Sousamaphone, issued by Manchester’s Riot Jazz Brass Band on First Word Records in 2013, stakes a claim in the brass band and jazz funk realms with a lean eight-track set. The group interlaces jazz fusion elements with a gritty brass attack, rooted firmly in the city’s vibrant musical soil. Tracks like “Paradox” and “I’ve Got A Sousamaphone” reveal their dexterity, weaving tight grooves and punchy horn arrangements that avoid the usual fanfare for something more immediate and raw.Recorded amidst the UK’s underground brass revival, this album channels the energy of street performance and club nights alike. Riot Jazz Brass Band’s lineup eschews traditional rhythm sections, relying on percussion and brass to propel their sound, a choice that lends the music a distinctive thrust. For those who collect the intersection of jazz’s improvisational spirit and funk’s rhythmic insistence, Sousamaphone offers a compelling artifact from a scene often overlooked beyond Manchester’s borders.

Sousamaphone, issued by Manchester’s Riot Jazz Brass Band on First Word Records in 2013, stakes a claim in the brass band and jazz funk realms with a lean eight-track set. The group interlaces jazz fusion elements with a gritty brass attack, rooted firmly in the city’s vibrant musical soil. Tracks like “Paradox” and “I’ve Got A Sousamaphone” reveal their dexterity, weaving tight grooves and punchy horn arrangements that avoid the usual fanfare for something more immediate and raw.Recorded amidst the UK’s underground brass revival, this album channels the energy of street performance and club nights alike. Riot Jazz Brass Band’s lineup eschews traditional rhythm sections, relying on percussion and brass to propel their sound, a choice that lends the music a distinctive thrust. For those who collect the intersection of jazz’s improvisational spirit and funk’s rhythmic insistence, Sousamaphone offers a compelling artifact from a scene often overlooked beyond Manchester’s borders.