Lucky Chops

Lucky Chops is a band from New York City, which formed in 2006 and has performed professionally since 2014. It achieved prominence through performances on the New York City Subway which were filmed and shared on the internet, in particular a 2016 performance of "Funky Town" and "I Got You (I Feel Good)".

History
The band was founded in 2006 at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School  by sousaphone player Raphael Buyo along with trombonist Josh Holcomb and saxophonist and clarinetist Daro Behroozi. The band was originally formed for a parade of Filipino culture that Buyo wanted to participate in; after that they began busking on street corners and in subway stations, Union Square. During their time at college, they decided to take their band to a professional level.

The name "Lucky Chops" was proposed by the band's original trumpet player, Daniel Rutkowski, during a word-association brainstorming session and refers to the fact that all of their instruments (except the drums) are wind.

Their early music was mainly covers and mash-ups of other songs. Their original works are influenced by the vast mix of cultures in NYC and are very personal to the member of the band who wrote the piece in question. This means the band performs a wide variety of musical styles and is not bound by a single genre.

The band had a steady start, playing in the New York Subway for commuters. They gained brief internet fame from a 2016 YouTube video showing their rendition of "Funky Town" and "I Got You (I Feel Good)" featuring Leo Pellegrino, which helped to significantly boost their popularity. Now they perform all over the world. Around the time of their internet fame, they released their first album, Lucky Chops NYC.

The band has seen over 50 musicians play with them over the past 14 years, including Grace Kelly and Sunny Jain. They are also the live house band of the MTV show Girl Code Live.

Discography

 * Lucky Chops NYC (2015)
 * 2016 World Tour - EP (2016)
 *  Walter - EP (2017)
 * Virtue and Vice Sessions, Vol. 1 - EP (2018)
 * Lucky Chops (2019)
 * Virtue and Vice Sessions, Vol. 2 (2020)
 * 2014 (2020)
 * Live in L.A. (2021)
 * New Day (2022)
 * Virtue & Vice Sessions, Vol. 3 (2024)

Members
Dates cover period of professional performance from 2014 onwards

Current

 * Joshua Gawel - trumpet (2014-present), rotary flugelhorn, piano, vocals
 * Josh Holcomb - trombone (2014-present), baritone horn, piano, percussion, vocals
 * Rogerst Charles - alto saxophone (2022-present)
 * Daro Behroozi - tenor saxophone (2014-2023), baritone saxophone (2017-18, 2023-present), clarinet, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, alto saxophone, flute, vocals
 * Nora Nalepka - sousaphone (2021-present), vocals, percussion
 * Ben Holcomb - drums (2021-present), percussion, vocals

Former

 * Raphael Buyo - sousaphone (2014-18)
 * Leo Pellegrino - baritone saxophone (2014-17)
 * Jesse Chevan - drums (2014-15)
 * Kevin Congleton - drums (2015-2016)
 * Charles Sams - drums (2016-18)
 * Adrian Condis - baritone saxophone (2019-23)
 * Reginald Chapman - contrabass bugle (2019-20)
 * Patrick Simard - drums (2019-21)

Touring/Alternate

 * Timaine Bryant - sousaphone (2014-15) (alternate for Buyo)
 * Harry Phillips - sousaphone (2018-19)
 * Matt Olsson - drums (2018)
 * Eric Trudell - baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone (2018-19)
 * Attis Clopton - drums (2018-19)
 * Corey Wilcox - sousaphone (2019, 2020-21)
 * Rogerst Charles - alto saxophone (2022-23) (became band member in 2023)