Lowdown Brass Band

Emerging from Chicago as an energetic ensemble, Lowdown Brass Band fuse their affinity for classic New Orleans brass traditions with infusions of jazz, hip-hop, funk, and soul. Multi-instrumentalist Lance Loiselle assembled the group in the early 2000s, assembling several brass players and percussionists alongside rapper MC Billa Camp. Detroit-born Loiselle pursued jazz studies at DePaul University in Chicago, where the concept of forming a New Orleans-inspired brass band for covers first took shape. He later encountered Camp during keyboard work with the hip-hop group Trill Logic, prompting their initial partnership. The ensemble launched in 2008 via their self-titled debut, with further acclaimed releases arriving in 2009's We Just Want to Be and 2014's Lowdown Sounds. Their fifth studio effort, Lowdown Breaks, arrived in 2018 and included contributions from Fada Dougou, Ang 13, Will Silas, and DJ Alo.