Comprised of eight brothers straight outta Chicago's infamous South Side, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble make their return to NZ since their jaw dropping Womad performance in 2010. They bring their unique and acclaimed show to Auckland's Powerstation, with The Cosbys, on the 21st of July. Fathered by the venerable Kelan Phil Cohran, himself a one-time member of Sun Ra's cosmic Arkestra, the boys learned early that practice is everything. From the time they were 3 years old their father taught them trumpet, tuba, drums, french horn, cornet and trombone, and as they grew up throughout the 80s and 90s they took their family band to the streets and tourist hot-spots of Chicago where they honed their irrepressible blend of jazz, hip-hop, funk and soul. After playing together for many years and with renewed confidence in their own unique sound, they finally released their debut album of original material in 2000, dubbing their new brand of brass music 'Hypnotic'. The collective moved to New York in 2006, and gained further recognition as they played constantly on the streets and undergrounds on increasingly battered instruments. Despite somewhat straitened circumstances, they were able to release a second album 'Jupiter'. High profile support slots and critical acclaim quickly followed. Since then the brothers have collaborated with such musical heavyweights as Mos Def, Ghostface Killah, Gorillaz, Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, De La Soul and a little fella who used to be called Prince. Their reputation as a stellar live act keeps growing – their effortless showmanship and natural charm along with some serious musical chops have seen them become a sell-out act in their own right all over the world. The Cosbys will join Hypnotic Brass Ensemble at the Powerstation. The Cosbys are Auckland's undisputed kings of Northern Soul -- a hypercharged R&B revue thundering through uptown, downtown, deep soul, dance and ballad sounds, and most importantly, doing it with impeccable style. Dissatisfied with the grooveless, undersexed state of modern rock'n'roll, The Cosbys found the answer by smashing together four-on-the-floor Motown rhythms with a two-fisted Stax-style horn section and a singer -- "Papa" Crawdaddy – A strict regime of exercise and discipline forged these seven passionate men into a rock-hard squadron of soul commanders, taking it to the streets with some of the most stompin', powerful sounds since Dexys doffed their boxer boots. So cut loose, ladies and gentlemen... Shake those hips, do the jerk, watch them work, do the Mashed Potato, do the Alligator. And do it on Cosby Street. Tickets on sale now at Ticketmaster http://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/Hypnotic-Brass-Ensemble-tickets/artist/1313136
