The trio of baritone saxman Leo Pellegrino, Matt Muirhead on trumpet, and drummer David Parks fashion a formula of jazz, funk, and electronic dance music (minus the electronics) that’s practical in its portability, sturdy and staccato in its delivery, and almost irresistible in its catchiness. They call what they do “brass house”, and brought it to the world’s attention by busking the subway stations of their home base, New York City. That led quickly enough to backing up Beyoncé and Kaskade, and ad spots for Google and KFC. If TMZ still haven’t crossed your radar, the new digital single “Stand By Your Cats” is as good a place as any to start, as it’s pretty illustrative of what they do. As for the feline connection, that’s not immediately apparent, though one might note that the steady, vigorous insistence of the brass lines here is comparable to the comportment of certain particular housecats (this writer can think of two) when their food bowls hit the dreaded half-empty mark.
