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HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Honest Jons ****

From Barack Obama down, many, many people have caught the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble bug. Those who've seen them in full swing on a street corner or a stage will know they can deliver the funk in full. This debut shows that they can also sock it to audiences on record. Chicago-born and New York-based, eight of the nine-strong ensemble are sons of former Sun Ra Arkestra trumpeteer Phil Cohran, so their playing has pedigree. But there's more to HBE than their ancestry. When the players start to blow, it's impossible not to fall for their joyful, jazzy, infectious sound as each track bumps, swings and rolls along. Tunes which would bubble into gigantic grooves in a live setting are kept snappy and to the point, all the better to show off the ensemble's prowess as composers and producers. The HBE play Galway tonight and Dublin tomorrow. www.hypnoticbrass.net JIM CARROLL

Download tracks: Rabbit Hop, War