ABOUT US:
The Magnetic Ear is an original brass band from New Orleans. We are a six piece ensemble with tenor and baritone saxophones two trombones, sousaphone and drums. Our mostly original music is inspired by New Orleans style second line and funk, Eastern European brass band music and African music. We also cover anything that suits our taste for hip, danceable party music.
Locally we play all venues from Tipitina's, dba, Blue Nile to Snug Harbor, Saturn Bar, Bacchanal etc as well as the annual festivals, like Satchmo Fest, French Quarter Fest, Congo Square Rhythm Fest and more.
The Magnetic Ear has been awarded grants by sweet Home New Orleans, the Musicians Clinic and the Midatlantic Arts Foundation and has garnered nominations to the Off Beat Awards as best emerging artist 2007 and best contemporary CD of 2008. The CD release party for our newest production 'Alien of Extraordinary Ability' was broadcast live by New Orleans' own WWOZ radio station on Sept.8th 2010.
MEMBERS:
Martin Krusche, born in Munich Germany, studied music at the Herman Zilcher Conservatory. He came to New New York in 1993 on a DAAD scholarship and moved to New Orleans in '95 where he recorded with Nicholas Payton, Philip Harper, Michael Ray, Victor Atkins and many others as a sideman and as leader of his own ensembles. He produced four records which won him nominations for best local recording in 2000, best emerging artist 2007 and best contemporary CD 2008.
Paul Thibodeaux is born in Southeast Louisiana and studied music at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts and the University of New Orleans. He is working and recording with Ed Petersen's The Test, The Other Planets, Big Rock Candy Mountain, The Cliff Hines Quintet, The Mark Weliky Trio, Alexis Marceaux Band, The Kirk Nasty, Lisa Lynn, and Sasha Masakowski's Musical Playground. Paul has taught drum/music theory at NOCCA, KIPP, Andy Hemel School of Music, and St. Bernard Middle School
Dan Oestreicher remains preeminent among New Orleans baritone saxophonists. He has worked with such notable artists as Irvin Mayfield, the Subdudes, and Rob Mazurek, among others. Dan has been a full-time member of Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave. since 2008
Wes Andersonn, IV “The best way I can express myself is through my horn. When I play my trombone, it is sneaking a look into my heart”, quoted by Wessell “Quad” Andersonn, IV. The son of Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson III, Wes grew up in a musical household where jazz was played night and day. “You could compare jamming with my father to a normal father and son playing basketball,” Wes laughs at the memories. For the past five summers, Wes has spent his time learning and developing in various jazz bands and camps across the nations, as well as Italy, France, and Peru.
Steven Glenn aka TubaSteve, hails from Denver, Colorado and is a recent addition to the New Orleans family and community. Classically trained on the tuba, Steven has established himself as a freelance tuba/sousaphone player in his new home. In his relatively short time in New Orleans, he has appeared in performance with the Panorama Jazz and Brass Bands, Aurora Nealand's Royal Roses and James Andrews' Crescent City All-Stars. In addition, he has also been featured as a guest sitting in with New Orleans' own Bonerama as well as appearances on WGNO with Magnetic Ear, for News with a Twist, and Kid Merv. Steven's latest collaborative project, DinosAurchestra, continues to expand on what has set New Orleans apart in the music world by blending traditional jazz and New Orleans R&B into a diverse group of musicians with eclectic, and modern, backgrounds. In expressing his views on music and the role of tuba in today's world, Steven spreads his message and love of instrument through a simply hashtag: #TurnUpBassAmplitude.
