Favorite Christmas Brass CD's?

dtemp · Post by **dtemp** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:24 pm

"Trombones Under the Tree". Some sick playing...

dtemp · Post by **dtemp** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:25 pm

"Trombones Under the Tree". Some sick playing...

tubiker · Post by **tubiker** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:47 pm

Greetings

Its the Boston Brass Stan Kenton Christmas Carols for me - first class arrangements with some stunning playing.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stan-Kenton-Chr ... 498&sr=8-1

I see that they are down to play at the Mid West next week - oh I wish I were in Chicago

Enjoy

Andrew M

winston · Post by **winston** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:16 pm

bearphonium · Post by **bearphonium** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:43 pm

'Nuther vote for "Festival of Carols in Brass"--both LP and CD in my household. "Christmas w/ Canadian Brass (with the organ) and the London Brass are right up there as well.

davet · Post by **davet** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 8:59 pm

Christmas w/ Canadian Brass- my introcuction to this quintet. Hallelulah Chorus had been almost played off the LP before I got the cd. Wonderful with the organ.

(We're playing this arrangement of "Hark" either for prelude or postlude this Sunday.)

Dean E · Post by **Dean E** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 10:12 pm

Sam Pilafian, who will be at the Army Tuba Euphonium Conference, January 2008, on:

Cool Brassy Night At The North Pole; Summit Records (1998)

Personnel: (violin); David Hickman (trumpet); Thomas Bacon (French horn); Samuel Pilafian (tuba); Robert Spring (clarinet); Kate McLin (violin); Chuck Marohnic (piano); Warren L. Jones III (bass); Don Moio (drums, percussion).

1. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
2. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
3. Have Yourself A Merry LIttle Christmas
4. Silent Night
5. Christmas Song
6. Little Drummer Boy
7. What Child Is This
8. Ave Maria
9. Let It Snow
10. Jesu, Joy Of Man`s Desiring
11. O Holy Night
12. Christmas Carnival

Chuck Jackson · Post by **Chuck Jackson** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 11:57 pm

The original Stan Kenton Band Christmas Album on cd. Great brass playing AND it has Maynard Ferguson's Band playing as a bonus track, and singing. To say they were in an altered state may be the understatement of the century. Classic.

As much as I admire the Boston Brass recording, there is nothing like the sound that the Kenton band produced, the in your face trumpets (a style I sorely miss in todays "woof" infested brass waters), Dick Shearer (was there EVER a more apt name than Max Bonecutter for a trombone player), Mellophones (and IN TUNE ones at that), and Kenton's hokey "What is Christmas".

But I love all Christmas Music done on our fair instruments.

Chuck

OldsRecording · Post by **OldsRecording** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 3:33 pm

the elephant wrote:There are many excellent Christmas recordings available; and some that are not so much so.

As far as brass-specific recordings I will still put the old stuff first on my list:

The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble: A Festival of Carols in Brass

Since it is now available from Amazon for less than $7 (which is at the same time both a great thing and a nearly criminal offense) there is no excuse for not owning this excellent album!!!! "The Twelve Days of Christmas" track is worth the price alone â€¦

http://www.amazon.com/Festival-Carols-B ... B0000024Q6

Get it! Get it! Get it!

At the risk of being redundant, that was the album that got me listening to brass music in the first place way back when. If you own one brass album, this should be it.

Greg Bright · Post by **Greg Bright** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 6:35 pm

A couple others that deserve attention are:

An Empire Brass Christmas - The World Sings.

http://www.amazon.com/World-Sings-Empir ... 786&sr=8-3

Just a little to avante garde for my tastes though.

Christmas with London Brass.

http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-London- ... 858&sr=1-4

I really like this one. No euphoniums on either.

And as long as Kenton's Christmas is getting good reviews I'll throw in Ralph Carmichael's Big Band Christmas. Carmichael did the original arrangements for Kenton back in 1963, and this updated album of his adds saxes and horns but takes away the mellos. The liner notes say that "We've substituted french horns for euphoniams". Ouch and ouch.

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Band-Christma ... 718&sr=1-1

ken k · Post by **ken k** » Thu Dec 13, 2007 7:09 pm

the elephant wrote:There are many excellent Christmas recordings available; and some that are not so much so.

As far as brass-specific recordings I will still put the old stuff first on my list:

The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble: A Festival of Carols in Brass

Since it is now available from Amazon for less than $7 (which is at the same time both a great thing and a nearly criminal offense) there is no excuse for not owning this excellent album!!!! "The Twelve Days of Christmas" track is worth the price alone â€¦

Just bought it. I have it on vinyl from back in the day and haven't listened to it for years but I figure my son should hear it.... and for 7 bucks heck....

