From the sound you would probably place Brooklyn's Raya Brass Band in some other Brooklynone located somewhere in the Balkans. Their bright, joyful music is never far from the traditional wedding music of the Balkans and Greece. It's dance music, grooves like crazy, and is just plain fun. You may not spontaneously jump up and dance, but I defy you to not tap your foot or nod your head while listening. Greg Squared (saxophone), Ben Syversen (trumpet), and Don Godwin (tuba) contribute the "brass" to the band name, joined by Matthew Fass (accordion), Nezih Antakli (tupan and percussion) and Rich Stein (snare drum and percussion). The tupan (also called davul) is a large double-headed drum played with mallets, capable of both bass and treble sounds. They produce a big sound for a band their size, the horns often playing hypnotic interlocking rhythmic riffs, like a little big band: perhaps that's the meaning of the opening tune's title "Unify."
But there's room for less dance-oriented music as well, and occasional eclectic influences. Brass/woodwind players Squared, Syversen and Godwin all contribute compositions. Syversen's "Sunken Angels" sounds anthemic, while Squared's "With Every Drop That Falls" is gentler, the closest thing to a ballad on the program. Squared's "Bag Of Nails" begins with the accordion, playing a very Balkan melody, almost folk-like; then transitions into a completely natural sounding Latin montuno section. The closer, Godwin's "Club Mono" surprises with a ska feel, with skittering, interlocking horn lines on top.
The collective sound is king in Raya's music, the three composers more notable for the unity of their approaches than the individual stylistic differences. They're good soloists as well, but the focus never stays on one band member for long. Wouldn't want to interrupt the dance party they have going!
Track Listing
Unify; Dren Gajda; Sugar and Salt; Sunken Angels; With Every Drop That Falls; Ivan's Tune; Bag Of Nails; Mirage; Club Mono.
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
We sent a confirmation message to . Look for it, then click the link to activate your account. If you don’t see the email in your inbox, check your spam, bulk or promotions folder.