Customer Reviews

Magic Horn

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Few recordings of any music type find their way into my library "sound unheard". Works of The Canadian Brass have typically found their way into my library just that way - they simply never produce anything but the best!

Magic Horn would certainly have been added to my collection at some point without a prior listening, but I had the great fortune to attend a recent CB concert where much of this beautiful music was played. Incidentally, if you've never attended a live CB performance, you've robbed yourself of one of the great musical experiences in life. Their recordings clearly reveal the members as masters of their trade - they are consummate musicians. However, what doesn't come across in the CDs is that they are entertainers of the highest caliber as well! Simply put, a CB concert is a guaranteed "BLAST" - it's the best sort of treat!

Now, back to the subject at hand: the key word here is "Magic". The repertoire of The Canadian Brass is astounding in its breadth and depth, and the selections of Magic Horn demonstrate once again, that nobody else does it quite like these guys. Who else in this genre would reprise the 80's Motown hit With You I'm Born Again - how appropriate, as it is certainly born again here. Astor Piazzolla's Cuatro Tangos gets an enthralling interpretation with trumpeter Burgstaller's fiery arrangement. Bramwell Tovey's Santa Barbara Sonata is simply sublime - I would gladly have purchased this CD if it only contained this piece! In what might just be the CD's finest moment (in the movement entitled "Preacher on the Pier") the familiar tune of J.S. Bach's hymn (Now thank we all our God) enters, "floating" on piccolo trumpet in counterpoint above the other parts - I believe Bach would heartily approve! He would undoubtedly approve of the inclusion of his Concerto in G Major. Frescobaldi's Toccata is a lyric beauty, as is Mozart's Rondo. Excerpts of Handel's Water Music and a Paganini Caprice round out the classical offerings on Magic Horn very nicely, indeed! The Ellington-Henderson Echoes of Harlem is an absolute gem - making me yearn for that bygone era! And, Quintet (so aptly named as the "bonus" track) - wow, what a bonus! The enhanced CD Feature (Music video of Quintet) is a very nice added touch.

Canadian Brass fans will no doubt be grabbing up Magic Horn in serious numbers. It's a sure bet that what you get with CB is musical expression at the summit. It's true, the group has undergone personnel changes over the years, but the anchors (Gene Watts on trombone, and Chuck Daellenbach on Tuba) remain; plus Stuart Laugton on trumpet (an original CB member) has returned! These stalwarts are an inspiration - a blessing for so many fans who are thankful that this group endures and continues to craft only the finest!

Seeing these guys live in concert prompted me to order this CD ... I played it for a week and never tired of it, great to sit and listen to or use for background.

I was introduced to this CD via YouTube. A brass player advised me to take a look and listen. It was one of the highlights of 07 for me. As a musician with no small amount of background, I can truthfully say that this reminds me of moments in my own career when I was blessed to be in the presence of greatness. The Canadian Brass is and established group of the highest caliber. Magic Horn is a good mix of styles and genre. The Bonus, a musical video filmed in a beautiful gorge west of Toronto is ethereal. The only sad part of the CD/Video is the commemoration at the end of Quintet. The loss of Michael Kamen as a composer is everyone's loss. What a gorgeous tribute. More Please!!