Local Musician Spotlight: Rick Brandon

The act will be at the Sonoma Speakeasy on Jan. 19, at 8 p.m. and along with a number of seasoned musical veterans, the act also has local Nick Cordellos on drums.|

Unless you’re Doc Severson, the trumpet player is typically not the leader of the band. But in Rick Brandon’s case, the choice as clear. Known in his inner circle of musicians as “Raucous Rico,” Brandon has been the guy in charge for years.

Brandon spent his formative years in St. Louis, growing up in a musical house with his twin and also musically inclined brother, and his father, who was a tenor vocalist. Musicals were rampant in the house, whether on the radio, television of even re-creating them in the house as a sing-along. Originally wanting to be a drummer, that idea was nixed early by his mother – so as a third grader, Brandon settled on the next loudest instrument he could think of: the trumpet.

Brandon quickly discovered soul music on St. Louis’s east side, which led to funk, jazz, the blues and literally anything from the Motown record label. He and his brother started a band called “Swamp Buggy” and began to tour regionally. In Ohio they played the “Agora” circuit and even opened for acts like the Raspberries and the Del Phonics over the years.

As happens with many a musician, he met a girl, and that girl was from Mill Valley, so off to Marin County he went. Music was on and off over the years, but he always had his horn in the trunk “just in case.” In Mill Valley, he connected with Michael LaMacchia, and other musicians of his caliber and ilk – and the New Hip Replacements was born. Over the last two years, they have been making a name in Marin and have now decided the time is right to branch out.

The act will be at the Sonoma Speakeasy tonight, Jan. 19, at 8 p.m. and along with a number of seasoned musical veterans, the act also has local Nick Cordellos on drums.

We asked Brandon about his new band, love of Motown and the greatest song he, or anyone for that matter, has ever written.

When did you realize you wanted to be a musician?

Hmm. I grew up with music so there really wasn’t a time when I thought that, but it wasn’t something I didn’t think of either, but I guess it was Paul Revere and the Raiders that really got me convinced I wanted to do music. But once I heard Mowtown, soul music sucked me in.

That first instrument you owned. What was it and do you still have it?

I don’t have that trumpet but it was a trumpet. Like I said, I wanted drums, badly, but my mom said no, so we settled on the trumpet. I guess it was the right choice.

Who are your primary influences?

The Temptations. Period. Literally anyone on Motown. But from a blues perspective I’d say B. B. King, some Joe Cocker, any artist with the “gravel voice” as we call it.

What CD is in your car?

It’s actually news channels, CNN and MSNBC. I love driving around and yelling at the radio. If it’s music it’s typically our own practice tunes or my daughter Carrie Lynn, who is a singer-songwriter and also an amazing vocalist on her own. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree they say.

Tell us about your current acts.

It’s all the New Hip Replacements at this point. I always have my horn in the trunk and do some session work, but for a performing band, that’s about it at this time.

If you could have written one song, which would it be?

I actually wrote it. It was a song I always wanted to do. It’s a reggae tune called “Shirkin’ It” and is about playing music or just chillin’. Anything that happens when you take a day off from work.

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