More straight-ahead Jazz from Brazz, Tuesday
June 18, at Sweetwater Grill & Tavern, 115 S. Elm St., Denton, 7-9 p.m. – Free
Marshall Smith has led the band the all-brass (and all acoustic) quintet Brazz, for “five or six years,” (and 40 years leading various versions of the band) but professes to get band members “better than me,” usually from the University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band, “so they really elevate my playing.” Brazz encompasses the pop, classical and jazz genres, but will ramp up an exclusive jazz playlist for the Sweetwater show.
The latest line-up of Brazz is Marshall Smith, trumpet; Jordan Gheen on trumpet; Catherine Gilstrap, French horn; trombonist Kevin Hicks; and A.G. Robeson on Bass trombone and tuba.
For Tuesday’s performance, Brazz will take listeners on a “brassy” musical journey from Dixieland to straight-ahead jazz ala Charlie Parker and Dave Brubeck.
Smith enriches listeners by introducing each song with a bit of history or an interesting anecdote about the piece. “Actually, since endurance is a real factor in playing brass instruments, the introductions gives us a chance to rest before starting the next song,” Smith said.
More more information, visit www.sweetwatergrillandtavern.com
