​Asheville, NC-based BrassFunkRock band Empire Strikes Brass has a lot to say with a big sound.  Their brand new 11/11/19 release is a 10-track album entitled “Brassterpiece Theatre” and it lives up to its name.  Chock-full of serious groove from a thumping rhythm section highlighted by lush horn arrangements played by a thick horn section, this 2nd studio album is a funktacular dive into the band’s compositional roots as well as its’ creative and collaborative soul.  There’s a lot of depth in these original tunes that speak volumes to ESB’s evolution. Founded in 2012, ESB has grown from a party band of friends playing New Orleans-originated or inspired second-line and funk tunes with elements of rock and jam.  Now, it consists of a collective of players, singers, songwriters, and producers who have found an original sound that fuses their individual musical influences with fresh ideas while still holding true to their foundation.   Featuring rich group and lead vocals from several members including Grammy Award-winning artist Debrissa McKinney (Secret Agent 23 Skidoo), keyboardist/producer Lenny Pettinelli, and guitarist Kelly Hannah, ESB has played over 300 shows all over the country.  Since their conception, they have been a constant fixture at various festivals throughout the east coast.  The band has had the pleasure of having Warren Haynes (Allman Bros. Band and Gov’t Mule) sit in with them at New Mountain Amphitheater in Asheville, NC and the honor of performing at the Jazz and Heritage Festival celebrating the life of Dizzy Gillespie in his hometown of Cheraw, SC for the past 6 years in a row.  Empire has also co-billed with some of the biggest names in funk and soul including Mavis Staples, Dr. John, and Lettuce as well as a recent co-bill in November of 2019 at Woodlands Festival with jam band giants Umphrey’s McGee.  ESB is also announced to play 2 huge shows at the US Cellular Center in Asheville with Umphrey’s and Billy Strings.   Paul Juhl, ESB’s founder and saxophonist, put together a crew of characters that have a rich and diverse musical background.  The horn players including JP Furnas (bass/tuba/trombone), Alex Bradley (trumpet), Kyle Snuffer (trombone/sax), Debrissa McKinney (sax) and Juhl all have a deep love of many styles including funk, jazz, R&B, outlaw country, hip hop, and almost everything else!  In May of 2019, Empire Strikes Brass horns played 3 performances at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado - 2 shows with psy-trance icon Shpongle and 1 show with friends and livetronica legends Papadosio.   Over the years, the horns have also sat in with such artists as The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Galactic, Rubblebucket, The Big Something, and many others.  Other notable side projects and performances from members include Lenny Pettinelli recording and performing with Jazz is Phsh - and instrumental tribute to the music of Phish founded by the Chase Brothers featuring Grammy Award-winning saxophonists Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck, Dave Matthews Band) and Chris Bullock of Snarky Puppy as well as legendary jazz trumpeter Michael Ray (Sun Ra, Cosmic Krewe) and many other heavy hitters.  Paul Juhl has performed with John Oates (Hall and Oates) at MerleFest.  In addition to her work with Skidoo, Debrissa McKinney has performed with Karl Denson and George Clinton.  Alex Bradley, Kyle Snuffer, Debrissa & Juhl have sat in with Andy Frasco.  Furnas, Juhl, and Bradley were also featured playing horns on the live album compilation from world-renowned artists Beats Antique entitled “Creature Carnival” released in 2015.    When Empire Strikes Brass comes together, whether live or in the studio, the sound is undeniably strong and solid.  The band’s debut album was recorded at Asheville’s own renowned Echo Mountain Recording Studio was released in 2017.  Entitled “Theme For A Celebration”, it was tapped as one of the year’s top 100 releases by WNCW 88.7 radio.  ESB’s newest release “Brassterpiece Theatre”, also recorded at Echo, is a fierce followup and both albums are available through all major music distribution streaming, sales and listening platforms.  Look for the band on the road and at festivals in a town near you!!

The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina are steeped in old-world mystics, ancient medicines and a potent connection to nature. On the surface this might not seem synonymous with hip-hop but the roots of music run deep. This is the community that Asheville’s Free Radio has risen from. Formed in 2012 by forever friends Austn Haynes and Johnny Reynolds, they released their debut album, “The Powers That Be” (produced by Haynes), that same year. Fueled by Austn’s beats that dig into everything from classic soul to classic rock and modern pop to space- age lounge, both Austn and Johnny are accomplished emcees, and around western North Carolina, Johnny’s syrupy flow has become a thing of legend.   Over the past decade Free Radio has taken different forms, won multiple awards for “best hip-hop group” by local newspapers and shared the stage with heavyweights like Wu-Tang Clan, Ice Cube, Slick Rick, Nappy Roots, Digable Planets and Warren Haynes, and the band even swapped coasts for a few years when Johnny and Austn moved to San Francisco. But today, back home in Asheville, Free Radio has found its most powerful configuration with the addition of Grammy Award winning singer Debrissa McKinney and Datrian Johnson, whose deep, soulful vocals (think a modern day Barry White or Isaac Hayes) have enough power and authenticity to become the voice of a generation. The addition of Debrissa and Datrian can not be overstated, “I feel like the universe put us together” says Johnny. “We all came from different walks of life and found ourselves in this time and space.” It’s the old adage where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. “When Datrian and Debrissa come together it’s just magical” continues Austn. “One thing Johnny and I are not as skilled at is being vulnerable, and to have them bring that balance and soulfulness, to bring it back to a heartfelt level, I’ve been manifesting that for years.” It’s odd that Debrissa, who currently also plays sax and sings with Empire Strikes Brass and has recorded and played live with stalwarts like George Clinton, Gov’t Mule and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, as well as the children's hip-hop band Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, for which she earned a Grammy, had the time to join Free Radio. She’s collaborated with them in the past and has been a huge fan for years, but it was only because Covid disrupted the world that she had the bandwidth to put her energy into Free Radio. Datrian is the type of natural talent that stops you in your tracks. He was singing in church as soon as he could stand and by the time he was 12 found himself featured on BET’s “Bobby Jones Gospel.” He tasted the limelight singing at larger events like “400 Uhuru Rising - A Musical Journey To Freedom” and a premier for Aretha Franklin’s “Amazing Grace” film, but the dynamic of being in this band with these people is allowing Datrian to push himself in ways he never has. And that drive and that energy is opening windows for Free Radio’s music that simply didn’t exist before this lineup coalesced. Together, as a quartet, they are creating cosmic Appalachian hip-hop that owes as much to Dead Prez and Tobe Nwigwe as it does the Mamas & the Papas. They are collaborating with other like minded Asheville artists including Saint Disruption which features John Medeski (Medeski Martin & Wood) and Jeff Firewalker, and with the help of mixer and producer Philo Reitzel, their first album as a unit strives to unite the heart with the head. They recognize these are dark days for many. Covid, lockdowns, financial stress and mental unrest, but it’s also a time of transformation and inspiration. We all face the dark, but some of us find the light. Do we tune out, dumb down and give in? Or do we rise up? Free Radio is shining that light in the darkest of days. Free Radio is holding out that hand to help us all rise up.