Tidal Wave Brass Band was established in New Orleans in 2022, built around the mission of creating musical magic that refuses to fit neatly into one category. The five-piece brass band moves fluidly across genres, from gospel to rock and jazz to Caribbean rhythms, tailoring their sound to suit weddings, parties, festivals, jazz funerals, corporate events, and more — including learning new songs on request for specific occasions.
The band's trumpeter, John Perkins, got his start in music at age 13 at Thurgood Marshall Middle School before becoming section leader and band captain at McDonogh 35 Senior High School. He went on to earn a degree in Jazz Studies from the University of New Orleans, studying under Ellis Marsalis, Leroy Jones, Steve Masakowski, Brent Rose, and Ashlin Parker, among others. Perkins has performed with a wide range of New Orleans' most celebrated brass and jazz institutions, including Rebirth Brass Band, Kinfolk Brass Band, Stooges Brass Band, the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, and the Preservation Hall Band, and has traveled the world as a US ambassador spreading the culture of New Orleans music.
Tidal Wave Brass Band has performed at the New Orleans Jazz Museum's Balcony Concert Series and continues to build a reputation as a reliable, versatile presence at weddings and second lines across the city, earning consistent praise for their professionalism, adaptability, and ability to bring authentic New Orleans flair to any occasion.
