brass menažeri balkan brass band

The Brass Menažeri (pronounced "Menagerie") is the San Francisco Bay Area's Balkan Romani ("Gypsy") powerhouse Brass Band. We cascade through the music of the Serbian, Macedonian, Greek & Rajasthani Roma with wild rhythms, soulful vocals & hot improvisations. The energy is infectious—toes tap, bodies slam, sweat flies as vital energy radiates from the dance floor. The Brass Menažeri is a shining example of traditional Balkan repertoire combined with new sensibilities, innovative arrangements & original compositions at the hands & lips of American devotees.

Winner of the SF Weekly's 2008 Music awards in the "Best International Band" category!

Recordings:

We have two CDs:

Vranjski San (2010 re-release) ~ download (all formats) ~ CD + download
& Brazen (2007) ~ CD / MP3 download (CD Baby) ~ AAC download (iTunes)

You can hear audio samples of both at the links above.

Members:

Peter Jaques, director, clarinet & truba (rotary flugelhorn)
Briget Boyle (Kitka), vocals & snare drum
Sheldon Brown (Bay Area jazz legend!), saxophone
Darren Johnston (Nice Guy Trio, Reasons for Moving, & much more), trumpet
Larry Leight (Tin Cup Serenade, Emily Anne's Dlights), trombone
Rachel MacFarlane, vocals & baritone horn
Eric Oberthaler (Gamelan X), trumpet
Michele Simon (Kitka, Anoush), tupan & vocals
Evan Stuart, sousaphone
Alex Zendzian, baritone horn

We have performed at Voice of Roma's annual Herdeljez festival), the yearly San Francisco Kolo Festival), the San Francisco Kyril and Metodi Bulgarian Festival (2003), and the Laguna Folkdance Festival (2005), as well as making many appearances at Ashkenaz and many other bars, clubs, and folkdance groups around the San Francisco Bay Area.

brass menažeri

balkan brass band

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