Based in Calgary, Alberta, Little Brown Jug Brass is a genre-bending Canadian ensemble known for their energetic sound, collaborative spirit, and commitment to community. With multiple fine arts degrees, music degrees, and post-secondary training between them, the group brings a rich and diverse musical spirit to every performance.
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 perform regularly with ensembles including 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 brings emotional depth and cultural richness to the project. Her music has earned national radio support, 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 received multiple nominations including YYC Indigenous Artist of the Year (2024, 2025), Solo Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Single of the Year, and Country Recording of the Year (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. A proud Métis artist, Ashley views 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 portraying 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 album shares themes of belonging, legacy, and the meaning of “home.”
Known for their co-creative and inclusive approach to music-making, Little Brown Jug Brass preserve the warmth and spontaneity of live performance in their recordings, inviting listeners to feel like part of the celebration. The band is also values-driven, regularly using performances to raise funds for arts and music education programs supporting at-risk and underserved youth.
With “My North Star Home” now available on all streaming platforms and Holiday Spirits arriving soon, Little Brown Jug Brass continue to craft music that bridges generations, genres, and communities — reminding us of the power of music to guide us home.