Video Premiere: Hypnotic Brass Ensemble “Indigo”

2020 sees Hypnotic Brass Ensemble celebrating twenty years together not only as a band, but a Band of Brothers and they are marking this anniversary with the launch of their sixth studio album ​Bad Boys of Jazz,​ which sees them seamlessly weave funk, dub, hip-hop and soul into their own irrepressible take on jazz. They draw deep from the well of tradition while taking the pulse of the most cutting-edge and street-savvy sounds.

The ​Bad Boys Of Jazz a​lbum release marks a turning point in Hypnotic Brass Ensemble’s development. Trading their signature all brass sound, and adding an electric guitar and bass to their aptly vibrant horn lines, they’ve written 14 new tracks of sonic sorbet for this fresh album.

The energy and feel move seamlessly through genres – from ​Delta​’s rock-infused distorted guitar to the house music rendition of ​In The House​; from ​My Ship’​ s rhythm & blues inflection or the very soca feel of ​Soul on Ice t​ o ​Indigo’​ s solid groove. There’s room left for the sing-along tunes ​Coffee ​and ​Friends ​and this body of work flows comfortably into the very funky ​Menage​.

The band has been at the forefront of the global jazz revival of the last decade, bringing the music back to its dance floor origins and along the way, legions of new fans hip to the fact that jazz runs through the DNA of nearly every strand of Afro American music. Jazz has always been an evolving and innovative force in music, renewing itself by borrowing from whatever styles and fresh sounds come its way. The Hypnotics are past masters at this process of assimilation and innovation, blowing fresh sounds on the embers of tradition, keeping the flame lit. They call their brand of music ​now music​.

This project is very well-rounded & cohesive, a must-have for avid fans of the band and a great introduction for new-comers.

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Hypnotic Brass Ensemble:

Music runs deep in the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Raised on the south side of Chicago, the band is made up of seven brothers, the sons of jazz trumpeter Phil Cohran, who played with the deep spiritual jazz, Sun Ra Arkestra. He trained them all to play their horns from childhood and instilled in them a profound sense of the spiritual roots of the music. Each morning started, with them all emptying their breath, producing a unified meditative drone. This was music very much as a transcendental practice.

The brothers went from busking on the streets to working with some of the biggest names in modern music: Prince, Erykah Badu, Gorillaz, Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Wu Tang Clan, Tony Allen and more. The cathartic energy of their live shows draws its raw power from this deep reserve –– it is an authenticity that can’t be faked.