The Flatbush Reboppers is a brand new acoustic jazz group based in Brooklyn, New York, which lovingly re-imagines classic hard bop of the 1940s – 1960s. This incredibly fertile era of music truly represents an Amercian renaissance period from which musicans of today still explore.
The Flatbush Reboppers features a combination of veteran NYC-based musicians, as well as new faces on the scene, including trumpet player and producer Jeremy Mush1, drummer Luis Zuluaga, pianist Ifacho Okeke, bassist Paul Stickney, and tenor saxophonist Zach Koeber.
Various iterations of the group have graced stages in New York City including The Iridium (Sold Out), Williamsburg Music Center (Sold Out), Littlefield, and Bar 9. The members of the group look forward to continuing to share this music we love.
Jeremy Mush1 is a trumpeter based in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Mush1 cut his teeth touring nationally and internationally throughout the 1990’s with seminal roots ska/reggae group, The Slackers, where he also served as composer, arranger, and vocalist. In need of rootsier and more horn-based music, Mush1 left the group in 2000 in order to lead his own projects, including Fireproof (with Sister Nancy) and The Scorchers. Mush1 currently leads Top Shotta Band featuring Screechy Dan, a 10-piece roots/ska/dub group (since 2010), and also plays lead trumpet with Hungry March Band, a diverse 16-piece punk rock 2nd line brass band. Mush1 also owns and operates Al Paragus HQ, a full service analog/digital recording studio, where he has produced music for a wide range of Jamaican artists, including Lady Ann, Carlton Livingston, Junior Cat, and Sammy Dread. In addition, Mush1 also owns and operates Al Paragus HQ event space, where he hosts When Dance Was Nice, an all-vinyl rub-a-dub reggae/blues dance, which has been dubbed “the best sounding place in New York City to hear vintage reggae music”, and which features the top all vinyl selectors and artists from the golden age of dancehall reggae music (1970’s-1990’s). However, like the original Jamaican ska session musicians of the early 1960s, Mush1’s deepest musical passion is jazz, particularly bebop and hard bop, and he is ecstatic to finally bring the music closest to his heart to the public with this new venture.
Luis Zuluaga ne Zulu is a 30+ year veteran of the NYC jazz and ska/reggae scene. Zulu cut his teeth at the original University of the Streets jam sessions in Alphabet City in the 1980s, and went on to form seminal traditional ska group The Slackers, where he melded the conversational bop drumming style of Max Roach with the creator of Jamaican ska, the great Lloyd Knibb. As a conduit for these two great players, Zulu truly created his own voice in Jamaican music, and stands as a torchbearer between its creators, and the young musicians of today. Now, with Birth of the Cool, Zulu happily returns to his musical roots, along with his musical brethren Mush1, as an elder musical statesman.
Born in Nigeria and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Ifacho Okeke is a talented vocalist and pianist. She plays for churches and as well as jazz bands. She also uses her passion for teaching to mentor students. Ifacho began studying classical piano at age 8. At age 15 she began studying jazz as well. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in Biology, she decided to attend the New School Jazz program in New York. Since then she has appeared in major jazz clubs in New York City including the Blue Note, Birdland, and the Cotton Club. While earning a B.S. in Biology at Stanford University, she immersed herself in jazz by listening to Red Garland, Phineas Newborn, Herbie Hancock, and McCoy Tyner. Deferring her place at Cornell Medical School, she entered the New School for Social Research Jazz Program. There she received further training and guidance from famed trumpeter Donald Byrd, Cecil Bridgewater and pianist Jaki Byard. Her credits include leading the all-female sextet “Jazz Essence” which received rave reviews when they opened for Etta Jones and Houston Person at the Schomburg Center. She has performed throughout New York and has played with trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater, Charli Persip’s Big Band, tenor saxophonist Carlos Garnett, and alto saxophonist/ flautist James Spaulding.
Paul Stickney stands out as a self taught jazz bassist. He honed his craft by busking in NYC parks and subway stations with countless jazz musicians, including Charles Mingus saxophonist John Tank, and jazz pianist Harold Mabern. Paul’s music interests stretch to alternative rock, neo-soul, and gospel. Starting on the bass guitar at age 14, he began playing the upright bass after living in NYC for 6 years. His band members describe his playing as precise, grooving, and endlessly creative. It’s a pleasure to listen to Paul and now audiences get to hear his unique style of playing as well.
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