On Tour: Too Many Zooz | 02.07.20

There’s something about horns that gives music the human touch. Case in point, Too Many Zooz, whose warm, organic tunes stand in stark contrast to the often robotic beats prevalent in hip-hop. The trio constructs hip-hop and house beats in their inimitable “brasshouse” style that eschew synthesizers in favor of saxophone, trumpet, and live drums (courtesy of Leo P, Matt Doe, and the King of Sludge, respectively) to craft booty-shaking beats that are full of human life and soul. They’ve come a long way from the New York City subway trains where their brasshouse sound as born, from tours across the US and Europe to a Charles Mingus tribute at the Royal Albert Hall, from kicking it in a Canadaian Kentucky Fried Chicken commercial to backing up Beyoncé at the Billboard Music Awards. Though primarily instrumental, the band’s debut full-length—2016’s Subway Gawdz—features guest verses from a number of indie rappers. It will be interesting to see how the trio brings these songs to life in a live setting when they hit the Off Broadway stage this weekend. | Jason Green