The Inspector Gadje Brass Band is available for shows, house parties, weddings, street festivals, and any other situation where you need to shake that brass.
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Inspector Gadje at The Independent for International Roma Day
With up to 15 musicians (12 horns and 3 percussionists), San Francisco-based Inspector Gadje brings a big sound to the beautiful and bumpin’ brass band music of the Balkans of south-eastern Europe. Hearing Inspector Gadje is love at first listen. The driving, tight groove of low brass and drums with soaring melodies from trumpets, saxophones, and clarinet incite joy and dance from the very first downbeat. Inspector Gadje ignites the dance floor and makes the party wherever they play, be it clubs (including notable venues such as the Independent, Fox Theater, Ashkenaz, Café du Nord, New Parish, Rickshaw Stop, and Yoshi’s) weddings, parties, and street festivals.
Inspector Gadje at The Independent
Original inspiration for the group came from many years of collaboration between the Brass Liberation Orchestra (BLO), a progressive social activist street band, and the Voice of Roma, a non-profit organization that supports Romani community and cultural causes world-wide. In 2009, after years of working together, Voice of Roma secured grant funding from the Haas Foundation to teach traditional Romani music to the BLO through an intensive six months of study with master Bulgarian-Romani musician Rumen “Sali” Shopov and well-known local Balkan musician, Peter Jaques. Subsequently, members of the BLO elected to continue their study and performance through a new band solely dedicated to Balkan music. Additional musicians were recruited to form the now known and loved Inspector Gadje.
History
Inspector Gadje at The IndependentRomani Community Connections
Through study and performance of Romani music, Inspector Gadje pays homage to Romani culture and community, all the while acknowledging our own simultaneous position as cultural outsiders and allies. The name “Inspector Gadje” is not only a playful reference to the popular 1980’s cartoon show “Inspector Gadget,” but also to the bands’ non-Romani identity as “gadje.” For more information about Romani issues and efforts to break “Gypsy” (the often-pejorative term for Roma) stereotypes, visit www.VoiceofRoma.com.Band Members
- Noah Levitt - trumpet
- Danny Cao - trumpet
- Eric Oberthaler - trumpet
- Morgan Nilsen - clarinet
- Ofir Uziel - alto saxophone, accordion
- Paul Bertin - alto saxophone
- Mike Perlmutter - alto saxophone, clarinet
- Jeff Giaquinto - baritone horn, trombone
- Paul Marini - baritone horn
- Greg Michalec - baritone saxophone
- Andrew Cohen - helicon
- Sean Tergis - percussion
- Jonathan Selin - percussion
Concert Venues
- Amnesia, San Francisco
- Ashkenaz, Berkeley
- Café du Nord, San Francisco
- Croatian American Cultural Center, San Francisco
- El Valenciano, San Francisco (with Brass Menazeri)
- Fox Theater, Oakland (opened for Beats Antique)
- Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, Berkeley
- Golden Fest, Brooklyn, NY
- Herdeljezi Festival, Petaluma
- The Independent, San Francisco (opened for Rupa and the April Fishes)
- Kafana Balkan, San Francisco
- The New Parish, Oakland
- Outside Lands Music Festival, San Francisco (with the Loyd Family Players)
- Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco
- Starry Plough, Berkeley
- Subterranean Arthouse, Berkeley
- Treasure Island Music Festival, San Francisco
- Vitus, Oakland (with Brass Menazeri)
- Yoshi's, Oakland
Booking
Inspector Gadje will make your party move! Contact them for shows, house parties, weddings, street festivals, and any other situation where you need to shake that brass! For booking write to InspectorGadje@gmail.com.Bay Area-based Inspector Gadje brings a big sound to the bumpin’ brass band music of the Balkans. Whether they are miked or playing acoustically, hearing this 14 piece orkestar is love at first listen. The driving, tight groove of low brass and drums with soaring melodies from trumpets, saxophone and clarinet incite joy and dance from the very first downbeat. Inspector Gadje ignites the dance floor and makes the party wherever they play, be it clubs, weddings, private events, or festivals.
