Canadian Brass Brass On Broadway (1994)

Canadian Brass playing songs from Canada… Is there anything more Canadian? To be covered by Canadian Brass means a song has to be able to transcend their lyrics and be easily recognised and enjoyable to the ear as instrumental covers. Aptly named Canadiana, the collection features songs by Shawn Mendes, k.d. lang, Joni Mitchell, Drake, Deadmau5 and of course Rush, done in true Canadian Brass style. As the most celebrated and enduring brass quintet in history, known for their skill and precision in performing both classical music and their own arrangements of modern songs, they have sold well over 2-million albums and have held Billboard chart positions in every decade of the group's existence.

That's all that needs to be said! You should buy this album if you like bach, if you like brass, if you like piano. This is a magnificant performance of an excellent transcription. It explores the rich warm textures of the Canadian Brass without compromising the original ideas that bach wrote. It was recorded in a huge church, so at the very end the last full chord seems to drift upward until it completely fades! If you like classical transcriptions and arrangements for brass quintet, you more than likely have a lot of exciting, fast-paced albums in your collection. For a change of pace, buy this album - you won't be disappointed.

That's all that needs to be said! You should buy this album if you like bach, if you like brass, if you like piano. This is a magnificant performance of an excellent transcription. It explores the rich warm textures of the Canadian Brass without compromising the original ideas that bach wrote. It was recorded in a huge church, so at the very end the last full chord seems to drift upward until it completely fades! If you like classical transcriptions and arrangements for brass quintet, you more than likely have a lot of exciting, fast-paced albums in your collection. For a change of pace, buy this album - you won't be disappointed.

Although the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble actually formed in 1951, its first full-length concert did not take place until the 1962 Aldeburgh Festival. Moreover, the group made its first recording only in 1970. It was the first such brass ensemble to perform in the world's major concert halls and to record with the preeminent labels. Philip Jones (born 1928), the ensemble's founder, was a virtuoso trumpet player whose first important position was with the Covent Garden orchestra, where he played from 1948 to 1951.

This is one of the most inspirational CD's I have ever listened to. Not only is the playing perfect, the choice in music for the CD is perfect. It provides the listener with several different styles, and yet many similar styles. The group plays the traditional Russian pieces with flair and great musicianship, such as the Stravinsky and the Shostakovich.

The Empire Brass adds a drummer to its lineup for CLASS BRASS–FIREDANCE, another collection of classical popular hits by one of the world's most renown brass ensembles. Empire is well known for its reliable interpretations of pieces such as Ravel's 'Boléro,' which leads off this collection of primarily dances.