Lowdown Brass Band & Zoofunkyou

Lowdown Brass Band

Embodying the vibrant Chicago music culture, LowDown Brass Band is a one-of-a-kind horn ensemble weaving the rhythm of the streets with conscious hip hop, reggae, and soul.  Rigorously touring, LowDown has performed on the most unique stages, from the Montreal Jazz Fest to the Cotai Jazz Fest.

Despite the last four years, LowDown has stayed busy, releasing Three albums, “The Reel Sessions, LowDown Nights and $itizens of the World”, which showcase their unique sound and further push the boundaries of their genre. 

Leaning on their talent and unconventional style, LowDown Brass Band continues to carve out a path, defying convention and charting their own course in the ever-evolving landscape of music.

Zoofunkyou:

Zoofunkyou is a genre-bending blues-funk phenomenon who have brought their quick-witted sonic expressionism and meaningful melodic lyrics to audiences all around the country. Based in Chicago, Zoofunkyou’s gumbo of finely crafted musical elements is a recipe that they’ve been working to perfect since 2013 with different ingredients and instrumentalists interspersed along the way. Zoofunkyou (or “Zoofü”) is dedicated to spreading love through music and creating inclusive events where people from all walks of life can feel safe and bring the emotional gratitude the band exudes from the stage home with them. In the current iteration, founder Derek Dare, Matthew Coglianese, and Jake Hennessy lead an epic ensemble consisting of a total of 5-9 members depending on the performance. As of late, they are typically joined by James Kries on Keys, and Nathan Reider on Alto Saxophone, and when they go for the “full band sound” they are joined by Connor Bernhard on Trumpet, Matt Kowalski on Trombone and Alex Santilli on Percussion. With a wide repertoire of both gripping original music and tasteful covers, their live shows have proven time and time again to enthrall, grow and inspire a vibrant fan base affectionately known as the Zoofü Crew.