Like a musical shape-shifter, singer/sax player Emily Brass takes you on a psychedelic hip-hop journey, channeling the ghosts of old school rap, rock-steady reggae, ragtime jazz, and 60's rock & soul. Her lyrics are progressive, poetic, and downright inspirational, sung through her countless vocal styles, conjuring up the spirits of Zap Mama, Sade, Erykah Badu, Billie Holiday and even John Lennon. Between rapid-fire raps, catchy choruses, and sensuously sung verses, she wails on her sax, as listeners swoon under the influence of Maceo Parker, Manu Dibango and Dean Frasier-inspired riffs.
Former front woman of Foundation Stone, Brass released her debut solo record entitled "Open Door" on October 23, 2007. The CD is available in stores and online through her website, EmilyBrass.com.
As the title suggests, Open Door represents a fork in the songwriter's path. With Foundation Stone, the multi-faceted songstress played festivals and dance halls from New England to Florida, selling thousands of CDs to their far-flung fans. After the band quit playing in 2005, Brass channeled the experience into new music, transforming what was heartbreaking into something empowering.
Fond of the Philadelphia sound, Brass enlisted the help of musical allies, The Princes of Babylon (a funk-hip-hop-reggae-soul trio whose music is consistently in the top-sellers list at CDBaby.com), as well as reknowned keyboard wizard musician, Jeremy Dyen (of Fathead and Alo Brasil). The musical match-up was astonishingly hot. Straight from the ranks of G. Love's "All Fellas Band," bassist and vocalist Dave (Katman) Katowitz jumped in as co-producer, lending his mad-scientist musical genius to the project, while guitarist Dave Quicks, of Burndown Allstars fame, engineered and mixed the sounds in his own Burndown Studios in Philly. Ry Pilla, who toured extensively with Foundation Stone, and who plays in New York City-based bands The Last Broadcast and Gonnagetgot, laid down his signature solid rhythms on drums.
With the release of Open Door, Brass again brings an outstanding group of musicians to the stage. Fellow Foundation Stone member Dave Brown, who also gigged extensively with Sonic Safari and 32 Leaves, delivers tight, energetic beats on the drums. Bassist John Lindsay, who played with the band ½ & ½, and who was also involved in a spin-off project of funk-jam band JunglEd, lays down jaw-droppingly thick grooves, while Richie Ursomarso adds trippy, edgy rhythm and lead guitar to the mix. Keyboardist James Pace, who wields his wicked skills in bands like The Non-Profits, is the sometimes fifth member of the line-up.
Raised in multi-cultural Montreal, Brass learned to play sax at age 12. The daughter of an accomplished Canadian jazz musician, music comes to her naturally. When experienced live with The Emily Brass Band, she relentlessly keeps audiences spellbound, in a sweat-inducing, smile-inspiring trance-dance, all night long.
Join the circle, become entranced…her music is headed your way soon!
