English

A quick description of TDBB: „Old Time Funk To Go“ would be: pulling out more stops than ever. However, the sound has also been streamlined. Tradition and Zeitgeist have their place, but have nothing to do with copying and clishees are practically tabu. The band’s sound is as multi-faceted as their spectacular concerts, and street parade shows. They have created a niche of their own among all the music catagories thrown around these days.
And in their niche, they’ve created new proof of their ability, the measure, the „indicator“ of the Brass Band: „The Top Dog Indicator“. A CD with 5 new songs and 7 others that have become a staple of the setlist since the band‘s beginnings.
After 10 years of TDBB, the great musicians supporting the frontman Matthias Peuker, continue on their way through Europe’s top festivals and venues, always leaving the audience dancing, prancing and grinning and definitely wanting much, much more.

„"... a real pleasure. Don’t forget your dancin‘ shoes!“" (SZ, 12'04)

„" They call themselves "The funky marching band from Eastern Germany", come from Dresden, and are definitely some of the coolest musicians that Europe has to offer.  TDBB play "Second Line Music“, with horns and snaredrum, just like the original stuff from New Orleans. But these guys take it a step further. The songs breathe with the spirit of the Meters and other wild R&B funkbands from Louisiana. But this is no attempt to copy the traditional N.O. bands- their music is so full of energy and vitality, that one has no choice but to shake yours hips with a big fat grin on your face. There is no escape, because the musicians play their songs so magically fresh....“" (thr, bluesnews 01’05)

"Around a quarter of a century ago, the brass band tradition in New Orleans seemed to be hobbling along on its last legs, kept alive only for jazz tourists, the odd film-maker, and to ensure that the venerable musicians themselves would get the kind of send-off they'd provided for so many others. Then, against the odds, along came the likes of the Dirty Dozen and Rebirth Brass Bands to kick-start a genuine revival - or was it a mutation? - adding contemporary and funky elements to the almost ossified repertoire, and inspiring a new generation in turn, among them, on aural evidence, the Top Dog Brass Band. '39 Degrees' opens with the band adapting the complex and slippery funk of the Meters to a line-up of snare drums and sousaphones, saxophones and trumpets, trombones and bass drums (but no bass or drum kit, of course) to create something even more complex but equally slippery and accessible - nice vocal too. The following track maintains the rich funk vein, again with excellent vocals (chanted this time), whilst 'Gerundium' is as bluesy as brass bands get - which can be extremely so. Lee Dorsey's 'Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further' adds a funky gospel based female singer to the line-up to excellent effect, so hopefully by now you are beginning to get the idea - plenty of braying brass, jazz elements ranging from King Oliver to Ornette Coleman, James Brown flavoured funk, a hint of the Latin big bands, and a lot of vintage r&b, particularly of the early 1960s Crescent City variety, are all ingredients , for the band's spicy gumbo. These elements vie for precedence on I the remaining tracks, some jazzier, some funkier, some bluesier, but ! all played with enthusiasm, vim, more than a dash of humour and an extremely high standard of musical accomplishment. The second set is of course a Christmas album - the Bourbon Street Salvation Army Band? - so entertaining and listenable though it may be (and it does contain the funkiest version of 'Jingle Bells' you are ever likely to hear), it falls into the novelty category and will be played at most for two weeks a year. Given all this 'lank' (to use Dr. John's term), it may come as something of a shock then that both CDs bear the by-line "The funky marching band from Eastem Germany' - well, one has it in German but I didn't want to confuse anybody. These guys would certainly have fooled me in a blind-fold test, and whilst some may use their provenance to instantly denigrate their worth, the quality of their music cannot be quite so easily dismissed. " (Norman Darwen, Blues&Rhythm, 2004, Great Britain)

" When I was a kid, my father once said to me that he would love to have a brass band play for his funeral. That really made an impression on me.... because... I couldn't imagine that my father ever would die. But otherwise, since then, I've had a ear for these kind of bands, and I knew that somehow I would grant my father his wish. My father is nowhere near buried...... but the band exists already." (Matthias Peuker, leader of the TDBB)

"The Top Dog Brass Band is a brass ensemble with sex appeal . . . the music pulses with the extravagance and exuberance of Mardi Gras, putting one in mind of the "CrescentCity" carnival in New Orleans." (SAX, 12`01)

"A Top Dog Brass Band concert is like an excitig thriller." (SZ, 03`02)

"If you can sit still through this rhythm pounding sound, you are from a planet where there is no music. Take a slice of Blues, some traditional brass, throw in a dash of Jazz, stir heartily with New Orleans R & B, funkify the whole thing, and, man, you got a get-down sound that'll make you feel better than JB. When I listen, I can't stop grinnin'" (a fan from New Orleans)

CD release 2011: "The Top Dog Indicator" (stormy-monday-records)

CD release 2009: "The Groove Will Make You Move" (stormy-monday-records)

CD release 2008: Weihnachten im Sitzen "neigekachelt" (stormy-monday-records)

CD release 2006: "Kiss My Brass " (stormy-monday-records)

CD release 2004: "39 Degrees" (stormy-monday-records)

CD release 2004: "Weihnachten im Sitzen" (stormy-monday-records)

CD release 2002: "Sex Devil" (RougePulp)

CD release 2001: The Top Dog Brass Band "...is comin'" (RougePulp)

Instrumentation live: 7-8 musicians: sousaphone, trombones, trumpets, saxophones, snare and bass drums, vocals
A big advantage of the band is mobility. They play standing, as well as marching, in the concert hall or on parades and street festivals.

Contact:
Musikbüro Dresden

Matthias peuker

Hansastr. 20

01097 Dresden, Germany

Telephone: 0049-(0)351-8108080
Mobile Phone: 0049-(0)151-24071495
e-mail: tdbb@top-dog.info