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The Brighton Beat: Victory At Last
ByUtilizing a far greater freedom to enlist the studio as yet another instrument in their large, 16-piece arsenal, liberation is what it is all about on Victory At Last. Making it a wildly adventurous successor to such rousing, self produced releases as Live at the Clayton Opera House (2017); Here and Now (2016); their 2015 crowd-funded, sophomore venture Off We Go (whose SRO album release party took place at the Blue Note) and the raw, sparkling debut The Brighton Beat (2011).
While exotic world rhythms and a hyperactive front line have been a Brighton Beat specialty, this heady ensemble wastes no time kicking into high gear with "Feet First, Head Last," an Afrobeat explosion of horns and choral voices that seriously gets the house party started. "Into the Thick of It" catches fire quickly with its jittery skittery Talking Heads-like vibe and serves to showcase the band's deeper dive into a myriad of musical styles. And though "As Time Marches On" features said front line, it is Nat Ranson's gritty trombone that spearheads the track.
A whole lot of exuberantly talented people create these winding, muscular narratives. Take, for instance, the title track's seductively skanky, loping groovethink prime era Little Featand bring it to a funky breakdown reality. Counted off by the seemingly inexhaustible drummer-composer Sammy Wagswho in his spare time produced, recorded, mixed and mastered the entire affairbassist Derek VanWormer lays down the sleaze as percussionists Matt Graff and Ryan Nava follow suit. The horns sail in as tenor soloist Jon Bean cuts to the fore before everything drops out, leaving Wags to close the show.
"Tell The Lion's Tale" highlights a deceptively '60s Top-40 feel with a processed sax solo courtesy of Drew Vandewinckel, which soon blows past the musical tailspins of the '70s, '80s and '90s into a more reggae DJ house dub groove that makes your head spin. Vandewinckel blows more cruise-ship-stylishly on the island airs of the mysterious "Conquer The Jungle Robots." Two brief pieces (unusual for this band of expansionists), "We Celebrate" (with the dreamy guitars of Michael Iaciofano and the oceanic dreamscape "From Hear On Out" (sporting an airy alto sax interlude by Mark Zaleski), lead us to the laid back closer "Live The Day Dream." Victory At Last indeed!
Track Listing
Feet First, Head Last; Into The Thick Of It; As Time Marches On; We Celebrate; Victory At Last; Tell The Lion's Tale; Conquer The Jungle Robots; From Hear On Out; Live The Daydream.
Personnel
The Brighton Beat
band / ensemble / orchestraDrew Vandewinckel
saxophone, tenorDan Glaude
saxophone, altoJoseph Natale
saxophone, baritoneNick Benitez
trumpetRon Harter
trumpetJon Bean
saxophone, tenorMark Zaleski
saxophone, altoJaedon Alvira
saxophone, tenorDerek VanWormer
bassMichael Iaciofano
guitarRyan Datino
guitarMark Cocheo
guitarTodd Caldwell
organ, Hammond B3Matt Graff
percussionRyan Nava
percussionSammy Wags
drumsAlbum information
Title: Victory At Last | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: Self Produced
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About The Brighton Beat
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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