Over the past seven years,The Zebra Street Band has developed its unique sound, performing in various settings from the lively streets of Amsterdam to bustling late-night venues and the stages of jazz festivals across Europe.
Their performances blend the freedom of jazz, vibrant grooves and the musician’s wholehearted playing creating a soulful and captivating experience for their audience.
With each musician being a strong instrumentalist and improviser, their music remains refreshingly unpredictable and invigorating with every play.
Salvoandrea Lucifora’s original compositions have influences from diverse music traditions and idioms, creating a syncretic and colorful musical imaginary.
The band has so far released two albums: “ZeBrass” (2018) and “Shirwku” (2022)
Band members:
Salvoandrea Lucifora – Trombone, Tuba, Compositions
Alistair Payne – Trumpet
John Dikeman – Baritone Saxophone
Onno Govaert – Snare drum and percussion
Fabio Galeazzi – Bass drum and percussion
Releases
SHIRWKU – AUGUST 2022
ZeBrass – September 2018
Videos
SHIRWKU review by Herman the Loo
‘Shirwku’ is the second album by the Amsterdam-based (but internationally occupied) Zebra Street Band, which is led by Italian brass player Salvoandrea Lucifora. Although the sextet can actually be heard regularly in the open air, the group is certainly not a standard brass band. Its artistic and creative aspirations and talents are too great for that. Nevertheless, Lucifora has forged his band into a tight unit, so that danceability is always guaranteed. In doing so, he draws in his compositions from traditions where wind orchestras on the streets can add to the revelry. We hear African rhythms, Balkan arrangements and also New Orleans-style funk. And of course the composer also looks at the music from his homeland with a slanted eye. After all, “White stones” sounds very Italian – Fellini’s resident composer Nino Rota would certainly not have been ashamed of it. With John Dikeman’s growling baritone saxophone and occasionally his own tuba, plus two percussionists (Fabio Galazzi and Onno Govaert), an unshakable foundation is laid that is perfectly at home both in intricate time signatures (with creative breaks) and unctuous grooves. And, of course, the soloistic ability of this gem of the Am- sterdam improv scene is also in order.
Other reviews
Shirwku reviews
https://www.jazzword.com/reviews/antti-lotjonen-quintet-east/
https://ilmanifesto.it/gli-ultrasuonati-35
https://tomhull.com/ocston/blog/archives/3081-Music-Week.html
ZeBrass REviews
https://www.jazzhalo.be/reviews/cdlpk7-reviews/z/zebra-street-band-zebrass/