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 Wellington's Bar Bodega on the 22nd 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. Tickets on sale now at Ticketmaster http://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/Hypnotic-Brass-Ensemble-tickets/artist/1313136
