Column: Love That Saxophone
by Camille Dull
LW contributor
A special treat was saxophonist Danny Mancuso walking and playing among the dancers on Jan. 29 at Clubhouse 4. The music swirled around the dancers and the dancers swirled around that great saxophone sound.
Lots of folks also came just to listen to the excellent band, Brown the Cous Cous, playing the magic of soft rock and sounding so fine. The performers harmonized on great old songs, and lots of folks were also singing along, stirring up all kinds of good memories.
The band performs regularly in Long Beach, playing a wide variety of danceable soft rock hits also know as yacht rock.
Wayne Ulanski, who is the band leader, laughed about how the name of the band came about. They were in the living room trying to come up with a name for the band when, into the silence, they heard his wife, Jennifer Ford, who was cooking, say out loud, “brown the cous cous.” Wayne said, “That’s it! That’s the name of our band.”
Ulanski has been writing music and playing gigs since high school. In fact, in a new album he’s putting together, Ulanski is using a song he wrote in high school titled “Long Time.” Music had to take a back seat when he realized that it was time to get a “real job.” He wound up in light manufacturing, eventually forming his own company. He retired after the COVID pandemic and now gives his whole effort to his first love: music and performing. He has a studio in his house where he does his work. Ulanski gives kudos to his wife, Jennifer, for encouraging the decision to work in music full time. She performs with the band, doing vocals and cajon.
Mancuso, the band’s saxophonist and vocalist, is a legend in the Long Beach music scene. Other band members are Myles Roach, keyboard and vocals; and Eric Romero on drums and violin. They are a talented bunch. Ulanski takes none of the proceeds for their performances; he splits the whole take among the rest of the band.
Ulanski says there are two aspects to song-writing: the music and the message. He finds inspiration everywhere, hearing a groove, scat sounds with his own voice, mimicking interesting sounds, hearing a phrase that inspires lyrics.
The band motto of Brown the Cous Cous is “Cool Songs Done Cool.” Indeed they were on Jan. 29.
Brown the Cous Cous performing in Clubhouse 4 on Jan. 29.
