Favorite Christmas Brass CD's?

BVD Press · Post by **BVD Press** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 7:17 pm

Dear All,

This may be old news to many people, but I came across a very neat CD in our local library today:

Christmas with the Symphony Brass of Chicago (AKA bone and tuba section of the Chicago Symphony).

It is a neat alvbum and has some great charts with just bones and tuba. I would recommend to anyone. Here is the only link I have for the CD:

http://www.4rex.com/christm.html

I am partial to the jazz versions of Jingle Bells and Santa Claus is Coming to Town featuring the bones and Gene!! Great playing and fun as well.

I am curious what else people are listening to in terms of Brass Xmas CD's?

Bill Troiano · Post by **Bill Troiano** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 7:57 pm

How about the Canadian Brass recording with the organ at St. Patrick's Cathedral? (blue cover with Santas). London Brass has an outstanding recording too. There's always the Ventures Christmas album from around 1965 - nice cover too!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 8:08 pm

How about Oy to the World? http://www.oytotheworld.com/

winston · Post by **winston** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 8:23 pm

Chuck Jackson · Post by **Chuck Jackson** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 8:38 pm

OK, "Oy To The World" is one of the funniest things I have heard in a LONG time. How the hell did they ever think of coupling Klezmer/Good King Wenceslas/In A Gadda Da Vita into one tune. I want some of their happy pills. L'Chaim!!!!

Chuck

OOPS- Make that "In the Sunshine of Your Love", still pretty frickin' priceless................

Travelman · Post by **Travelman** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 8:45 pm

The Philadelphia Brass Christmas Album. The sound and arrangements is simply classic.

Norm Pearson · Post by **Norm Pearson** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 8:58 pm

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]

Travelman · Post by **Travelman** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:14 pm

That's "A Festival of Carols in Brass" by The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble. Torchinsky sounds great with his King tuba!

And, BTW, the sound and arrangements ARE classic...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... l&n=507846

ken k · Post by **ken k** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 10:19 pm

I will double the Hollywood Trombones Christmas CD and raise you a Stan Kenton Christmas.

Also while not a brass CD onbe of my favs is "Its Not Just For Christmas Anymore" which is a big band CD.

ken k

MikeMason · Post by **MikeMason** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 11:22 pm

my opinion- Empire Brass from 1989 or so.very prominent tuba stuff.Wonderful sounds from all. Haven't heard most of the other recommendations but can't imagine anything being much better...

Shockwave · Post by **Shockwave** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 1:54 am

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

happyroman · Post by **happyroman** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:24 am

I just picked up the Symphony Brass of Chicago CD and recommend it for the version of Lo How a Rose Ere Blooming, arranged for low brass. Great!

I also second the recommendations for the Empire Brass - Joy to the World CD and the Philadelphia Brass CD, two of my all time favorites.

BTW, EMI has recently reissued the Joy to the World CD (along with their Bach and Handel CDs) at a midline price, but it has been hard to find. I found a used copy of the original issue on Amazon.com.

I also really enjoy the Canadian Brass CD with the picture of the group wearing stocking caps and scarves and holding toy instruments. Ding Dong Merrily on High is superb!

I just picked up the Boston Brass Christmas CD and was very dissappointed with it. I do NOT recommend it.

hbcrandy · Post by **hbcrandy** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:41 am

I put another vote for the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble's "A Festival of Carols in Brass." I have it both in LP and CD.

Though not all brass, I have a CD remaster of "The Glorious Sounds of Christmas" with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Temple University choir under Eugene Ormandy. The brass playing is superb. This would have been the era with Gil Johnson, Seymour Rosenfeld and Don McComas on trumpet, Mason Jones, in his prime, as Principal Horn, Henry Charles Smith, Dee Stewart, Robert Harper and Tyrone Breuninger as the trombones and Abe Torchinsky on tuba.

Though, not to my knowledge available as a CD remaster, The Phillip Jones Brass Ensemble did a Christmas LP. It has a great version of Jingle Bells/Deck the Halls as a medley which is the first movemnt of their published, print music entitled "Christmas Crackers" arranged by John Iveson. If you are in a quintet, consider purchasing "Christmas Crackers." It contains well arranged, approachble versions of many familiar Christmas tunes.

Happy holidays to all.

tubapress · Post by **tubapress** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:59 am

Hollywood Trombones...simply fantastic! Good suggestion, Norm.

The London Brass recorded a Christmas CD that was really wonderful. Oren Marshall's playing is top notch!

Also, Phillip Jones Brass Ensemble recorded a Christmas album way back. If you can find it, its a real gem.

Barney · Post by **Barney** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 8:48 am

While I own and enjoy many of the recordings mentioned, my favorite, by far, is a recording by the Bay Brass called A Brass & Organ Christmas. Recorded in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, it is a glorius recording. The tuba playing, by Peter Wahrhaftig, is absolutely amazing....

A glance at Amazon indicates that it is currently unavailable, but sound samples are there which will give you an indication of the wonderful performances on this recording.

Randy Beschorner · Post by **Randy Beschorner** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 10:42 am

While I all the suggestions made so far, the recording that moves me is Salvation Army's New York Staff Band's Christmas Rejoicing. Trepak from Nutcracker is great. The euphonium solo on Infant Holy just really sings and the swing version of Go Tell It on the Mountain is classic S.A.

Randy

TonyZ · Post by **TonyZ** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 11:58 pm

The Brass Band of Columbus, of course!!

http://www.brassbandofcolumbus.org/trac ... #BB%20Xmas

Mark Preece · Post by **Mark Preece** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 9:52 am

I would have to recommend "Christmas In The Morning", which features PJBE, Canadian Brass, and also the Michael Laird Ensemble.

Another favorite is "Joy To The World", performed by the Boston Pops Ochestra, and the Tanglewood Festival Choir. There is also a track on there with Robin Williams reciting T'was the Night Before Christmas!!!

mTaUrBkA · Post by **mTaUrBkA** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 11:35 am

I have two favorites. One is the Canadian Brass, Noel album from the mid 90s......I even loved that one when I was little, before I played tuba. My other favorite is one that my brother's girlfriend gave me. She plays in the Syracuse University Symphony Orchestra(or some group like that at SU). Last year, or maybe the year before Boston Brass played a concert with them, and she gave me a CD of the performance. Some songs are just Boston Brass, and some are both groups mixed. It's a great CD.

Daryl Fletcher · Post by **Daryl Fletcher** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 3:14 pm

Christmas with the Canadian Brass

I really like brass quintet with pipe organ.