Youngblood Brass Band aims high but soars a little lower

You have to give the Youngblood Brass Band credit for aiming high. The eight-piece ensemble from Wisconsin describes itself as “a young crew of independent / education / revolution-minded folks invoking all manner of musical and cultural styles without marginalizing their originators or performers.” And on Saturday night at the Temple Bar, they clearly intended to affirm all the superlatives in that wordy Web site resume.

The band, with its two drummers, two trumpeters, two trombonists and a sousaphonist, clearly revealed origins based in the energetic music of high school and college sports pep bands. Driven by the virtuosic playing of sousaphonist Nat McIntosh (who also composed and arranged the group’s music) and the drumming of percussionist-rapper David Henzie-Skogen, their high-velocity sounds thundered through the room with ebullient, go-team-go enthusiasm.

Much of the music traced to the band’s new album, “center: level:roar,” a mixture of spirited ensemble work, determined rapping and animated jazz improvisation (most of the latter coming from tenor saxophonist Alex Wilkens). And there were passages in which that combination came close to working -- especially when Henzie-Skogen’s rapping was supported by moving harmonic textures and surging jazz-groove rhythms.

More often, however, the propulsiveness one hoped for tended to be mired in the thunky beats of marching band music, and the dull repetitiveness of many of the compositions diminished the potential for the band to reach its promised goals. Despite this, the packed house roared and rocked, suggesting that the Youngbloods are pointing in the right direction with the right idea. But they’ll need better tunes, an expanded perspective and more rhythmic inventiveness to get to where they’re headed.