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Abrass band is amusical ensemble generally consisting primarily ofbrass instruments, most often with apercussion section. Ensembles that include brass andwoodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termedbrass bands (particularly in the context ofNew Orleans andJapan–style brass bands), but may be more correctly termedmilitary bands,concert bands, or "brass and reed" bands.
Balkan-style Brass Bands (Serbian:Труба,trumpet) play a distinctive style of music originating in 19th century Balkans. The music's tradition stems from theFirst Serbian Uprising led byKarađorđe in 1804 whenSerbs revolted against the occupying Ottoman Empire, eventually liberating Serbia. The trumpet was used as a military instrument to wake and gather soldiers and announce battles, the trumpet took on the role of entertainment during downtime, as soldiers used it to transpose popular folk songs. It is popular throughout theBalkans, especiallySerbia,Albania,North Macedonia,Romania,Bulgaria andNorthern Greece. The tempos are usually fast and accompanied bykolo. The performers each have their instrument of theorchestra and are calledtrubači (трубачи). The best known examples of acclaimed music in this style are fromGoran Bregović andBoban Marković Orkestar. TheSerbian film makerEmir Kusturica has, through his films (Underground andBlack Cat, White Cat), made the style popular in the international community outside the Balkans.
A brass band in the British tradition with a full complement of 28 players[1] (including percussion) consists of:
With the exception of three trombones, all of the instruments have a conical bore, which gives the British-style brass band its distinctive warm timbre compared to the bright fanfare sound of an ensemble of cylindrical bore instruments (trumpets and trombones). All parts apart from the bass trombone and percussion are notated in treble clef. Despite its musical range, thealto horn in E♭ is traditionally called thetenor horn in British bands.
Brass bands have a long tradition of competition between bands, often based around local industry and communities. British-style brass bands are widespread throughoutGreat Britain, former British colonies especiallyAustralia andNew Zealand,Norway, parts ofcontinental Europe andNorth America. Annual competitions are held in these countries to select champion bands at various levels of musical competence.
The Salvation Army has deployed brass bands since 1878 and they continue to be an integral part of its church. The most well-known Salvation Army brass band is the London-basedInternational Staff Band.[2] Salvation Army bands vary considerably in size and complement as they are based on the local personnel available, some being as small as 6–8 members. The cornet section of aSalvation Army band does not include a "repiano" and instead of 2nd & 3rd cornets there are 1st & 2nd cornets. A Salvation Army band may have 3–6 tenor horns, 2–4 baritones and 2–6 tenor trombones. Salvation Army bands have a local tradition of training children in brass playing from an early age (starting at 7–8 years old). In larger Salvation Army churches there will often be a junior band for children (7–18 years old) as well as a senior band for adults.
Fanfare orchestras are a type of brass band mainly found in Belgium and the Netherlands, while several ensembles exist in Germany, France and Luxembourg. Unlike British bands, they also sportsaxophones. There are fanfares affiliated to the military and civil fanfare orchestras which are an important element of cultural tradition in some areas.
In the second part of the 20th century, many British-style brass bands have been founded in the Low Countries as well, often as part of a musical association also including a fanfare orchestra or a concert band.
The tradition of brass bands inNew Orleans, Louisiana dates to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Traditionally, New Orleans brass bands could feature various instrumentations, often includingtrumpets,trombones,clarinets,saxophones,sousaphones, andpercussion. The music played by these groups was often a fusion between European-styledmilitary band music and Africanfolk music brought to the Americas by West African slaves and the idiom played a significant role in the development of traditionaljazz. Early brass bands include theEureka Brass Band, theOnward Brass Band,Algiers Brass Band theExcelsior Brass Band, theTuxedo Brass Band, theYoung Tuxedo Brass Band, theCamelia Brass Band, and theOlympia Brass Band.
TheTreme Brass Band, while not as old, has members who have been influential throughout New Orleans Brass Band music, as well as being renowned in its own right.
