With music that is described as “remarkably mature and well-balanced,” “stimulating and accessible” and “refreshingly modern and rooted in tradition” (Chicago Jazz Magazine), the Brian Scarborough Quintet is a Kansas City-based ensemble whose repertoire is artfully poised on the brink of both sweepingly melodic original music and an ingenious tour de force of jazz history. With a scintillating host of talent, the Brian Scarborough Quintet is comprised of Matt Otto on tenor saxophone, Roger Wilder on piano, Jeff Harshbarger on bass, Brian Steever on drums, and bandleader, composer, and arranger Brian Scarborough on trombone.
August 7th, 2020 marked the formal beginnings of the the Quintet’s discography with Sunflower Song, released on Next Level, an imprint of Outside in Music. Sunflower Song, much like the vast fields of sunflowers of Kansas that draw attention to and frame a breathtaking scene, highlights the intricacies and masterful craftsmanship of Brian’s Quintet, in both composition and improvisation. Characterized as “one of the most consequential acoustic jazz albums made entirely by Kansas City musicians in recent years” (Plastic Sax), Sunflower Song continues the legacy of ebullient brilliance tempered with soulful maturity historically found in the sounds of Kansas City’s jazz musicians.
Compositionally, the music of Brian and his Quintet can be aptly described as organic: music that unfurls itself naturally as it expresses the concepts from which it draws inspiration. As an extension of this idea, Brian’s music often contains combinations of harmony and forms that do not necessarily conform to standard expectations, but whose nature and length serve the overall composition far better than arbitrary adherence to a formula.
Brian’s music places value upon the idea of containing singable melodies, and an overall “dancing aesthetic.” Taking these seeds of inspiration, Brian sows them into compositions that are unequivocally unified by his “unique musical voice” (Last Row Music) which act as a vehicle for his mature and thoughtful improvisation. “Listening to trombonist Brian Scarborough, one is immediately struck by the confident facility with which he improvises and the elegance of his performances.” (Chicago Jazz Magazine)
The Brian Scarborough Quintet continues to perform throughout the greater Kansas City area and beyond. In March 2023, the group returned to the studio to record their next project in the heart of Kansas City’s jazz district. This new album, We Need The Wind, released on February 23, 2024.
The Brian Scarborough Trio & Quartet have been performing in the greater Kansas City area since 2015, and have performed for numerous concerts, events (such as the Lenexa Art Fair), weddings, and other special events. The ensemble features a rotating cast of some of Kansas City’s finest jazz musicians and performs music from the Great American Songbook, as well as jazz standards, and a few choice original compositions.
Photo by Larry Kopitnik
The People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City is a musicians' collective formed in 2006 for the purpose of creating and performing new large ensemble jazz music. The ensemble has three primary purposes: 1. The People's Liberation Big acts as an open forum for composers and arrangers to workshop new compositions. 2. The group actively builds performance repertoire of both individual shorter works and new large scale productions. 3. The ensemble is dedicated to social justice, making the world a better place, and kicking ass. The ensemble is led by pianist and composer Brad Cox, and features a line-up of some of the foremost creative musicians in Kansas City.
For more than 30 years, the Boulevard Big Band has been a fixture in the Kansas City jazz community. The band performs classic big band repertoire, as well as compositions and arrangements by members of the band. The Boulevard Big Band features some of Kansas City’s finest jazz musicians, and includes members who have traveled the country and world performing this music. The band can be heard the third Wednesday of every month at the Westport Coffeehouse Theatre.
Founded in 2019 by tubist and music director David Swanson, Zen Brass is an ambitious new brass ensemble bringing together musicians from five states and varying musical backgrounds to present an uplifting audience experience with beautiful and entertaining music. The ensemble performs original arrangements in a number of styles, resulting in a repertoire that is vast and diverse. Zen Brass is: David Swanson - tuba/music director, Richard Rulli - trumpet, Mary Thornton - trumpet, Ben Hay - trumpet, Cory Mixdorf - trombone, Brian Scarborough - trombone, Andy Newbegin - bass trombone.