New Haven Independent

Unsuspecting commuters boarded not a bus, but a concert on wheels organized by José Monteiro of New Haven’s Arts Council.

Monteiro (pictured) has worked on many musical events in the past, during which he met Silas Meredith, a math teacher at Hopkins School with a serious jazz habit. Monteiro describes Meredith as “a great artist who wants to do exciting things and revolutionize.”

The seven-member band Monteiro and Meredith organized to play on the bus Sunday was indeed revolutionary. The Outbound Brass Band, as they call themselves, had their first practice session this Saturday. Limited rehearsal time did not detract from an energetic and highly skilled performance, however, one that quickly inspired sing-a-longs to classics like “When the Saints Go Marching In,” “Amazing Grace,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and, of course, “The Wheels on the Bus.”

Jackie LaBelle, an art teacher at Hopkins, joined Lexy Wilcox (pictured) to support long-time friend Meredith. Though the Yale graduate mixes eclectic influences from his world travels by playing for several different bands (click here to see Meredith’s website), including jazz and salsa ensembles, the Outbound Brass Band is decidedly Dixieland. They demonstrated this playful style in a riffing, up-tempo rendition of “I’ll Fly Away,” a song featured in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou and which Meredith joked he “originally thought was composed by George Clooney. Apparently it’s not.”

When the G bus pulled into Lighthouse Point Park, band members and an audience of established fans like LaBelle and Wilcox as well as surprised passengers shifted to the boardwalk, where more rousing standards and a couple of original songs attracted beachgoers of all ages.

One couple on a church picnic seized a daytime dancing opportunity, while younger swimmers did some dancing of their own.

Monteiro was more than pleased with the concert, clapping along and giving a brief explanation of the unusual event. “Part of our mission,” he said of the Arts Council, “is to showcase our local artists in non-conventional settings.” He described the concert as “another way that we want to promote a green New Haven. There are people who’ve never been on a bus or never been to Lighthouse Point before,” people who might decide to forgo a gas-guzzling car for public transport if music is involved. Connecticut Transit gave an extra incentive by subsidizing all concert-goers’ tickets and providing an additional return bus service, which, despite arriving an hour or two later than expected, was much appreciated. Monteiro thanked CT Transit profusely and hopes to organize a similar concert sometime soon.

The idea of “Music on Wheels” hit Monteiro when a man boarded his Whalley Avenue bus and burst into a spontaneous Mohammed Ali monologue. Energized commuters clapped and cheered at his conclusion, and Monteiro saw something he could recreate. Hopefully, he’ll do it again soon.