Con Brio

Con Brio is a living, evolving testament to the power of soul. Propelled by the young phenom Ziek McCarter - a charismatic, undeniably gifted showman - Con Brio's sound draws a clear lineage from the dance-heavy funk legacies of legends like Sly & the Family Stone and James Brown, while keeping an eye on R&B trailblazers like D’Angelo and Prince and a focus firmly on the future. Based in San Francisco and named after a musical... More

Con Brio is a living, evolving testament to the power of soul. Propelled by the young phenom Ziek McCarter - a charismatic, undeniably gifted showman - Con Brio's sound draws a clear lineage from the dance-heavy funk legacies of legends like Sly & the Family Stone and James Brown, while keeping an eye on R&B trailblazers like D’Angelo and Prince and a focus firmly on the future. Based in San Francisco and named after a musical direction meaning "with spirit", Con Brio has a relentless drive for experimentation, for pushing their high technical ability higher, for reaching beyond the familiar. The resulting dynamic fuses pulsating rhythms, blazing guitar-work, soaring horns, the warm peal of a Hammond organ, and shimmering, sultry vocals with an unforgettable stage presence and seemingly limitless energy: altogether it's one hell of a party. In 2013, the longstanding rhythm section of keyboardist Micah Dubreuil, bassist Jonathan Kirchner and drummer Andrew Laubacher joined forces with incomparable guitar slinger Benjamin Andrews and McCarter: a Texas transplant who as a 19-year-old had already begun drawing crowds in his new hometown. Add in the fireworks of the "Hallelujah Horns" (Marcus Stephens & Brendan Liu) and you have the skill and confidence that comes from years of stage time and deeply-established musical partnerships with the thirst and energy of a rising star - a bright light who's just getting started. Thanks to a legion of dedicated fans (who reliably show up to tear the house down at every available opportunity), the band has shared the stage with artists such as Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Fishbone, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Trombone Shorty. The release of the Kiss The Sun EP in February of 2015 marked the beginning of Con Brio's North American touring and ambitious performance and release schedule.  Members: Ziek McCarter - Vocals Benjamin Andrews - Guitar Micah Dubreuil - Keyboards Jonathan Kirchner - Bass Andrew Laubacher - Drums Marcus Stephens - Tenor Saxophone Brendan Liu - Trumpet Less