PitchBlak Brass Band Meets Empire Strikes Brass at Asheville Music Hall

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PitchBlak Brass Band Meets Empire Strikes Brass at Asheville Music Hall

  • Katelynn Watkins

    I am passionate about truth, loyalty, animals and people. I root for the underdog, use my sense of humor to get myself and others through rough patches, and speak my mind as often as possible.
Jay-Z and classical music don’t often mix, but for Max Sholl, one of PitchBlak Brass Band’s trombone players, the two couldn’t coincide more perfectly. He and the rest of the band intend to demonstrate the point March 7 at Asheville Music Hall. “It is absolutely intentional,” he says of the 10-piece band’s hip-hop undertones. “We all went to music schools, so we bring in our studies, our life experiences, and the fact that we all listen to hip-hop, into our music to make it something different.” Based in Brooklyn, N.Y., PitchBlak has meshed musical styles since first coming together. The band’s first show, in its home state of New York, took place December 2010. “A lot of the same people are in the band now as when we started,” Sholl says. “It’s a lot of people to keep track of. But we’re a family; we love each other, we scream at each other.” T.J. Robinson, another trombone player of PitchBlak, says it was very different in the early days of the band as far as its sounds and influences are concerned. As the group gained recognition, he says it experimented with a plethora of ideas from every member, trying to become as organic and unique as possible. Both Sholl and Robinson credit the particular sounds of the band to a myriad of inspiration, including old and new school hip-hop, classical music, jazz, and even classic rock. “Right now Bach is great to study,” Robinson says of his musical influencers. “For hip-hop, Fabolous is still high up on my list. The list could go on forever, so I should probably stop.”   This show will be the second played by the band at Asheville Music Hall since its inception. PitchBlak is joining Asheville-based Empire Strikes Brass, another many piece brass band with multiple influences. The bands have been able to develop a working relationship as they’ve played shows together over the years, Sholl says. “They’ve invited us to crash at their place before,” he says. “They’re a great group of guys and tons of fun to share a stage with.” The two bands collaborated once before at the Asheville Music Hall, says Katherine “KP” Powell, Asheville Music Hall’s talent buyer. This time, they will also be joined by Les Racquet and Philo. Given the previous show PitchBlak and Empire Strikes Brass put on at the venue, KP says she believes it will be an incredible performance. “They’re great entertainers,” she says. Over the last few months, Sholl says PitchBlak has been doing many weekend shows, traveling shorter distances to nearby venues then coming home to practice and regroup.  Among the band’s favorite places to play is the Brooklyn Bowl, located in the band’s hometown. “But each place has its quirks and what makes it great,” he says. This tour, starting officially March 3, is sure to be an exhausting one according to Sholl. “Tours like this are great because they keep us together in one place,” he says. “It’s nice to play day after day and really tighten up so we stay in sync with each other. But it does get a little tiring by the end.” Tiring or not, the show is set to go on and available tickets are still flying out to audience members anticipating an energetic brass band performance. This, according to KP, is what they can expect from the lineup. PitchBlak’s music tends to start with a classical feel, Sholl says, a sort of tribute to the band members’ training and background.  Then, the beat drops. After that, audiences could hear classical music, jazz, or hip-hop, and everyone stays on edge for the whole show. Musical style isn’t the only aspect of diversity for PitchBlak, though. “We’re about complete diversity,” Sholl says, “just putting it out there.” PitchBlak’s members pride themselves in their own diverse backgrounds and experiences, he says. There is a full array of women, one of which is the band leader, members of the LGBTQ community, and representation from multiple races to contribute to and round out the band’s style and sound. All of these influences help shape the band’s identity as well as its music, he says.  So when it goes on tour or to a venue, the performance is an outpouring of musical variety and energy. Asheville Music Hall will be no exception, he says. “We’re going to put on a hell of a show,” Sholl says.