Not From Brooklyn
Beyond Boundaries: A Fusion of Genres, Styles, and Spontaneity
Welcome to the official webpage of Not From Brooklyn, a dynamic and versatile band
based in the Ithaca / Corning / Elmira Region of NY. Our band is known for its unique blend of genres, creating an engaging and varied musical experience that captivates audiences at every performance. Whether you’re a fan of jazz, funk, rock, or Latin music, Not From Brooklyn has something to offer everyone.
Our Musical Journey
Since 2018, Not From Brooklyn has been distinguished by its eclectic repertoire and ability to seamlessly blend various musical styles. Every gig features a diverse mix of genres, grooves, and tempos, ensuring a fresh and engaging musical experience each time. Below are the genres that heavily influence our performances.
Jazz
We bring fast jazz swing tunes to life with pieces like “Impressions” and “Tangerine,” offering a lively and sophisticated experience. Our jazz influence extends further with standards by legendary artists like Wayne Shorter and Thelonious Monk, showcasing our appreciation for the genre. Songs such as “Fee Fi Fo Fum” and other classics demonstrate the jazz influence in our music.
Blues
Incorporating classic blues into our repertoire adds depth and soul to our performances. Blues classics like “Back at The Chicken Shack” and “Please Send Me Someone to Love” allow us to explore the rich emotional landscape of the blues. These pieces resonate with audiences and highlight our ability to convey heartfelt emotion through music.
Jazz-Funk
Our New Orleans-inspired jazz-funk selections, including “Drawlin'” (an original composition), “The Chicken,” and “When the Saints Go Marching In,” add a vibrant and energetic groove to our sets. This genre blend creates an infectious energy that gets audiences moving and engaged.
Rock-Influenced Funk
Our jazz- or rock-influenced funk tunes, such as “Hey Funk Face!” (an original by
Steve Webb) and “What We Do Sometimes” (an original by Dennis Winge), are crowd favorites. These songs combine the best elements of rock and funk, resulting in a dynamic and powerful sound that keeps audiences on their feet.
Ballads
For ballads, we turn to rock classics like “Little Wing” and “‘Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers,” creating emotional and memorable moments. These songs showcase our ability to slow things down and connect with listeners on a deeper level.
Odd Meter Compositions
We embrace complex rhythms with our odd meter compositions, including “My 11 Children” (in 11/4), “Your Seven Wives” (7/4), and “If You Should Hesitate” (5/8), all composed by Dennis. These pieces challenge us and keep our music intellectually
engaging, providing a unique listening experience.
Bluegrass
Our diverse musical influences also include bluegrass tunes like “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad” and “Big Country” by Bela Fleck. These songs add a touch of Americana and roots music to our performances, broadening our appeal and showcasing our versatility.
Latin Jazz
Strong Latin jazz influences can be heard in songs like “Yo,” “Carnaval,” and “Nica’s Dream.” These pieces infuse our sets with lively rhythms and vibrant melodies, creating a festive atmosphere that delights audiences.
Reggae
Yet another important influence on the music of Not From Brooklyn in reggae. Sometimes the band plays reggae versions of jazz standards such as “Autumn Leaves” or “Well, You Needn’t,” and there are reggae grooves in portions of the band’s original compositions as well such as “Skunk Junk.” We even did a reggae version of Pachelbel’s Canon once!
Unique Blend of Freedom and Form
What sets Not From Brooklyn apart is our unique blend of freedom and form. We are not a jam band, but we do love to improvise. Our songs have specific structures, yet many sections are open-ended, allowing us to explore new musical territories within these frameworks. This balance of structure and spontaneity ensures that each performance is fresh and engaging, offering something new for our audience every time.
Instrumental music can sometimes be overlooked due to the absence of a vocalist or lyrics. However, Not From Brooklyn manages to command attention through our blend of melodic and harmonic structures, improvisation, and the wide variety of genres, tempos, and grooves we incorporate into our performances.
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Meet the Band
Dennis Winge (Guitar)
Dennis Winge is a professional guitarist based in Ithaca, NY, renowned for his versatility and involvement in numerous musical projects. He leads several bands and offers a wide range of live music services, including solo performances, jazz ensembles, rock cover bands, and more.
Winge is highly active in the local music scene and has released ten instrumental albums, showcasing his talent across multiple genres. In addition to performing, Dennis is dedicated to teaching guitar through Guitar Lessons Ithaca, making him a sought-after musician and educator in the Finger Lakes region.
Steve Webb (Bass)
Steve Webb spent his twenties based in Arcata, California and touring nationally with his band, The Nucleus. They produced seven albums during their time together with Love & Gold and Quicksand being the most highly acclaimed.
Following a four year stint in Los Angeles where he played regionally with several bands he returned to his quiet hometown in Upstate New York to raise his son and take a job as caretaker of Mark Twain’s summer home, Quarry Farm.
Since his return Steve has created the albums Timewaves under the pseudonym Stivander and the Balance and National Treasure as The Most Famous Steve Webb. In addition to participating in recording Not From Brooklyn’s self-titled debut album (see below), his band The 40Theeves released their debut album, Some People. He also plays regionally with the funk/soul cover band, TopShelf.
