Meet the Band
The Brake Tyme Band has been engaging crowds throughout NC and VA with a danceable party vibe and non-stop music flow for over a decade. Featuring a variety of popular rock, country, pop, blues, beach and soul tunes, the band appeals to a wide range of audiences. There's something for everyone at a Brake Tyme show, so come on out and bring your dancing shoes!
Don Brake
Manager / Keyboard
Don was born and raised in Rocky Mount, NC and worked for CSX-Railroad for 33 years. He has always loved playing music and drag racing. While living in Rocky Mount he formed 2 bands starting in 1990 and was the drummer in both bands. The first was “Sundown” and they opened up for Jerry Reed, the country music star. He moved to Henderson, NC in 2008 and started “Brake Tyme Band” in latter part of 2012. He now plays the keyboard and having the time of his life.
Dave Arner
Trumpet / Flugelhorn / Hobby Horse
Dave Arner is a Henderson businessman who joined Brake Tyme Band in March 2013 as a trumpet player. Dave has played trumpet since 1964, and has played in concert bands, rock bands, oom-pah bands, pit orchestras, beach bands, & dixieland bands. He was a conductor in a concert band and an oom-pah band. He did stand-up comedy in high school. He was the lead in the Gallery Theater's production of "The Foreigner" in 1986. He played in the backing band for "The Platters," when they appeared in Henderson. Daves's other interests include spending time with his children & grandchildren, running 5K races, evolutionary biology, trail biking, public speaking, and vintage cars.
Scott Brantley
Lead Vocals / Party Host
Scott is a Henderson native, currently living in Vance county with his wife Christy and their two sons. He has been singing with "Unashamed" southern gospel quartet since its inception in 2002. He also enjoys doing some DJ work to help feed his love of music.
Gary Jensen
Lead Guitar
Gary grew up in Southern California and started playing guitar in his early teens. His early music influences include Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Allman Brothers, and James Taylor. He enjoys playing a variety of music genres including classic rock, blues, southern rock, and country.
Gary relocated to North Carolina and resides in the Wake Forest area. When not playing guitar, Gary enjoys exploring his new home state with his wife, Ginny.
Chris Reed
Keyboards / Vocals / Tech
Chris has been making music since he was young and has worked in live and broadcast audio production, audiovisual system design / installation, and recording studio engineering since 1996.
Chris spent two years touring internationally as the front-of-house engineer and ministry team leader for a traveling Christian music group, and subsequently assumed direction of the group’s parent organization, serving in that role for 14 years. During that time, he oversaw the training and mobilization of over 900 young musicians comprising 80 different bands. More significantly, he met and married Rebekah.
The Reeds and their two girls moved to the Raleigh area in 2018 to be close to family.
Noah Brantley
Bass / Rhythm Guitar
Noah has played bass since 2014 and has been with several bands in some capacity since then. His bass-playing roots originated in Southern Gospel, Country, and CCM, but he has expanded his range into the genres of Motown, R&B, and Classic Rock. His biggest influences in bass playing include Jack Bruce, Nathan East, Donald “Duck” Dunn, and John Deacon.
Tracy Dunn
Vocals / Drums
Tracy started playing drums at age 12 with the family Gospel Band, "The Gospel Light Singers". He has played drums with many local bands over the past 30 years. His most recent band was "Twisted Addiction", for which he was lead singer as well as drummer. His musical roots are Southern Gospel, Southern Rock, Country, Beach and Soul. He and his wife reside in Timberlake, NC with their fur babies, Sophie and Reese. Tracy also enjoys fast cars, water sports, and spending QT with the wife and four grown kids.
Scott Smith
Drums
Scott is a business owner from Scottsburg, Virginia. He comes from a family of very talented musicians, and started playing drums at a very early age with the Easy Street Band. Since that time he has played with several other bands throughout the southern Virginia area.
