by Chad Campbell, senior producer
I get about 20 CDs a week in the mailfrom PR companies who want Bob to interview their clients – most of the time, we do not. But every once in a while, I’m pleasantly surprised by what I hear and decide to book a musician or group previously unknown to me.
The first time it was Brandi Carlile, a very powerful vocalist from Washington state. Then a few years later, I was mesmerized by the music of Rey Fresco, a group from California. Now it’s No BS Brass!, a band that’s been rocking the Richmond, Virginia area for about seven years now.
We arranged to have them come up to our studio to play some songs from their two new albums out this summer, RVA All Day and Fight Song: A Tribute to Charles Mingus.
Bob talked with co-founders trombonist Reggie Pace and drummer Lance Koehler, who has a very personal connection to the cover art on their most recent release. It’s taken from his emergency room portrait following a bar fight on the road. Koehler came to the defense of his friend and got the worst of it.
Each of the band members have studied music, some have advanced degrees and some are even music professors. They put that knowledge to good use on original compositions and several covers. They knocked us out with their version of The Ocean by Led Zeppelin, one of their chief influences.
No BS Brass! are a very energetic act, with trombones, trumpets, a sax, a contra and drums and I wish we had a live audience for their performance. If they come to your town, I highly recommend you check them out.
“RVA All Day” Performed live at Gallery 5 in Richmond (from the NO BS! Youtube page)