Joel Carberry (Drums)
Joel P. Carberry is a drummer from Corning, NY, and a technologist at Corning Incorporated. Residing in Big Flats, NY, Joel has been an active participant in the local music scene while maintaining his professional career. Despite personal challenges, including the recent passing of his wife, Joel continues to contribute significantly to the community and various musical projects. Joel also plays in Top Shelf and has been a regular for other top bands in the area, such as Rust.
Our Debut Album
Liner Notes:
Hey Funk Face! This tune sets the tone for the album with its accessible, grooving style, blending various genres. It epitomizes the band’s ethos: adventurous yet
grounded.
Drawlin’ Inspired by New Orleans’ second-line groove and the 3-2 clave, this track features a melody that emerged from live improvisation, showcasing the band’s spontaneity.
Summer’s Over in NY Despite its melancholic title, this song features a unique live fade-out, exemplifying the band’s ability to adapt and create in the moment.
Your Seven Wives An exploration of odd time signatures, this tune balances complexity with a cool ostinato bassline, making it a standout piece in our repertoire.
Mauritian Sega Inspired by the rhythms of the Mauritian Islands, this track integrates world music influences into our jazz-funk framework.
That Skunk Junk Combining influences from Jerry Garcia and The Police, this track showcases the band’s ability to blend different styles and create something new and exciting.
Smooth Blues A lighthearted tune with a backstory that adds humor and charm to its place in our setlist, initially titled “Jesus Toast” due to an inside joke among band members.
Oriole This track highlights the collaborative process between Dennis and Steve, allowing for free interpretation and rhythmic variation.
What We Do Sometimes Characterized by its cyclical solo section and unique chord voicings, this tune reflects the band’s innovative approach to composition.
Liquid Universe The only ballad on the album, this piece was composed during a quiet, introspective moment, adding a serene contrast to the album’s more energetic tracks.
My 11 Children Featuring an 11-beat meter, this track is a playful and complex piece that ties together various musical ideas into a cohesive whole.
Our Pre-Debut Album
Before the formation of Not From Brooklyn, Dennis Winge released an album titled “Come Out & Play” under his own name. This album is a fun, off-the-cuff selection of standard instrumentals recorded live in 2018 at Horrigan’s in Elmira, NY. The
recording features Joel Carberry on drums and Steve Webb on bass, with the exception of one track where Tom Westcott takes over on bass.
The album captures the vibrant and playful atmosphere of the “Chicken & Jazz” nights at Horrigan’s, where the trio performed every first Wednesday evening. These nights were immensely popular, often drawing lively and enthusiastic crowds. The venue provided the perfect setting for the trio to frolic and explore musically, which is why the album was aptly named “Come Out & Play.” This album highlights the group’s ability to engage in spontaneous musical interactions and showcases their skill in live performance settings.
Live at Two Goats, September 2019
set 1
set 2
Extensive Repertoire
Our repertoire is extensive and varied, featuring originals by both Dennis and Steve, jazz standards, and a mix of rock, pop, world, and blues tunes.
Originals by Steve Webb
- Hey Funk Face!
- Oriole
- Summer’s Over in NY
- That Skunk Junk
Originals by Dennis Winge
- Blues the Way I Like ‘Em
- Carnaval
- Drawlin’
- Dusty Ol’ Village
- Feedin’ Time (aka Chickn Pickin)
- Funkination
- Green
- If You Should Hesitate
- In the Park
- Khanda Blues
- Liquid Universe
- Mauritian Sega
- Mosaic
- My 11 Children
- Party at Stubblefield’s
- Roses Are Blue
- See You in September
- Short Attention Span Jam
- Ska Blues
- Smooth Blues
- Sojourn
- Song for Max
- Sun and Waterfalls
- Sunday Brunch
- Super Slow Blues
- Suspension without Termination
- Tahitian Block Party
- Waltz with Rhythm
- What We Do Sometimes
- Yo
- Your Seven Wives
Jazz Standards
- Agua De Beber
- All Blues
- All of Me
- All the Things You Are
- Autumn Leaves
- Blue Bossa
- Blue Monk
- Ceora
- The Chicken
- Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum
- Four on Six
- I Mean You
- Impressions
- It’s Only a Paper Moon
- Jitterbug Waltz
- Jordu
- Maiden Voyage
- Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
- Mr. PC
- Nardis
- Nica’s Dream
- Ornithology
- Red Clay
- Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers
- So What
- Song for My Father
- Straight, No Chaser
- Sugar
- Tangerine
- Well, You Needn’t
Rock, Pop, World, Blues
- Back at Chicken Shack
- Big Country
- Cats and Kittens
- Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers
- Cold Duck Time
- Come Along, Jody
- Come Together
- Europa
- Freeway Jam Medley
- Goin’ Down – Road Feelin’ Bad
- Ice Cream
- Isn’t She Lovely
- Jammin’
- Little Wing
- My Babe
- Pachelbel’s Canon
- Please Send Me Someone to Love
- See Me, Feel Me
- Tell Me Something Good
- Tom Thumb
- Voodoo Chile
- When the Saints
Book Us for Your Event
When you choose Not From Brooklyn, you’re not just booking a band; you’re investing in an unforgettable musical experience. Our performances are meticulously planned yet allow for spontaneous creativity, ensuring that each event is unique. Whether you’re hosting a wedding, corporate event, or private party, we promise to deliver a performance that your guests will remember.
For booking inquiries and more information, please contact us at [insert contact details here].
Thank you for visiting our webpage. We look forward to sharing our music with you!