Courtesy BarnArts
Kotoko Brass is headlining BarnArts 7th annual Masquerade Jazz & Funk Winter Music Carnival, March 9 at the Barnard Town Hall.
Saturday, March 9, 5:30 p.m.—BARNARD—A powerhouse line up brings five hours of music with a New Orleans flavor to headline BarnArts’ seventh annual Masquerade Jazz and Funk Winter Music Carnival, 5:30-10:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 9 at the Barnard Town Hall.
The music begins at 5:30 p.m. with a top-notch jazz jam with Bandemonium, led by pianist Sonny Saul and ArtisTree’s Mark van Gulden on vibes and percussion. Joining Sonny and Mark will be Kathleen Dolan on flute, Glendon Ingalls on bass and trumpet, Gabe Bango on drums and other evening performers. Gabe Bango is a local student who has performed for years at this event as part of the popular Woodstock Union High School Jazz Funk band, which will bring its high-energy street brass funk to the stage after Bandemonium. Headliner Kotoko Brass from Boston will bring forth the later evening dance party, starting at 8:30 p.m.
Inspired by the traditional drum rhythms of Ghana, Kotoko Brass has created a unique, joyful, and improvisational style of West African dance music described by the Boston Globe as “propulsive, infectious party music.” The drums provide the heart and soul of Kotoko Brass — merging syncopated African percussion polyrhythms with hard-hitting dance grooves on the drumset. The horns blend traditional sounds of New Orleans with the famous West African brass band sound heard from Ghana to Nigeria, and the keyboard and bass evoke classic African and Caribbean styles of highlife, afrobeat, and reggae.
Kotoko Brass will be visiting Woodstock Union High School the day before the public performance. They will be playing for Woodstock’s middle school and high school students and connecting with the Woodstock Union High School Jazz Funk Band. Under the leadership of WUHS music teacher Jody Henderson, the WUHS Jazz Funk Band has performed every year at BarnArts Masquerade Jazz & Funk Winter Music Carnival, and they never fail to impresses the crowd with their high-octane brass funk in the style of New Orleans street brass, popularized by Rebirth Brass Band and Trombone Shorty.
This party is open to all ages. All this jazz and funk, plus an expansive taco bar, a create-your-own-mask table, and a photo booth, come with the price of a ticket: $20 adults, $10 students, 6 and under free. Tickets may be purchased online at barnarts.org or at the door. Barnard Town Hall is located at 115 North Road, Barnard.
