The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is a family band consisting of 7 blood brothers trained in musical instrumentation

since the tender ages of 4 & 5 by their father, jazz trumpeter/band leader Kelan Phil Cohran (EARTH, WIND, &

FIRE. CHAKA KHAN. SUN RA) who subsequently formed the PHIL COHRAN YOUTH ENSEMBLE (1990) composed

of his children that had now become proicient in their musical presentation. The family toured the United

States performing the complex original written jazz compositions of Cohran and other greats such as

Duke Ellington, Count Basie, even classical Bach & Beethoven. Although the group’s early musical training

encompassed primarily elements of instrumental performance, the brothers were personally being exposed

to the music of their own generation (hip-hop, rock, reggae to name a few) and absorbed these components

into the cosmic jazz style of their father. By 1999, the band of brothers discontinued playing with dad in order

to ind their own sound and started going by the name of HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE.

In 2001 HBE independently cut and released their irst LP “ Satin “ (for which they recieved an American

Author’s Award). Using street performing as way to broaden their audience and hone their famed & distinctive

sound, they enjoyed grass roots success garnering over 50,000 sales nationwide. Around this time, Island DEF JAM

offered Hypnotic Brass a feature collaboration with reknowned producer NO ID (mentor to Kanye West) &

GHOSTFACE KILLAH (Metal Lungees:Pretty Toney album 2003) as well as an accompanying artist /in-house

band recording contract. Deciding to hold out for something better, HBE turned down the Def Jam agreement

and moved to New York City following the release of their second LP “Jupiter” which caught the ear of BLUR

lead DAMON ALBARN resulting in UK distribution by his imprint Honest Jons. By now “the brothers’ musical

style had blossomed and come into its own” as mentioned in the Lily Koppel NEW YORK TIMES article covering

the band’s indie success, but the group’s sound was best put by FADER magazine’s Edwin Stats “a huge brass

bridge of hypnotic polyphony connecting the cosmic jazz of Sun Ra’s Arkestra with the urgency of hip-hop

and the sweeping emotional scale of a Curtis Mayield blaxploitation opus.” Shortly after, HBE’s live show was

caught by hip-hop emcee/actor Mos Def and the brothers joined with him onstage and began touring as

the MOS DEF BIG BAND (including Robert Glasper, Chris Dave, Casey Benjamin) gracing stages from

JAZZSTAGE at LINCOLN CENTER to SHEAPHERD”S BUSH in London. At the same time Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

itself inked an outitting deal with Dutch denim giant GSTAR RAW, and began their foray into international

touring with a Europe trip featuring headlining performances at NORTH SEA JAZZ fest, BREAD & BUTTER

BARCELONA, and the GOOD THE BAD THE QUEEN Victoria Park. Scheduling conlicts led to the eventual

disintegration of the MOS DEF BIG BAND but the band performed several shows since with Mos Def

(YASIIN BEY) on vocals front-stage.

By 2008 Hypnotic Brass had performed their original tunes in every corner of the world to audiences as big

as 110,000 (GLASTONBURY. ROSKILDE) and premiere music venues around the world

(RONNIE SCOTTS LONDON. SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE. CARNEGIE HALL NYC), all accomplished by their

self-manned staff and clever partnerships. HBE took a trip to Africa (LAGOS) with Damon Albarn & Africa

Express and the result was a full LP recorded upon return to London and released under UK Honest Jons in

2009 (which later featured a song “WAR” on blockbuster movie HUNGER GAMES), HBE signed on with

THE AGENCY GROUP and set out to blow away audiences at WOMAD AU: BIG CHILL: NOVARRA JAZZ:

BERMUDA JAZZ FEST: PERCPAN in Brazil: POHODA in Czech Republic: COACHELLA: & many others.

The brothers were living in London when they recorded the GORILLAZ record with D.Albarn

“WELCOME TO PLASTIC BEACH” and joined the “Plastic Beach 2010” world tour upon its release performing

alongside BOBBY WOMACK: MICK JONES from the CLASH: DE LA SOUL: & SNOOP DOGG. Hypnotic Brass

Ensemble gave their signature dose of hard brass to every audience on the 4 month international tour and

earned a spot backing up PRINCE at the NEW POWER GENERATION FEST in Denmark the next year, coming

personally requested by THE ARTIST himself. Since then HBE has grown into an even newer sound with their

latest efforts “BulletProof Brass” & “FLY” released by their very own imprint PHEELCO ENTERTAINMENT.

They are now gearing up to release a new installment entitled “Bad Boys Of Jazz” …

Most Notable Performances:

2007 Bread and Butter Fashion Show Barcelona, Spain

2008 America’s Got Talent Los Angeles, California

2009 Fela Kuti’s “Shrine” Lagos, Nigeria

2009 Felabration Lagos, Nigeria

2009 PASS Music Festival Langa, South Africa

2009 Pori Jazz Festival Pori, Finland

2009 WOMAD Wiltshire, England

2009 Asigiri Music Festival Shizuoka, Japan

2009 Later ..with Jools Holland London, England

2007 – 10 North Sea Jazz Festival Rotterdam, Netherlands

2009 – 10 Glastonbury Festival Somerset, England

2009 – 10 Electric Picnic County Laois, Ireland

2010 WOMAD Adelaide, Australia

2010 Edinburgh Jazz Festival Edinburgh, England

2010 Meridith Jazz Festival Victoria, Australia

2010 Perc Pan Music Festival Salvador, Brazil

2011 Sydney Opera House Sydney, Australia

2011 WOMAD Extremadura, Spain

2014 Akban Jazz Festival Istanbul, Turkey

HBE Collaborative Performances:

2007 / NY, NY / Jazz at Lincoln Center / American Songbook w/ Mos Def Big Band

2007 / Brooklyn, NY / Brooklyn Academy of Music Brooklyn Next w/ Mos Def Big Band

2010 / Milan, Italy / Teatro Manzoni / Aperitivo In Concerto w/ Kelan Phil Cohran

2010 / Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour w/ Gorillaz

2011 / Dublin, Ireland / Button Factory w/ De La Soul

2011 / Galway, Ireland / Galway Arts Festival w/ De La Soul

2011 / Copenhagen, Denmark / New Power Generation Music Festival w/ The Artist Formerly

Known As “Prince”

2011 / Dublin, Ireland / Vicar Street / Honest Jon’s Chop Up w/ Kelan Phil Cohran, Damon

Albarn, Tony Allen, & Flea

2011 / Adelaide, Australia / Rocket Bar / Harvest Festival w/ The Family Stone

2011 / Melbourne, Australia / Prince Bandroom / Harvest Festival w/ The Family Stone

2013 / Istanbul, Turkey / Lütfi Kırdar Anadolu Auditorium/ Akban Festival w/ Mos Def &

MF Doom

2015 / Chicago, Illinois / The Promontory / w/ De La Soul