2010 Lineup > Brave Combo
Trying to describe Brave Combo’s music requires a pretty extensive vocabulary – at least when it comes to musical styles. For the past three decades the Denton, Texas based quintet has perfected a world music mix that includes salsa, meringue, rock, cumbia, conjunto, polka, zydeco, classical, cha cha, the blues and more. They are America’s Premier Dance band and a rollicking, rocking, rhythmic global journey — offering what one critic recently wrote, “Even if you come for the party, you’ll leave with something of a musical education.”
Brave Combo’s catalog of recordings range from Japanese pop to Latin American dance tunes, to the orchestral classics to rock and roll at its finest. The band has recorded with the late Tiny Tim, and were the band Talking Head’s David Byrne chose for his wedding reception. From festivals and fairs of all varieties across the globe, rock clubs big and small, colleges, roadhouses, dances, cultural centers (including the annual Midsummer Night’s Swing at Lincoln Center in New York City) Brave Combo has charmed countless listeners and won avid devotees. The band has won two Grammy Awards and been nominated for their work 7 times.
Brave Combo’s vivid music can be heard in the films David Byrne’s True Stories, Clive Barker’s Lord of Illusions, Late Bloomers, Fools Rush In, Envy, The Academy award winning The Personals. They appeared at Oktoberfest in the beloved American burg of Springfield on an episode of “The Simpsons” and in 2008 Brave Combo provided the musical score for PBS’s first ever animated series, “As the Wrench Turns” which resulted in an “Annie” nomination from the International Animated Film Society. Their music has also been featured on ABC’s hit series “Ugly Betty”, and Fox Television’s “Bakersfield P.D.” They have also contributed original music for ESPN and The Big Ten network.
Keyboardist, guitarist, accordionist, and singer Carl Finch founded the band in 1979, releasing their first records on the band’s own Four Dots Records. Alongside Finch for most of Brave Combo’s 30 years has been multi-instrumentalist Jeffrey Barnes, who joined in 1983. Barnes is known for his lively and imaginative stage wear, as well as playing an array of reeds and woodwinds, harmonica, pennywhistle, guitars, you name it, sometimes in multiple, simultaneous combinations. Rounding out the current line-up are trumpet player Danny O’Brien, drummer Arjuna Contreras and Little Jack Melody on bass guitar.
Brave Combo continues to tour extensively and is currently working on their next CD release.
- Browse The Line Up
- Patty Griffin with special guest Buddy Miller
- Joe Ely
- Alejandro Escovedo & The Sensitive Boys
- 7 Walkers Featuring Bill Kreutzmann and Papa Mali
- Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
- Ruthie Foster
- Travelin' McCourys
- Buddy Miller
- Mindy Smith
- The Lee Boys
- Alison Brown with Joe Craven
- Blue Highway
- The Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
- Fred Eaglesmith
- The Gourds
- Jimmy LaFave
- The Special Consensus
- The Infamous Stringdusters
- Brave Combo
- Band of Heathens
- New Monsoon
- Bearfoot
- Solas
- The Trishas
- The Wronglers
- Elizabeth Cook
- Green Mountain Grass
- Jitterbug Vipers
- Flounders Without Eyes
- Ruby Jane
- Dirtfoot
- John Fullbright
- The Giving Tree Band
- Rockin Gospel Project
- Sarah Mueller
- Youth Talent Competition
- Youth Talent Competition Winner
- The Travelin' McCourys and Lee Boys
- Alison Brown and Joe Craven Workshop
- TBA
- Flyin' $ Bunkhouse Band
- Yoga
- Peter Rowan and Elizabeth Cook Songwriting Workshop
- Fiddle Workshop
- Mandolin Workshop
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The Line Up
Patty Griffin with special guest Buddy Miller, The Joe Ely Band, Alejandro Escovedo and The Sensitive Boys, Ruthie Foster, 7 Walkers featuring Bill Kreutzmann & Papa Mali, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Buddy Miller, New Monsoon, The Gourds, Jimmy LaFave, Fred Eaglesmith, Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, The Travelin' McCourys, Blue Highway, The Lee Boys, Brave Combo, Mindy Smith, Band of Heathens, Alison Brown Quartet with Joe Craven, The Infamous Stringdusters, Bearfoot, Solas, Green Mountain Grass, The Jitterbug Vipers, Flounders without Eyes, The Trishas, The Special Consensus, Elizabeth Cook, The Wronglers, The Giving Tree Band, Dirtfoot, John Fullbright, The Rockin' Gospel Project, Ruby Jane, Sarah Mueller.
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