Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Now the little tent in Princes Street Gardens is part of the Assembly franchise, but for the first few days of August it was home base for the Jazz & Blues Festival when that was on. HBE, from the South Side of Chicago, bring their hip-hop-brass party to Edinburgh.

Taking off their shirts and eliciting whistles from a mixed-sex crowd, their melodic linking of five melodies at once on War (see their performance on Jools Holland’s show for proof)) was splendid. An utterly brill drummer, as befitting the son of Sun Ra the cosmic jazz musician – they all are, from different mothers – helped their cause to no end. Though they did plug their CD a bit too much (but it’s worth it), it is a great journey which they’ve taken from being street musicians to playing Glastonbury with Gorillaz. Some can criticise (and they have done so) their musicality and lack of real jazz background playing the clubs and dinghy cribs of the land, they remain the finest party band in the world, getting the audience energetic when necessary. Another set high was Ballicki Bone with the hands-in-the-air euphoria it provided. The coaxing of the MC of the group telling the ladies to coo “YEAH YEAH” came too few times for my liking, and the gig was over far too quickly.

For me, it was great to hear live rap for first time, and I’ll certainly try to find some rap suitable for my ears in the next year.
HBE are stars of modern America, no less than ten stars (but five will suffice here), flexing their knees sexily and prompting moshing of the hippiest kind at the front. They put a smile on your face and a quicker step in your feet. See them before they decide to go to college after all.

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Princes St Gardens

2100 Aug 3