The Brass Republic 2015 Christmas Gift Guide for Trombone

Shopping can be tough. We put together a list of ideas for the favorite Trombone player in your life. These are our picks to help make a great Christmas hit with your favorite Trombone player. Don't forget about yourself either. From the Brass Republic team, we wish you and your favorite Trombone player a Happy Christmas and holiday season. 

SOMETHING TO READ

This book by Chris Way gives a meticulous look at the height of Glenn Miller's popularity. There's a comprehensive look at programs and venues in this period where Miller spent time in England. The photography included here really helps tell the story of this iconic figure. 

SOMETHING TO LISTEN TO

Gabrielli - National Brass Ensemble
$19.38
By National Brass Ensemble
Buy on Amazon

This was a new recording released this year from theNational Brass Ensemble. This should be a part of every Brass player's collection. It's an amazing recording and one of the best brass ensemble recordings you can give as a gift. 

SOMETHING FOR YOUR HORN

This bag from Gard will keep your horn safe with plenty of storage for accessories. You know that thing people do in the airport where their bag is on wheels behind them? This bag lets you do that with your Trombone. It's also available from Woodwind and Brasswind.

SOMETHING TO LISTEN WITH

Chromecast Audio-For $35, the Chromecast audio is an inexpensive way to get music from your phone to a set of speakers or an audio system. Compatible with both Android and ios (iPhone and iPad), the Chromecast lets you easily stream music from your personal device to the audio destination of your choice. 

SOMETHING TO LISTEN WITH (THE NICER VERSION)

If you're willing to spend more, a Sonos speaker can be a great gift. Sonos is a great wireless speaker system with great audio quality. It's compatible with lots of devices and lots of different music streaming services. Another great feature of Sonos speakers is they're modular. If you buy one and then get another later on, they can be combined into one big audio system. 

SOMETHING FOR THE PRACTICE ROOM

This Musician's Gear stand is an inexpensive quality stand that is an excellent addition to to your practice room. The stand can be tilted to your liking. The height adjustment has a screw tightener that makes the stand rock solid and an affordable favorite of ours. 

SOMETHING TO TRAVEL WITH

This bag from Bobelock will keep your music in great condition on the way to a performance. There clips to carry it on your shoulder or like a briefcase. 

SOMETHING TO PLAY

This arrangement of Canzon Per Sonare #4 is an excellent addition to any brass player's library. This is an accessible arrangement from David Marlatt that works from Brass Quintets on a wide spectrum of skill levels. This piece is a great staple to have for your quintet and works from everything from a wedding to an evening concert. 

We wish you all the best with your Christmas shopping. 

The Brass Republic 2015 Christmas Gift Guide for Trumpet

Shopping can be tough. We put together a list of ideas for the favorite Trumpet player in your life. These are our picks to help make a great Christmas hit with your favorite Trumpet player. Don't forget about yourself either. From the Brass Republic team, we wish you and your favorite Trumpet player a Happy Christmas and holiday season. 

SOMETHING TO READ

This biography of Chet Baker is an excellent gift for the Trumpet player your life who appreciates complex figures in Jazz. Chet Baker certainly fits the bill here and the book takes you through the ups an downs of his fascinating life. 

SOMETHING TO LISTEN TO

Gabrielli - National Brass Ensemble
$19.38
By National Brass Ensemble
Buy on Amazon

This was a new recording released this year from theNational Brass Ensemble. This should be a part of every Brass player's collection. It's an amazing recording and one of the best brass ensemble recordings you can give as a gift. 

SOMETHING FOR YOUR HORN

With different mouthpieces for the Saturday's wedding gig and the Mozart on Sunday, this mouthpiece pouch will keep them protected. This leather pouch from Denis Wick looks nice and will last for years to come. 

In addition to Amazon, this is also available from Woodwind and Brasswind.

SOMETHING TO LISTEN WITH

Chromecast Audio-For $35, the Chromecast audio is an inexpensive way to get music from your phone to a set of speakers or an audio system. Compatible with both Android and ios (iPhone and iPad), the Chromecast lets you easily stream music from your personal device to the audio destination of your choice. 

SOMETHING TO LISTEN WITH (THE NICER VERSION)

If you're willing to spend more, a Sonos speaker can be a great gift. Sonos is a great wireless speaker system with great audio quality. It's compatible with lots of devices and lots of different music streaming services. Another great feature of Sonos speakers is they're modular. If you buy one and then get another later on, they can be combined into one big audio system. 

SOMETHING FOR THE PRACTICE ROOM

This Musician's Gear stand is an inexpensive quality stand that is an excellent addition to to your practice room. The stand can be tilted to your liking. The height adjustment has a screw tightener that makes the stand rock solid and an affordable favorite of ours. 

