Way Up

THE WILD IRIS BRASS BAND – THE BRAINCHILD OF JEFF COFFIN (DAVE MATTHEWS BAND) AND RAY MASON (LAUREN DAIGLE/ELVIS COSTELLO) – CELEBRATES THE JOY OF THE NEW ORLEANS BRASS BAND TRADITION AND FUSES IT WITH WORLD COLORS IN WAY UP

OUT JULY 25, 2025 VIA EAR UP

The sheer joy and exuberance of the Wild Iris Brass Band – the Nashville-based, New Orleans-informed brass band co-founded by saxophonist Jeff Coffin and trombonist Ray Mason – is immediately audible to every listener. Throughout WAY UP, Coffin and Mason blend compositional sophistication with the spontaneous energy of the street, drawing on their decades of experience in jazz, funk, pop, and global traditions to craft music that feels both timeless and current, at once rooted and searching. Celebrating and honoring the timeless New Orleans tradition that has kept people dancing for over a century, the Wild Iris Brass Band takes the familiar and blends it with sounds from across the world, and sounds local to Nashville. With a loaded roster and a star-studded guest list, WAY UP proves to be a remarkable debut.

The Wild Iris Brass Band was founded in a manner that is rightly reflective of the mirth that it brings. In 2021, well amidst the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, Coffin had a close friend who was about to celebrate his 50th birthday. The friend had previously remarked to Coffin that he’d always imagined himself sitting in New Orleans, drinking coffee and watching a brass band, to celebrate his half-century, but due to the travel restrictions was unable. Coffin, being a man not easily daunted, reached out to Mason, who had recently become his neighbor, and the two began scheming up a short New Orleans set, united by a shared love of the brass band tradition. Sure enough, come the morning of his friend’s birthday, Coffin and Mason assembled a brass band that came marching down the road, performing a 20-minute set of New Orleans traditional brass band repertoire.

After the initial thrill of surprising a friend, Coffin and Mason decided that the brass band was too much fun to abandon. What initially began as Coffin and Mason gathering to compose and arrange tunes soon developed into the formation of a full-fledged brass band, resulting in the establishment of the Wild Iris Brass Band.  The Wild Iris is comprised of Jeff Coffin (soprano, tenor, baritone, and electro-sax, clarinet, bass clarinet), Ray Mason (trombone), Emmanuel Echem (trumpet), Jovan Quallo (alto saxophone), Neil Konouchi (sousaphone), Justin Amaral (drums, percussion), and Ryoko Suzuki (tambourine). WAY UP showcases the band and invites a host of friends and collaborators to the fore, including Bela Fleck (banjo), Steven Bernstein (electric slide trumpet), Bernardo Aguiar (Brazilian percussion), Bob Lanzetti (guitar), Weedie Braimah (djembe, congas), and Yuko Bannai (additional vocals). 

Musically, much of the content on this album was composed by Coffin and Mason, with demo recordings created exclusively by the two of them during the mid-pandemic period, prior to assembling a full band lineup. This process influenced a distinctive compositional approach, resulting in a dynamic sound that gradually expands outward on certain tracks, such as “To The Bone”. Notably, due to the broad musical mastery of both co-founders, WAY UP blends styles beyond what is typically heard in a New Orleans brass band. Yet even this aligns with the history of New Orleans as a port city that was a melting pot for cultures and styles.

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The album opens with “We’re the Wild Iris”, a nod to the band’s title, which is in turn a nod to the geographic location of the band, as the Tennessee state flower is the wild iris. Featuring Steven Berstein of Sexmob & Levon Helm on electric slide trumpet, the piece is a sonic ode to Mason’s time spent in Manhattan’s East Village and the strong influences on his playing that came from there. The vocals are from the members of the band throughout the recording with the addition of Coffin’s sister in law Yuko Bannai on ”Let It Slide”.

The album continues with an arrangement of one of the most beloved songs by one of America’s most beloved musicians: Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5”. The arrangement is one of Coffin’s creations and is a loving ode to the band’s Tennessee roots, as well as simply being a riotous good time to listen to. 

“Eye of the Cyclops” was chiefly composed by Coffin then later interpreted by Mason, brought to life by the guitar work of Bob Lanzetti (Snarky Puppy) and the dynamic percussion of Weedie Braimah. In the words of Mason, this piece offers “a tip of the hat to the Brooklyn Afrobeat scene I was raised in, filtered through Nashville dirt.”

“Bramble Ramble” pays homage in its arrangement to Duke Ellington. The piece is structured as a conversation between contrasting horn sections with widely differing timbres: clarinet and muted brass pitted against open horns. 

“Steppin’ Up” is a swampy, brass band rehash of the eternal jazz classic, “Giant Steps”. Recorded early in the morning as a single, unapologetic take, the track is, as Mason describes, “wild and unfiltered, just how it had to be.” This piece is followed by a stark yet refreshing contrast in “Slow Express,” a melding of the sounds of Tennessee and New Orleans, featuring the legendary Bela Fleck on banjo. Understated and balanced, this track adds a wealth of depth to the entire album. 

The album concludes with a raucous double feature of “Let It Slide” and “To The Bone.” The former is a jam track featuring bass clarinet and tuba, and brought to a roaring conclusion with Emmanuel Echem’s trumpet solo. “To The Bone” is celebratory and brings a perfectly satisfying finale to WAY UP. Creatively blending the New Orleans brass band tradition with the Brazilian carnival style, this track features Bernardo Aguiar adding the authentic Brazilian touch to wrap everything together.

Jeff Coffin brings considerable acclaim to the Wild Iris Brass Band, having earned a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for his 2022 solo project Between Dreaming and Joy at the 65th GRAMMY® Awards. His latest critically acclaimed album Only The Horizon (2024) further solidifies his reputation as one of the preeminent musical minds of our time, featuring collaborations with over 40 iconic musicians including Carter Beauford, Victor Wooten, Béla Fleck, and Keb’ Mo’. As a three-time GRAMMY® winner and touring member with recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Dave Matthews Band for nearly two decades, Coffin’s extensive experience and musical vision significantly inform the Wild Iris Brass Band’s distinctive sound that transcends traditional genre boundaries.

Co-founder Ray Mason brings equally impressive credentials to the Wild Iris Brass Band as one of pop music’s most sought-after trombonists. At 35, Mason has performed with superstars including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, and Alicia Keys, with television highlights including the 2020 Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show, the Academy Awards, and Saturday Night Live. His studio work can be heard on global hits like “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, as well as albums by Lizzo, The Roots, and Mac Miller. As a member of Antibalas and the Daptone Records family, Mason is a a GRAMMY nominee for Best Global Music Album (2021) and has shared the stage at Carnegie Hall with Allen Toussaint and Dr. John. A key player in the 2010s Brooklyn brass scene, his early work with groups like Red Baraat (Tiny Desk Concert 2017), Lucky Chops, and High & Mighty Brass Band helped shape a new wave of street brass in New York City. Mason’s arranging credits range from Ed Sheeran collaborations to soundtracks films and brands like Nike and Marvel, bridging genres and generations with ease and vision. 

With WAY UP, the Wild Iris Brass Band has set itself up to be a powerful voice in the years to come – not only as formidable musicians, but as a unified crew who can reach people in a way that plucks heartstrings and makes feet tap with an irresistible rhythm. The Wild Iris Brass Band is not merely revisiting the brass band canon; they are extending it by writing the next chapter in a story that began on the streets of New Orleans and now winds through the hills of Tennessee, across continents, and into new sonic territory.

WAY UP releases July 25, 2025 via Ear Up.