Inner City All-Stars Brass Band
Gypsy Tea Room
July 15, 2004

Hot Grooves on a Hot Night

The Gypsy Tea Room in historic Deep Elum was the place to be for some hot, funky jazz on a warm Texas night. Outside the club is a plaque remembering the great musician “Blind Lemon” Jefferson. Jefferson played his style of blues in Dallas many years ago, but there are still some fantastic sounds to be heard in the clubs of Deep Elum. On this night, the Tea Room was jammed with fans that wanted to move and be moved by some of the best brass this side of New Orleans. When The Inner City All-Stars Brass Band took the tiny Tea Room stage, the people were ready for a party. As the music grooved, even more people pushed their way toward the stage. Soon, it was hard to get any closer to the band. Everyone had to claim their spot and get ready to be dazzled. With two trumpets, two saxes, trombone, tuba, drums and percussion, the All-Stars had to take care with their on-stage gyrations. But even with the reduced space to strut, the band managed to show their chemistry, soul and big brass sound. Each of the musicians would find themselves in the solo limelight before the night was over, and each would do themselves proud as the band pounded out their high-energy tunes. Some of the featured material was the band’s own original compositions while other songs were classics from the 70s and 80s redone with an All-Star flare. On that warm night, the band lit up the room with songs like, “Flashlight,” (P-Funk at its best from the 70s). This extended version really got the crowd to dance and move to the beat. Caribbean vibes were also featured, which soothed and delighted the masses. One of the highlights of the evening was the medley including the classic hits, “Just the Two of Us” (Grover Washington, Jr.), “What You Won’t Do For Love” (Bobby Caldwell), and even a bit of the Bee Gee’s “Staying Alive.” The medley ended with a slower, soulful version of “Just the Two of Us” much to the delight of the faithful. The lively groove of the tuba and bass drum laid the foundation for the talented brass musicians. The show became a non-stop party, accompanied by the band’s movement and dancing on the stage. The All-Stars also grooved on “Superstition” (Stevie Wonder), and ended the gig with a rousing cover of Outkast’s “The Whole World” to thunderous applause. The Inner City All-Stars play highly energetic music that’s fun to listen to and requires crowd participation. The All-Stars’ show is not a spectator sport; you become part of the action. The sound was a mixture of hip-hop, soul and a whole lot of big brass jazz and funk. For a good time, call the Inner City All-Stars Brass Band.

The award-winning Inner City All-Stars Brass Band is composed of a diverse pool of talent based in the Denton area and the University of North Texas. According to trombonist and leader Calvin Sexton, the band has been playing as a unit for two years and will release a new CD in the near future. In addition, The All-Stars have been featured at the Ft. Worth Main Street Arts and Music Festival, the Taste of New Orleans Festival in San Antonio, the Denton Jazz and Arts Festival, and White Rock Rhythms in Dallas. The All-Stars have played numerous venues and have opened for such greats as the New Orleans’ based Rebirth Brass Band, and Grammy Award nominees Brave Combo and Bowling for Soup.  If all this isn’t enough, the band has been featured on Showtime at the Apollo and also performed for the CEO of Essence Magazine, Susan L. Taylor.

For more information click on www.innercityallstars.com

The Inner City All-Star Brass Band is:

Calvin Sexton, Trombone/MC/Rap
Cary Stewart, Percussion/Triangle
Oscar Passley, Trumpet/Hypeman
Ray Ray, Trumpet/Arranger
Marques Burleson, Drums
James “Big Sexy” Goodley, Tuba
Darren Petersen, Tenor Sax
Kazuki Nagashima, Bari Sax


Kirk deCordova
dallasmusic.com