Bad Cactus Brass Band
Bad Cactus Brass Band has been bringing joyful second line beats, unstoppable funk grooves, and New Orleans street jazz to the Phoenix metro since 2009. With trumpets, saxophone, trombones, sousaphone, marching drums, and plenty of singing and shouting, their stage show is a boisterous, high-energy party. They play at nightclubs, festivals, weddings, funerals, and anywhere else that music can make a difference. The band has toured the southwest, released four albums, opened for major New Orleans acts, and created festivals.
Desert Polka Party
The musicians of Desert Polka Party has been blasting Bavarian beats at Arizona’s Oktoberfests and German events for years. Each of them is a top-call player in Phoenix, performing regularly in all sorts of ensembles. Benjie Messer’s arrangements of traditional polkas and waltzes start with a trio of accordion, tuba and drums, led by virtuoso accordionist Tony Putrino, and then add a top-notch 4-piece horn section of trumpet, clarinet, saxophone and trombone. For variety, Desert Polka Party shows often include traditional jazz, klezmer, and pop songs turned into polkas.
Inner Orchestra
Inner Orchestra was a high-energy instrumental funk band from the colleges of western Massachusetts, where members spent days studying jazz and nights playing parties. They performed regularly from 1999-2004, releasing two albums and opening for funk acts like Soulive, P-Funk, and String Cheese Incident. Benjie is the contact person for uses of their recordings.