Customer Reviews

The Canadian Brass: Greatest Hits

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The Canadian Brass are fantastic. The songs on this album are superb. And the performance by the Canadian Brass of those songs is impeccable. However, because it is a greatest hits album, this album has the unfortunate nature of bouncing back and forth from genre to genre, creating a somewhat jarring experience for the listener. After settling into some beautiful classical and baroque pieces at the beginning, it slowly moves into some more jazzy music near the end before coming back to Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" (which, I must admit, was somewhat tainted by the inclusion of a pipe-organ, though it was probably necessary for that particular piece).

Personally, when I want to listen to jazz, I want to listen to jazz. And when I want to listen to classical music, I want to listen to classical music. As a nice cross-section of the early years of the Canadian Brass, this album is fine, and the musicianship is world-class. If you just want a sampling of this great group, this album will work. But I'd recommend instead that folks interested in the Canadian Brass should buy one of their other albums within a more specific musical genre.

This album is the recording of the Canadian Brass's first collection. Very old one, and here's the memeber list: Bb Trumpet - Ron Romm, C trumpet - Fred Mills, Frech Horn - David Ohanian, Trombone - Gene Watss, Tuba - Chuck Daellanbach. This recording might seem boring, but the performance are so superb that you can hardly wait to listen to it again.

A few years ago, I couldn't get enough of the Canadian Brass music. They were a delight to watch and to hear. They put so much spirit and talent into each performance, it was a wonder to behold. In this collection, there is a stirring Sousa grouping, Carnival of Venice, Pachelbel: Canon, and The Flight of the Bumblebees. It's a fantastic selection; they've recorded jazz and silly songs. For an obvious reason, the brass section is my favorite in any band or orchestra; two of my sons played the same trombone several years apart in the Pulaski school bands. Although Jeff, the flutist, was concertmaster his last year, I loved the way Zach and Justin mastered the trombone. Kenny's specialty was the trumpet (as was Chuck Southcott's), which shines through the brass section and is usually the star instrument.

These talented performers use comedy and fun to overshaow their fantastic performances. Hear them just once, and you will be hooked.