No BS Brass Band: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Just southeast of the Virginia Commonwealth University campus in Richmond, Va. , lies a compact neighborhood called Oregon Hill. Historically, it s been a (white) workingclass part of town, affordable for students and various bohemian types. Recording engineer Lance Koehler was drawn to the place when he moved to Richmond from New Orleans; it s where he eventually found a twostory garage and converted it into his own recording studio and home. It didn t take him long to start doing business across the Richmond music map: Koehler is good at his job, and he s affordable. His business is called Minimum Wage Studios for a reason. He s also a drummer, and though he grew up in Southern California, his time in New Orleans left a deep impression. Inspired by the Crescent City s modern brass bands, in 2006 he started the NO BS Brass Band with trombonist Reggie Pace. They had a place to fit between 10 and 13 musicians for rehearsal, and they had the means to document their work. And, owing to VCU and its conservator