A well-known use of these bands is for the New Orleansjazz funeral andsecond line parades.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the New Orleans brass band tradition experienced a renaissance, with bands breaking away from traditional stylings and adding elements offunk,hip hop, and bop to their repertoires. Some notable exponents of this style of brass band, sometimes known asBrasspop orUrban Brass, include the band Def Generation, members of the next generation of Nevilles who created hip hop over live brass bands, influencingSoul Rebels Brass Band,Rebirth Brass Band, theStooges Brass Band, theHot 8 Brass Band, the Lil Rascals Brass Band,Youngblood Brass Band,The Original Pinettes Brass Band, theDirty Dozen Brass Band and The Big 6 Brass Band. Also, a number of groups outside theUnited States have begun playing this style of music.
The style of the music is often characterized by the use of thesousaphone in place of aDouble bass to play thebass-line. The sousaphone may play a traditional jazz walking bassline or groove on a riff. Trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and other horns play melodies and harmonies loosely over the bass-line. Often the lines are greatly embellished with improvisation. A typical setup includes two percussionists, one playing a marchingbass drum and a cymbal mounted on the drum and another playing asnare drum (the snare drummer often switches to adrum kit when not marching). Many variations on this exist, including the use of additional percussionists, cymbals, drums, whistles andScratch DJ's.
The style has moved beyond New Orleans and can now be found in such places as Japan with the Black Bottom Brass Band; Finland with TIMO Brass Band; Germany withQuerbeat,LaBrassBanda,Moop Mama, MaddaBrasska,Meute orBrass Riot; Belgium with Brazzmatazz, the Netherlands with theNeutral Ground Brass Band, Happy Feet and theHurricane brass bands; Scotland with the Criterion Brass Band;England with the Renegade Brass Band;Australia with the Horns of Leroy Brass Band;Phoenix, Arizona with the Bad Cactus Brass Band;Boston, Massachusetts with theHot Tamale Brass Band;Hartford, CT with the Funky Dawgz Brass Band;Tennessee with Halfbrass;Minnesota with the Jack Brass Band and the Dirty Shorts Brass Band;Missouri with the Funky Butt Brass Band;Georgia with the Half Dozen Brass Band;Cincinnati, Ohio with The Cincy Brass;Madison, Wisconsin with theMama Digdown's andYoungblood;Richmond, VA No BS! Brass brass bands; andSacramento, California with Element Brass Band.
Although not a brass band by definition, the Chilean bandNewen Afrobeat, founded in 2009, also has very strong brass and rhythm sections, but is more rooted inAfrobeat and jazz than hip-hop.
Founded in 1836 by King Kamehameha III, theRoyal Hawaiian Band is the second oldest and only full-time municipal band in the United States. In recent generations, unique brass band traditions have also developed inTonga,Samoa, and other parts of Polynesia, as well as among theMāori of New Zealand. Some recordings are now available and these styles are beginning to be researched and promoted abroad through band tours.
Deriving from English 'band',Beni is a popular wedding entertainment with a strong focus on rhythm and dance, and audience participation.Beni originated inZanzibar around the turn of the 20th century as a mockery of colonial style military bands.
InZanzibar,Beni is performed both as a street parade and stationary as a wedding dance.
One festival featuring brass bands is theTarragona International Dixieland Festival, in Catalonia, Spain. The organisation programs not only dixieland brass bands but also ethnic or world music brass bands from over the world, including theDirty Dozen Brass Band from the US,Boban Marković Orkestar from Serbia, the Jaipur Kawa Brass Band from India and Taraf Goulamas fromOccitania France.
In the United States theGreat American Brass Band Festival has been held annually inDanville, Kentucky for the past 30 years and is free for all. This event attracts brass band lovers from the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The Vintage Band Festival occurs in Northfield, Minnesota every three years.[3][4]
TheNorth American Brass Band Association[5] sponsors an annual convention that provides member bands with the opportunity to compete in a contest format similar to those conducted in the United Kingdom and Europe. The contest is typically late March to early April every year.
InBoston,Seattle andAustin a series of festivals calledHONK! bring together street brass bands (and other related ensembles) from the United States and Canada, and some bands from other parts of the world. The groups presented includeBalkan Brass Bands, New Orleans brass bands, Political Action Bands,Klezmer, and "DIY" Alternative / Radical Community Bands.
