Black Sheep Brass Band brings big sound to Flamingo Resort

When the Black Sheep Brass Band takes the stage, it needs a big stage. The band has gone through some lineup changes since it was founded in Santa Rosa 15 years ago but currently includes a dozen musicians.

“It’s hard to get photos of all of us since some gigs don’t have all of us,” said Maxwell Church, 36, a social worker and yoga instructor from Santa Rosa who doubles as a trombonist and vocalist with the band.

“We don't have one photo with all 12 of us,” he explained. “The 12th member was added this past year, and not everyone has been present at those gigs.”

And most of the musicians in the group have other jobs. The band’s lineup boasts a variety of occupations, including several teachers, a few others who work in the tech world, an engineer and an attorney.

“It’s challenging to do this and support yourself,” Church said.

Still, the band has endured and prospered, playing a variety of events, including last year’s High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy. The Black Sheep Brass Band will perform Saturday at the Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa.

What keeps the music playing is the band’s devotion to a genre Church calls “brass-fed funk (actually, he calls it BRASSfedFUNK),” a blend of traditional New Orleans jazz and Northern California funk. You might even hear a little Bob Marley reggae.

“We’re all really good at accompanying each other and working together,” said Chris Cory, 60, a Santa Rosa engineer who plays alto saxophone with the band. “Every person in the band has unique talent they bring to the music. We have some quirky solos.”

The musicians range in age from early 20s to early 70s, Church said.

In addition to Church and Cory, the current lineup includes:

Trumpeter Anthony Mineer and tenor saxophonist Michael Fallon, both of Santa Rosa.

Keyboardist Carlo Fuentes and bass drummer and auxiliary percussionist Mario Aparicio, both of Rohnert Park.

Trumpeter Alan Kashiwagi, guitarist Nash Weber, percussionist David Bacigalupi and sousaphonist Andros Howes, all of Sebastopol.

Plus, baritone saxophonist Brendan Buss of Occidental and drummer Joey Lynch of Richmond.

The Black Sheep Brass Band issued an all-original recording last year titled “The Ram Ewe Love.”

The band has been recognized by National Public Radio’s Tiny Desk Concert Series as “purveyors of oversized sounds.”

In 2017, NPR selected the Black Sheep Brass Band to perform with Tank and the Bangas during their national tour stop in Petaluma. The group also has shared the stage with Les Claypool and other big-name acts.

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5243. On Twitter @danarts.