The band's collective experience is both broad and award-winning, including honours such as Outstanding Jazz Combo at the Alberta International Band Festival, the John K. Nickel Memorial Scholarship for Music Education, and the Outstanding Soloist Award at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. Members of the group perform regularly with renowned ensembles like the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Rocky Mountain Symphony, Red Deer Symphony, Prime Time Big Band, and Altius Brass.
In November 2025, Little Brown Jug Brass release their emotionally resonant single 'My North Star Home', featuring celebrated Métis artist Ashley Ghostkeeper. The song, written and performed by Ghostkeeper, was inspired by a childhood memory of her grandmother and her late grandfather -- a figure described as the "North Star," always watching over her family. Ghostkeeper wrote the lyrics from the imagined perspective of her mother, reflecting on the loss of a parent at a young age.
Ghostkeeper's contribution to the track brings emotional depth and cultural richness to the project. Having performed on stages across Canada, Ashley's music has been featured on major national radio playlists and has garnered three #1 hits on the Canadian Top Indigenous Music Countdown and a Top 5 position on the Canadian Top 40 Indigenous Music Countdown. She has earned numerous accolades, including back-to-back nominations for YYC Indigenous Artist of the Year (2024, 2025), and nods for Solo Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Single of the Year, and Country Recording of the Year (all in 2025). She is also a three-time nominee for Country Music Alberta Fan's Choice (2023–2025), and a 2025 Calgary Music Awards winner for Indigenous Artist of the Year. As a proud Métis artist, Ashley sees music as a path to healing, heritage, and self-liberation.
The accompanying music video for 'My North Star Home' is a deeply moving tribute to ancestry and memory, featuring Ashley's real-life cousin playing her mother, her grandfather's photograph on the dashboard, and Ashley herself appearing as a guiding spirit. The track is a standalone collaboration and a preview of Little Brown Jug Brass's upcoming holiday album, Holiday Spirits, to be released on November 28, 2025. While Ghostkeeper's contribution is exclusive to the single, the themes of Holiday Spirits--belonging, legacy, and the meaning of "home"--run throughout the album.
Known for their co-creative and inclusive approach to music-making, Little Brown Jug Brass intentionally preserves the warmth and spontaneity of live performance in their recordings, inviting listeners to feel like part of the celebration. The band is also deeply values-driven, regularly using their performances to raise funds for arts and music education programs supporting at-risk and underserved youth.
With 'My North Star Home' now available across all streaming platforms, and the full album Holiday Spirits arriving soon, Little Brown Jug Brass continues to craft music that bridges generations, genres, and communities--reminding us all of the power of music to guide us home.
Little Brown Jug Brass members include:
Jevon "Tubaguy" Hills – Sousaphone / Band Leader
Mark "Re-Pete" Scholz – Trumpet
Paul "Baby Phat" Scholz – Trumpet
Sydney "Squidney" Scholz – Trumpet
Nick "Short Stack" Ibarreta – Alto Sax
Andrew "Pete" Scholz – Trombone
Malcolm "The Silver Fox" McKenzie – Trombone
Celene "Yo Ma-ma" Yohemas – Drums
Tarra "The Velvet Foghorn" Riley – Vocals
Music Video for 'North Star Home' : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N26fApyBtqI
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For More Information:
CANADA SPECIFIC:
i.see Irene Carroll Et Associates, Artist, Public & Media Relations
Irene Carroll, Strategist, t] 416.366.5473 | e] [email protected]
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P: 416-538-1838
SOURCE Little Brown Jug Brass
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