Raya Brass Band

Some time in the last half of the 20^th century, Yugoslavian brass band musicians found their way to the Crescent City at Mardi Gras. After listening intently to the marching parade bands, they returned home determined to fuse the sound of New Orleans with the traditions of Belgrade. Well, that's one plausible explanation for the Balkan brass band genre that has proliferated in recent years and the New York-based Raya Brass Band is yet another fine proponent. On Dancing on Roses, they effortlessly merge funky beats with Near Eastern tonalities and hot jazz solos as they drive their riffs to the edge of ecstasy. The celebratory rhythms are balanced with an ineffable melodic melancholy.