Founded by a bunch of trombone players that were fed up with sitting in the back of orchestras and jazz bands, the PoBoys Brass Band is a 7-piece power house of brass, funk and ROCK. The four-trombone front line produces a sonic explosion of sound that breaks all preconceived notions of what the trombone is capable of. Supporting the trombone powerhouse is a chops-to-spare backline of guitar, drums, and sousaphonethats right, a funky old sousaphone. The band plays original charts as well as some tasty covers, conjuring up anything from Stevie Wonder and Tower of Power to Led Zeppelin and Edgar Winter. The bands close ties to the great city of New Orleans guides the group spiritually, owing a lot of their sound concepts to the Rebirth Brass Band, Bonerama, the Dirty Dozen, Professor Longhair, The Meters, Dr. John, and many more. The bands current lineup of musicians consists of an all-star cast of characters that are all either alumni or current students at the Eastman School of Music, including a radio announcer, country singer, doctoral candidate, and even a dean.
Their different backgrounds are what make the PoBoys such a unique listening experience. Rochesters City Magazine said: Its like Dumbo on an acid trip. If Hendrix had played the trombone, it mightve sounded like this. Whether tearing into some vintage NAwlins funk or shredding through an original rock-anthem, the Boys never leave anyone disappointed, making one critic quip the Boys' meaty four-trombone wall of sound and freight-train groove melted my cynicism away.
The PBBB has enjoyed good times and success in its short history, winning the Upstate NY Songwriting Contest in summer 2008 which eventually led to a record deal and the release of their debut album, Bone Break. The boys also have quickly made a name for themselves as a versatile performing act, opening for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Rochesters Party in the Park concert series in spring 08, as well as being invited to play at virtually every major festival in Rochester, NY.
On a beautiful Friday night in June 2009, the PBBB took the stage at the 2009 Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. Friday night drew the largest outdoor crowd in the festivals history, and between all the stages, the crowd attendance was over 45,000 people. Despite being up against some heavy competition (Tower of Power was playing behind them and Taj Mahal in front), the PBBB managed to pull a huge crowd. Thousands of fans of the funk crammed into the tiny street block to hear the PBBBs own rendition of New Orleans funk, original rock, and traditional street band tunes, creating a literal traffic jam at the center of the festival.
The PBBB is currently touring the northeast, expanding its following and spreading the word: New York finally has its own Brass-Funk-Rock band.
