Brass Transit: The Musical Legacy of Chicago returns to the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 11. Brass Transit features eight highly accomplished musicians each with a grounded understanding of jazz-rock who literally play tribute to the decades-long, multi-platinum songbook of the chart-topping Grammy Hall of Fame band, Chicago.
Brass Transit. Photo courtesy of the MAC
Review Vancouver says, “The combo features a stellar brass section that zealously recreates the arrangements of the original band;” and Icon Fetch says “imitate is not the right word, Brass Transit embodied the music of Chicago.”
The current members of the Brass Transit include
• Ian Jutsun (Lead Vocals), of the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Bombay Dreams,” who has worked in television, theater and film throughout North America;
• Tony Carlucci (Trumpet) who has played with popular artists including Corey Hart, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Percy Sledge;
• Don Breithaupt (Keyboards, Backing Vocals) who has accompanied greats including Aretha Franklin, The Drifters and Chuck Berry;
• Paul Delong (Drums) whose career in funk, fusion, Jazz and Latin has had him play with David Clayton Thomas, Lighthouse and The Canadian Tenors;
• Doug Gibson (Trombone) who has performed with Hugh Jackman, Barry Manilow and Natalie Cole;
• Phil Poppa (Woodwinds, Backing Vocals), who has shared the stage with classic comedian Bob Hope and R&B legends George Oliver, Reflections and Soul Foundation;
• Silvio Simone (Guitar, Backing Vocals), who has appeared on television shows including “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with David Letterman” and the musicals “Rock of Ages,” “We Will Rock You” and “Bat Out of Hell.”
• Jay Speziale (Bass, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals) who has played with many of the greatest artists of the ‘60s including Tommy Roe, Del Shannon, the Mamas and the Papas and Leslie Gore.
The Canadian-based Brass Transit was formed in 2008. Since then, the band has steadily toured North America impressing audiences with its performances and spectacular attention to detail. Hits like, “Saturday in The Park,” “25 or 6 To 4,” “If You Leave Me Now,” “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” and “You’re the Inspiration” have inspired standing ovations. Brass Transit recently produced their first (self-titled) album, taking songs by other top rock artists from the ‘70s and recording them with horns in the Chicago style. The result is a fresh approach to some of the greatest hits of the era. They also recently scored their show for full symphony orchestra with original arrangements.
The rock band, Chicago formed in Chicago in 1967 as Chicago Transit Authority, then shortened the name in 1969. Self-described as a "rock and roll band with horns", Chicago's songs often combine elements of classical music, jazz, R&B, and pop music. To date, Chicago has sold more than 40 million units in the U.S., with 23 gold, 18 platinum, and eight multi-platinum albums. The band was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014.
Tickets
Brass Transit: The Musical Legacy of Chicago comes to the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd. in Glen Ellyn, Ill. 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 11. Ticket prices range from $43-$63. For tickets or additional information call 630.942.4000 or visit www.tTheMAC.org. Box Office hours are Tuesday – Saturday, noon – 6 p.m. and two hours prior to performances.
About the MAC
McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355 at 425 Fawell Blvd. It houses three indoor performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), an outdoor venue, the Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 2 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.
The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit www.AtTheMAC.org, @AtTheMAC on Facebook and Instagram.
Support for the McAninch Arts Center is provided in part by the DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle/Naperville; Follett, WDCB 90.9 FM, a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the College of DuPage Foundation.
Established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit www.foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462.