Search - Eric Ewazen, David Sampson, Bruce Adolphe :: New American Brass

Beautiful Brass

Daniel G. Berk | West Bloomfield, Michigan | 01/30/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For many, brass quintet and the Candian Brass are synonymous, and that is unfortunate. For while the Canadian Brass is a top-notch ensemble, it is not the be-all and end-all of brass music. A case in point is the American Brass Quintet, and their performances on this CD. The works selected here are interesting (and accessible) compositions by contemporary American composers, whose names are not likely to be familiar. But don't be put off by that. Indeed, if you like brass music, you should find this CD most enjoyable and rewarding.Incidently, the instrumentation of this group is slightly different than the standard brass quintet, in that it employs a bass trombone instead of a tuba."

High Priests of Brass

Gregory Powell | New York, NY | 04/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The American Brass Quintet is truly the greatest ensemble the world has to offer. No other group can compete with the beautiful tone and lucidity of phrasing the ABQ continually presents. New American Brass is one of the ABQ's definative albums. With a vitality second only to hearing them perform live, New American Brass gives the listener a breathtaking panoramic view of the best contemporary brass chamber music. At the forefront of this album's selections is Eric Ewazen's Colchester Fantasy Suite, a living masterpiece that immidiately sweeps you into its current, and flows naturally into glistening rivulet of the main theme. The caliber of the American Brass Quintet cannot be matched by any other brass quintet."

Best of the Best of the Best

Paul Simmons | Sacramento, CA USA | 01/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The ABQ is unquestionably the premier brass quintet in the US, if not the world. And the music here is first-rate. Cutting edge, yet generally accessible to the listener. Ewazen's Colchester Fantasy, like his Frost Fire, are destined to be among the classics of the quintet literature. I would highly recommend this CD as well as the recording of Ewazen's Chamber music with the ABQ and other ensembles."