Swinging it with Brass 5!

Musical quintet Brass 5! opens the Workhouse’s VCA artist series with big band jazz!

The Workhouse campus looked peaceful and serene on a sunny Sunday afternoon but inside the W-3 Theatre, Brass 5! was giving music fans an energetic and dynamic show. During their concert, “Sounds of the Big Band,” the group was jamming out to their favorite big band jazz tunes and ballads.

Comprised of five brass instrumentalists and one percussionist, Brass 5! has made a mark in Europe and throughout the Mid-Atlantic area with their versatile and harmonious sounds. For the Workhouse audience this weekend, they provided an interactive musical tour of the big band era by giving humorous biographies of some of the most memorable big band artists, then playing their own renditions of selected songs, including works from the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Hoagy Carmichael and Duke Ellington.

The audience smiled and tapped their feet along as the quintet revealed their own versions of fast hot beats like “Sing, Sing, Sing” and “Caravan,” then silence filled the air during soft pieces like “Stardust” and “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You.” Just like their arrangement of Neal Hefti’s “Cute” where the brass conversed playfully with the percussion, Brass 5! interacted with the audience and left them with many moments to cherish and laugh about.

All of Brass 5!’s pieces are specially arranged and through their dedicated practices they cater each performance to their different audiences by carefully reviewing their song choices. Brian Quakenbush, trumpet player, explains that it’s a “win-win situation. We suit [the songs] to the current patrons, and we see how they interact and then build on that.” An avid supporter of live concerts, Quakenbush encourages students and parents to explore the music around their community. “Everything is now accessible with a push of a button, but there’s a cultural value to experiencing live music.”

Curious to see who our next two VCA artists are? The Workhouse is delighted to host two more VCA Artist Nights performances this month: Lynne Mackey on piano and Tom Teasley on percussion.

Lynne Mackey’s recital will feature music of Russian composers ranging from romantic pieces of Rachmaninoff and Medtner, to the whimsical humor of Stravinsky and Prokofiev. Mackey has performed in solo and chamber music settings in the United States and overseas, and was the first performing arts recipient of an Appalachian College Association Fellowship in the field of new music. Ms. Mackey is a member of the Gee-Mackey Duo with cellist David Gee. The Duo was formed in 2004, and since that time has performed in the United States, Europe and Africa. Mackey will be performing at the Workhouse on Friday, March 15 at 8pm in the McGuireWoods Gallery.

Tom Teasley, described in the Washington Post as “a percussionist in the widest and most exuberant sense of the word,” maintains a unique career as a solo percussionist, composer and collaborator. In an unusual performance/instillation of German Dadaist filmmaking masters Hans Richter and Viking Eggeling, Tom Teasley will perform original compositions which both complement and transform the original art. Teasley will be performing on Saturday, March 23 at 8pm in the W-3 Theatre.

Click here to purchase tickets for Lynne Mackey and Tom Teasley!

THIS WEEK AT THE WORKHOUSE

• Ephemeral: Interpretations of the Cherry Blossom, March 2 – April 7 in the McGuireWoods Gallery.
• The Art of Surviving, March 6-April 7 in the Vulcan Gallery.
• Incarceration: Visions of Confinement, March 16-April 7 in the McGuireWoods Gallery.
• Uncover the Prison in Your Backyard: Working Behind Bars, March 13 at 7:30pm in the McGuireWoods Gallery.
• Workhouse Farmers Market, every Thursday 3-6pm on the Workhouse Quad.
• VCA Artist Nights: Lynne Mackey, March 15 at 8pm in the McGuireWoods Gallery.
• Ballroom Social Dance, March 16, 7:30-10:30pm in the McGuireWoods Gallery.
• Date Night: Chef’s Table, March 16, 8-10pm in the Workhouse Café.
• Cool Cow Comedy presents a St. Patty’s Day Comedy Showcase! March 17 at 7pm in the W-3 Theatre.
• March exhibitions in all seven studio buildings, Vulcan Gallery.
• Workhouse Prison Museum in Building W-9.

Stop by and visit us! 

The Workhouse is open Wednesday – Saturday from 11am – 7pm and Sundays from 12 – 5pm.  TheWorkhouse Prison Museum is open Wednesday – Friday from 12 – 3pm and Saturday – Sunday from 12 – 4pm.  Visit www.WorkhouseArts.org for more information, to purchase tickets or to register for classes.