Jevon Kennedy is the voice and front man of Brass Tracks Band — a soulful, versatile vocalist equally at home with an intimate ballad or a full-horn anthem. For more than a decade he's fronted the band across hundreds of performances, from amphitheater stages like the Fraze Pavilion to the Ohio State Fair, casino main stages, festivals, weddings, and corporate events across the region.
That command is the product of a deliberately eclectic career that has put Jevon in front of nearly every kind of audience there is. As a young performer he was a cast member of the award-winning television series Mr. Manime and You, toured nationally with the Dayton Rotary Boys Choir, appeared in productions with Kettering Theatre Under the Stars, sang tenor in a barbershop quartet, and spent years leading worship for congregations of thousands. Television, choral, theater, church — each stage taught the same discipline: read the room and lift it. He traces it all back to his grandmother, who set him on course with four words he never forgot: "Boy, you'd better open your mouth and sing."
Put him in front of a crowd and nobody stays seated for long; hand him a ballad, and he'll stir the heart and soul of everyone in the room.
Inspired by watching a Johnny Cash special to pick up the guitar, Kevin's country roots have blossomed into one of the finest rock, rhythm and blues guitarists to grace the stage. Having performed solo acoustic gigs around the country, Kevin successfully switches hats when strapping on his electric guitar — bringing fire and precision to his years with Second Shift and now Brass Tracks Band. Whether navigating razor-sharp Chicago riffs or settling into the deep funk groove of a Tower of Power classic, Kevin delivers every time.
One of the most solid drummers in the business, Kevin has performed throughout Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana with diverse groups including the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Water Street, The Lost Canyon Band, Nightwatch, Second Shift, and Slowhand. He has shared the stage with notable artists such as Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich, Beverly Sills, .38 Special, and Rick Derringer. A founding force behind Brass Tracks Band's tight rhythm section, Kevin also serves as one of the band's primary booking contacts.
Having music in his blood his whole life, Don has displayed exceptional bass guitar skills with groups including Water Street, Nightwatch, Second Shift, and Slowhand — while also finding success behind the scenes. With a strong technical background, Don has provided sound engineering and lighting for national artists including Aretha Franklin, Toby Keith, and Tony Bennett. On stage, his deep, rolling groove is the foundation that gives the BTB horn section room to breathe and punch every night.
A consummate professional, the energy and personality Hal Melia brings to the stage is contagious. He has recorded and arranged with some of the top jazz and R&B groups of our time — Tower of Power Horns, the Buddy Rich Band, and Billy Vera and the Beaters — and has appeared in several major motion pictures including Bugsy, Dick Tracy, The Marrying Man, Mobsters, and Parent Trap III. Hal resides in Dayton, Ohio, serving as Adjunct Professor of Saxophone, Woodwinds, and Jazz Studies at Central State University.
A Cincinnati-based musician, Sean started playing music at age 5, picking up the trumpet at 10. By 14 he was playing cocktail jazz with his father at private parties — and it all took off from there. Cincinnati audiences may recognize Sean from performances with The Northern Lights Jazztet and The Blue Birds, among others. Most recently, Sean had the privilege of performing with one of Motown's finest, The Four Tops. Sean holds a degree in Music Education, a Performance degree in Jazz Trumpet, and additional academic credentials in music.
Andrew hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is an active performer throughout the Midwest. His career has taken him across the United States, appearing with major symphony orchestras including the Cincinnati Pops and recording in Capital Records Studio "A" — the same studio that recorded Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, and countless other icons. In addition to Brass Tracks, Andrew is the Principal Trombone of the Lexington Philharmonic, Professor of Low Brass at Central State University, and a former Music Director of the United States Air Force Band of Flight. He is an Endorsing Artist for Bach Brass and plays Bach trombones exclusively.
Born in Cynthiana, Kentucky, Tim has been a professional musician since age 18 — performing since 11, playing since 8. He attended the University of Kentucky and was a member of the Magnificent 7 and Luv Machine, two popular R&B jazz-rock horn bands out of Lexington. He later relocated to Dayton with Green Lyte Sunday, and in 1982 founded the group Giant. Tim has opened for The Rippingtons, Larry Carlton, Pieces of a Dream, Najee, Kim Waters, and Tom Scott, and has performed alongside The Beach Boys, The Commodores, The Righteous Brothers, and Wayne Cochran. A multi-keyboardist, vocalist, composer, and arranger, Tim joined Brass Tracks Band in April 2015.