Fly: The Customs Prelude

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble appeal to jazz fans, hip-hop heads, marching band lovers: you name it. That's no surprise, since this Chicago outfit make a joyful noise that’s thunderous, funky, and well-arranged. The group include eight horn-playing brothers: the children of trumpeter Kelan Phil Cohran, who helped found AACM and was a member of The Sun Ra Arkestra. HBE are also powered by exciting drumming, and a number of guests contribute to Fly: The Customs Prelude. “Planet of the Apes,” which manages to be both rousing and melancholy, gets the ball rolling. The stately, midtempo title track finds Aquilla Sadallah emitting choice rhymes over punching brass. Latin touches appear on the album, including on “Favela Funk,” which draws from Brazilian dance music that in turn was influenced by American sounds. “Navigator” features three rappers—Prosper, Ben Yehudah, and Smoov (one of the group’s trumpeters)—letting loose over a head-nodding groove. The uptempo “Hornet’s Nest” buzzes with energy marked by stop-start moves and effective accents. Fly includes instrumental versions of the album’s vocal tracks.