Lakeport >> The West Grand Brass Band is far from your average brass ensemble.
“I would say to think of it as a marching band meets a rock band,” said saxophonist Randy Johnson, describing the group’s sound.
Performing both traditional pieces in the vein of turn of the century dixieland jazz, and covers of modern musicians like Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars, the band’s set list is never dull. And while each of the five band members has their preferences, they all generally agree that Uptown Funk is a favorite, and partially for the surprised reactions it elicits.
“When most people imagine a brass band they think of their grandparents music,” Johnson said. They hardly expect the West Grand Brass Band to pull out a song you’d find in the Top 40.
In the two and a half years since they formed, the band has added nearly 50 songs to their repertoire. They would have to play for more than two hours straight to get through every number they know.
Johnson has the job of creating the band’s arrangements and interpreting songs so that they make sense as a brass tune. He can usually listen to a tune and tell by ear if it will work for the group.
The band came together at the 2015 Carnival Parade in San Francisco when they marched side by side with a samba dance troupe. When the parade was finished, they decided that since they already knew a few of the same songs, forming a brass band was a natural course of action.
The members of the group range in age from 22 to 40, and each has a degree in music, save for the youngest who is set to graduate this spring. They also each make their livings through music, by way of teaching and performing. The four core members are Jordan Nadell and Noah Oritz on horns, Tom Dreiman on drums, and Johnson on sax. They also have a trombone player who sits in on occasion.
Although some of the musicians may be younger than others, they all bring a high level of professionalism to the group, and the older members never feel as though they’re having to watch after the younger ones.
“It’s kind of like a little family, minus the fighting and throwing things at Thanksgiving,” Johnson said.
They take their music seriously, but never to the point that they lose their love for it. The musicians started the group because they wanted to have fun and they made the commitment to continue only as long as they were enjoying it.
“I feel like a lot of professional musicians lose the joy of what they’re doing and it shows when they play,” said Johnson. “It’s better to have people up there who are doing what they love and also happen to get paid, than people who are there for a paycheck.”
As a purely instrumental group, the West Grand Brass Band can play outside all they want and no one can complain, since there are only laws against amplified music. And instead of paying to rent a rehearsal space, the band practices on the waterfront in Oakland, a collection bucket sitting at their feet. The public essentially pays them to rehearse.
Performing outside allows the group to do what they enjoy most — create a dialogue with the crowd. “We get to really interact with the audience since they’re a couple feet away from us,” Johnson said.
They also score quite a few gigs this way. In fact, it’s exactly how the West Grand Brass Band ended up with a show at the Soper Reese Theatre this Friday. Mike Adams of the Soper Reese was wandering by when he heard them play. He stopped to ask if they were interested in driving up to Lakeport for the venue’s regular Third Friday Live, and the band was more than receptive to the idea.
The show begins at 7 p.m. Friday at the Soper Reese Theatre, 275 S. Main St., Lakeport. The dance floor will be open. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.soperreesetheatre.com, at the theater box office or at the Travel Center in Lakeport.
Those interested in booking the West Grand Brass Band can contact them at westgrandbrassband@gmail.com.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
