. He is the Founder/CEO and guiding force behind a now legendary, non-profit organization (FA-MLI, Inc.) and he is the co-founder, who possesses a powerful yet supple, five-octave vocal range, while also serving as choreographer of Street Corner Renaissance, an internationally known a'capella doo-wop vocal group.
Torrence's artistic spirit knows no bounds. He is a charter member of the legendary 70's soul group, the Delfonics, and lends his (speaking) voice to various media projects, including movies, documentaries, and commercials. In 2002, he embarked on a solo musical journey with Torrence BRANNON & Everything with Soul, delivering original compositions that capture the essence of his experiences, like "Shrimp & Grits" and "You Know I Love You."
WATCH & LISTEN
DJ Bennett
Bennett began DJing two decades ago in Baltimore. Bennett joined the team at Amoeba Records Hollywood in 2009 where developed a deep knowledge of music history in a multitude of genres. During his time in Los Angeles, Bennett gained a reputation for playing DJ sets which celebrate the complex influences of New Orleans on American popular music ranging from Jazz, Funk and Soul to Hip Hop, Bounce and R&B. Bennett has opened for a diverse group of artists that includes the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Charles Bradley, Barrington Levy, the Soul Rebels featuring Talib Kweli, Trombone Shorty, DJ Pee Wee (Anderson Paak) and the Wu Tang Clan. Bennett is currently working as Music Director for the Hoka shoe brand conference and runs a monthly DJ series in Culver City every second Friday for the Night Market at Ivy Station.
This performance is made possible in part by grants from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture
