Booka Brass Band

Booka Brass Band

Booka Brass Band are a New Orleans-style brass band with roots in Ireland. The group forms in November 2012 and develops a live reputation quickly on the Irish circuit. It plays regular shows in Dublin venues including The Sugar Club, Whelan’s and Twisted Pepper, and appears at festivals such as Electric Picnic, Sea Sessions and Longitude.

Style and line-up

The band’s sound centres on original brass-band arrangements with two trumpets, two trombones, saxophone, sousaphone and drums. The members are classically trained, and the group’s material reflects an interest in classical harmony alongside rhythmic brass-band playing. Six of the seven members are full-time students, and the group members come from across Ireland, from Cork to Belfast. The band is also described as Ireland’s first and only New Orleans-style brass band.

Live work and collaborations

Booka Brass Band opens shows for New Orleans group Hot 8 Brass Band and for Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. It also works with Irish artists including Jerry Fish and Lisa Hannigan, including a late-added set at Turning Pirate’s New Year’s Eve Mixtape at Vicar Street. In its early period, the band wins two competitions, becomes special guests at Sea Sessions Unsigned, and is selected from more than 450 bands to play Electric Picnic.

Recording activity

Alongside its live work, the band writes material for its first EP and records in the months after those early successes.