The currents connecting New Orleans to the Bay Area run deep and MJ’s Brass Boppers embody the enduring ties that have sustained a potent strain of Gulf Coast culture in San Francisco. Led by snare drummer and Crescent City native Michael “MJ” Jones, the 11-piece Brass Boppers is built on a core of New Orleans-reared players, including saxophonist Al Lazard, vocalist/percussionist Nate Cameron and grand marshal Arion “Irie” Chapman, the band’s charismatic frontman. Founded in 2008, the group has meticulously honed a celebratory book of original material that fuses classic, high-energy NOLA performance and potent second line rhythms with funk, jazz and contemporary pop. An essential part of the Bay Area soundscape, they’ve played festivals, community events, nightclubs and street corners around the region (and far beyond) while opening for a roster of heavyweights, including George Clinton & Funkadelic, The O’Jays, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave, Funky Meters, George Porter Jr., Kermit Ruffins, Glenn David Andrews, Zigaboo Modeliste, Monophonics and the California Honeydrops. Delivering a dose of authentic New Orleans style with West Coast flair, MJ’s Brass Boppers more than hold their own in any musical company.