I may be an orchestra dork, but my love of music is rooted in jazz. To call Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns a jazz band, however, is something of an understatement. They’re a little bit of jazz, a little bit of funk, a little bit of soul; throw in a dash of Latin spice, a pinch of rock n’ roll, and a heaping scoop of talent, and you’ve got your self a big, fat bowl of awesome. What’s more, this well-rounded Vegas-based ensemble flew in all the way from the Sin City itself to perform at the Johnson County Community College on Saturday, September 22.

  Yes, rather than go to Homecoming that night, I went to a jazz concert. And not just for any old reason, either: of the Fat City Horns, trumpet player Danny Falcone is an old family friend, and tenor saxophone player Rob Mader played at my parents’ wedding. This may not seem like a big deal to anyone but me, but after hearing how these guys play, I could have just as well been rubbing elbows with celebrities.

  In fact, it blows me away that bands with so little talent top the charts, when bands like Santa Fe, who have ten times the talent and three times the charm, are the true heart and soul of musicianship. Their performances were solid, their vocals powerful, their instrumentals spot-on. It was, to put it simply, good music at its best. Passion, power, talent, energy, and enjoyment; if I could say it better without blasting their music through this website, I would.

  While they did have a few originals, their covers included “Higher Ground”, “I Feel Good”, and “Living for the City”. If you appreciate good music even half as much as I do, then you’ll appreciate Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns. In the future, if you’re ever in Vegas, head over to the Palms Hotel Casino on a Monday night. You won’t regret it.

Here’s a taste: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lF28l0ZAMs

Or check out their website: http://www.santafeandthefatcityhorns.com/