Blast: An Explosive Musical Celebration [SOUNDTRACK]

Blast (Performer), Joe Haworth (Performer), Samuel Barber (Composer), Leonard Bernstein (Composer), Aaron Copland (Composer), Don Ellis (Composer), Maynard / Lane, Nicholas Ferguson (Composer), Ernesto Lecuona (Composer), Chuck Mangione (Composer), Minoru / Spiro, Michael Miki (Composer), Maurice Ravel (Composer), Josh Talbot (Composer), Jonathan Vanderkolff (Composer), Ray Linkous (Conductor), James R. West (Performer), Michael Esham (Performer), Wesley Bullock (Performer), Nick Angelis (Performer), Arwen Evenstar Hernandez (Performer), Christopher Eric Rutt (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Blast, Joe Haworth, James R. West, Michael Esham, Wesley Bullock, et al.
• Conductor: Ray Linkous
• Composer: Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Don Ellis, Maynard / Lane, Nicholas Ferguson, et al.
• Audio CD (August 22, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: RCA Victor Broadway
• ASIN: B00004WH76
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,506 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Blast! has a built-in constituency: the millions who are or have been in high-school marching bands, or twirled batons and engaged in what may have seemed to the uninitiated to be otherwise dorky activities. For the members of the Blast! troupe can identify: these are the kids who were once mocked by the cool crowd and now strut their stuff to admiring legions around the United States. Originating with the Star of Indiana drum corps, Blast is a frantic, loud show of colorful pageantry that's part Riverdance, part Stomp, and part homecoming parade. The music is performed in marching-band fashion, featuring an impressive panoply of brass and percussion: Ravel's Bolero and excerpts from Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring get Blast!-ed, as well as some lesser-known gems, such as Samuel Barber's Medea. "Gee Officer Krupke" (from West Side Story) obviously wasn't quite perky enough, so the interpretation here integrates various musical quotes, including the theme from The Simpsons. What the performers lose in subtlety, they sure make up for in sheer oomph. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely incredible performance, you need the video too..., December 31, 2000

By	Tim Imlay (Boise, ID United States) - See all my reviews

Blast! is Bill Cook's incredible effort to bring drum corps to the stage. Blast! originated as the Star Of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps, which competed from 1985 to 1993. Today, the show is a smaller, stage-friendly adaptation with the same energy as its large football-field predecessor.

While the music is wonderful and moving, you really need to see the performers to fully appreciate their work. The CD is a studio recording, while the video is a live recording of their premiere show in London.

The show is about 90 minutes long, and the CD leaves out a few of the more visual performances, including 'Battery Battle' (a drum soloist feature, and 'Tangerinamadige' (a digederoo feature). These pieces are especially intended for live performance.

Blast! is starting a Broadway run in April with touring performances planned. It is a striking production and should not be missed if you have the chance to see it live.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars five stars for the metamorphosis of star of indiana, August 31, 2000

By	Kenneth W. Bledsoe (Westtown, New York USA) - See all my reviews

When Bill Cook and Jim Mason gave us the drum and bugle corps STAR OF INDIANA, the world of field music began to evolve very quickly. To those who complained that Bill Cook had "bought" a drum corps, I suggest you listen to and hopefully witness in person the magic that is 'blast'. If you had any doubts about the sincerity of this man, it comes through most on this outing. (If you still have any doubts about the sincerity of Bill Cook, go to West Baden!) Until recently, the pinnacle of success in Drum Corps, whether it be junior or senior corps has always been the coveted title of world champion, which Star of Indiana won in 1991. Since then they have blurred the boundries of what a drum corps is. Since leaving the DCI circuit in the dust, Star has toured with the Canadian Brass, given us pleasure with Brass Theatre, and now in an amazing package comes 'blast'. They have invented a new 'field' which is a grid on stage. They have reinvented themselves as well as drum corps as well as Brass Theatre. This IS theatre! This IS FUN!!!!! Okay, so you've heard about the visuals. You've heard about the sensational drumming. You've heard about the standing ovations in London. Now hear the score. Listen to this incredible brass blast. Jim Prime is the absolute KING of arranging brass music. Listen to the licks of the middle horns and just TRY to keep up!!! How about those tubas and the riveting lines they produce? Listen to this kid Ben emote through his soprano, flugle, cornet etc... wow!!! And while standing on a chair suspended in mid-air! I marched with the Hawthorne Caballeros drum and bugle corps for more years than I need to mention, so I am particularly fond of 'Malaguena' which was a perennial show stopper for us. This is far and away the best arrangement I have ever heard. The percussion is dead on for every number and will blow you away with thier precision. Who could imagine 'Bolero' and 'Land of Make Believe' in the same show? It works brilliantly. Buy this. I personally guarantee it. I'm serious. If you don't like it and can give me a sound reason as to why not, I'll buy it from you and distribute it among my friends!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Star of Indiana, August 30, 2000

By A Customer

This recording probably set new standard for Marching band / brass and percussion instrumental music(since there are no others like it, you really can't compare it to anything else out there). The music selections were fantastic, range from jazz, broadway, to classical, with a little twist of marching and other percussions, unfortunately, some of the songs from the musical were not included with the CD (Pines of Rome, etc). Unlike live drum corps performance recordings, it did not reach full volume potential, and the tempo of the music can be some what slow for several songs(every body loves blues/malaguena), but it is a fresh of breath to listen to it in B flat instead of G. I saw them live in London back in December, you must see them yourself to appriciate the recording!! get it, and enjoy it.