Magnetic Ear is a New Orleans brass band led by saxophonist Martin Krusche, who originally built the group as a small "pocket brass band" platform for his complex, brass-based jazz compositions and electric tenor sax experiments. In the years since, the ensemble has expanded into a more traditional brass band lineup, a shift that's moved the band's sound squarely into dance-floor territory while retaining its cerebral, exploratory edge. The band has also been involved with New Orleans Airlift's Berlin project, connecting New Orleans musicians with international collaborators.
Magnetic Ear's 2015 live album, Live at Vaughan's, recorded in October of that year and reviewed by OffBeat Magazine's Jennifer Odell, featured a lineup of Krusche on tenor and soprano sax, Dan Oestreicher on baritone sax, Wes Anderson and Jon Ramm-Gramenz on trombone, Steven Glenn on sousaphone, and Paul Thibodeaux on drums. The record showcases the band's genre-spanning range, moving from Cuban-inflected material like "587 Miles" to Balkan brass jams like "Zivilkonttrolle" to covers of Nirvana and Prince, alongside original funk tributes like "Uncle Roger," a tip of the hat to the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
Magnetic Ear has also released the album Live At Saturn Bar and remains a fixture of the New Orleans brass band scene, performing regularly at venues including Vaughan's, the Saturn Bar, and Gasa Gasa, as well as festival stages including Bayou Boogaloo.