Thanks for the memories Wade

ken k

http://www.amazon.com/Festival-Carols-B ... B0000024Q6

Get it! Get it! Get it!

DonShirer · Post by **DonShirer** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 8:38 pm

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but the Clarion Brass CD
"A Partridge in a Pear Tree" is exceptional, especially
for the title tune!

http://www.figarotunes.com/12brassatooning.htm
_________________

ken k · Post by **ken k** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 8:45 pm

Shockwave wrote:
Norm Pearson wrote:Hollywood Trombones
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Can't trim the tree without it!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 507846[url][/url]
Those copycats! That's the Singers Unlimited arrangement!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/wm ... 13-7864652

-Eric

That reminds me of another great xmas album I haven't klistened to in years, the Singers Unlimited... what a sound.... just bought a CD version of that one too!!

ken k

Pete Link · Post by **Pete Link** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 9:59 pm

I did not see mention of it or may have missed it but Burning River Brass has a Christmas album out. Jeremy Mueller, first bone, played me some tracks from it and it sounded great. Wonderful playing all around especially Justin Emrich on piccolo and Matt Gaunt lays down a tasty clean foundation.

I'll certainly second the mentioned Chicago Brass and the old Empire album as fantastic as well as the German Brass disc. I also dig the Travelin Light Christmas album. Sam is just great on it as is Frank V.

I would love to hear those PJBE albums too. I imagine they may be hard to find however.

Happy Holidays!
Pete

Teubonium · Post by **Teubonium** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 11:00 am

ken k wrote:
the elephant wrote:There are many excellent Christmas recordings available; and some that are not so much so.

As far as brass-specific recordings I will still put the old stuff first on my list:

The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble: A Festival of Carols in Brass

Since it is now available from Amazon for less than $7 (which is at the same time both a great thing and a nearly criminal offense) there is no excuse for not owning this excellent album!!!! "The Twelve Days of Christmas" track is worth the price alone â€¦

Just bought it. I have it on vinyl from back in the day and haven't listened to it for years but I figure my son should hear it.... and for 7 bucks heck....

Thanks for the memories Wade

ken k

http://www.amazon.com/Festival-Carols-B ... B0000024Q6

Get it! Get it! Get it!

Questions: What is the instrumentation of this ensemble? Is it a quintet or something else? Are the players from the Philadelphia Orchestra?
And, of course, who is playing tuba?

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:04 pm

Teubonium wrote:And, of course, who is playing?

A Festival of Carols

BVD Press · Post by **BVD Press** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:13 pm

Teubonium wrote: Questions: What is the instrumentation of this ensemble? Is it a quintet or something else? Are the players from the Philadelphia Orchestra?
And, of course, who is playing tuba?

From what I have gathered over the years:

Brass Quintet - the books used were Robert King Quartet books with a made up bass part most of the time

From Phili and Torchinsky. It is a truly a great album!

OldsRecording · Post by **OldsRecording** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 2:32 pm

Teubonium wrote:
ken k wrote:
the elephant wrote:There are many excellent Christmas recordings available; and some that are not so much so.

As far as brass-specific recordings I will still put the old stuff first on my list:

The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble: A Festival of Carols in Brass

Since it is now available from Amazon for less than $7 (which is at the same time both a great thing and a nearly criminal offense) there is no excuse for not owning this excellent album!!!! "The Twelve Days of Christmas" track is worth the price alone â€¦

Just bought it. I have it on vinyl from back in the day and haven't listened to it for years but I figure my son should hear it.... and for 7 bucks heck....

Thanks for the memories Wade

ken k

http://www.amazon.com/Festival-Carols-B ... B0000024Q6

Get it! Get it! Get it!

Questions: What is the instrumentation of this ensemble? Is it a quintet or something else? Are the players from the Philadelphia Orchestra?
And, of course, who is playing tuba?

It's a sextet. I don't have the entire roster at hand, but I do know that it's Henry Charles Smith on euph and Abe Torchinsky on tuba.

Greg Bright · Post by **Greg Bright** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 6:09 pm

OldsRecording wrote:
It's a sextet. I don't have the entire roster at hand, but I do know that it's Henry Charles Smith on euph and Abe Torchinsky on tuba.

Was it Henry Charles Smith or M. Dee Stewart on euph? I know Dee played on other Philly albums as well as the Phil/NY/Boston Gabrieli album.

TexTuba · Post by **TexTuba** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 8:10 pm

I just picked up the "A Festival Of Carols" CD and it is GREAT! You really will not find a better album for the price! (Under $10 WTIH shipping.)