SOMETHING TO TRAVEL WITH

This bag from Bobelock will keep your music in great condition on the way to a performance. There clips to carry it on your shoulder or like a briefcase. 

SOMETHING TO PLAY

This arrangement of Canzon Per Sonare #4 is an excellent addition to any brass player's library. This is an accessible arrangement from David Marlatt that works from Brass Quintets on a wide spectrum of skill levels. This piece is a great staple to have for your quintet and works from everything from a wedding to an evening concert. 

We wish you all the best with your Christmas shopping. 

The Brass Republic 2015 Christmas Gift Guide for Horn

Shopping can be tough. We put together a list of ideas for the favorite Horn player in your life. These are our picks to help make a great Christmas hit with your favorite Horn player. Don't forget about yourself either. From the Brass Republic team, we wish you and your favorite Horn player a Happy Christmas and holiday season. 

Something to read

This is a great book about someone picking up a Horn after a long hiatus. There's some great things here from a non-professional with insights into subjects like performance anxiety and comeback playing. It's an amusing read and a great addition to a loved one's library. 

Something to listen to

Gabrielli - National Brass Ensemble
$19.38
By National Brass Ensemble
Buy on Amazon

This was a new recording released this year from the National Brass Ensemble. This should be a part of every Brass player's collection. It's an amazing recording and one of the best brass ensemble recordings you can give as a gift. 

Something for your Horn

With different mouthpieces for the Saturday's wedding gig and the Mozart on Sunday, this mouthpiece pouch will keep them protected. This leather pouch from Denis Wick looks nice and will last for years to come. 

In addition to Amazon, this is also available from Woodwind and Brasswind.

Something to Listen with

Chromecast Audio-For $35, the Chromecast audio is an inexpensive way to get music from your phone to a set of speakers or an audio system. Compatible with both Android and ios (iPhone and iPad), the Chromecast lets you easily stream music from your personal device to the audio destination of your choice. 

Something to listen with (the nicer version)

If you're willing to spend more, a Sonos speaker can be a great gift. Sonos is a great wireless speaker system with great audio quality. It's compatible with lots of devices and lots of different music streaming services. Another great feature of Sonos speakers is they're modular. If you buy one and then get another later on, they can be combined into one big audio system. 

something For the practice room

This Musician's Gear stand is an inexpensive quality stand that is an excellent addition to to your practice room. The stand can be tilted to your liking. The height adjustment has a screw tightener that makes the stand rock solid and an affordable favorite of ours. 

Something to travel with

This bag from Bobelock will keep your music in great condition on the way to a performance. There clips to carry it on your shoulder or like a briefcase. 

Something to play

This arrangement of Canzon Per Sonare #4 is an excellent addition to any brass player's library. This is an accessible arrangement from David Marlatt that works from Brass Quintets on a wide spectrum of skill levels. This piece is a great staple to have for your quintet and works from everything from a wedding to an evening concert. 

We wish you all the best with your Christmas shopping. 

New Lincoln Center Christmas Album

Big Band Holidays
By Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Buy on Amazon

Jazz at Lincoln Center recently released a new Christmas album call Big Band Holidays. 

From the release notes:

“Nine-time GRAMMY Award winner and Pulitzer Prize winner Wynton Marsalis and the JLCO are joined by special guest vocalists Cécile McLorin Salvant, Gregory Porter, and René Marie on what’s sure to become a holiday classic. This holiday season, there’s no better gift than this beautiful deluxe package featuring jazzy renditions of family holiday favorites.”

This is worthy of consideration to be part of your Christmas listening this year and from here on out. For us, White Christmas was our favorite tune on the album. 

Will this make it into your playlist this season? Let us know in the comments. 

Mentioned in this Post

Big Band Holidays on Amazon

Big Band Holidays on iTunes

Film Score Friday: The Adventures of Robin Hood

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Claude Rains, Alan Hale
Buy on Amazon

The week on Film Score Friday, we listen to the score from The Adventures of Robin Hood. This is a 1938 classic that in many ways paved the way for what film scores could add to the drama of a film. Erich Korngold set a great standard here. 

There are parts of the score that unmistakably from the 1930s, but there's others that have held up well and could easily be at home in a modern film. Here's some detailed notes on the score we enjoyed reading. This is an unfamiliar film to modern audiences, but worth your time. 

Mentioned in this Post

The Adventures of Robin Hood on Amazon

The Adventures of Robin Hood on iTunes

The Star Wars: The Force Awakens Score will arrive soon

It's one month until the score is released for the new Star Wars. WE ARE EXCITED!

We know a few things, but not much. John Williams is back and had a few comments in a Vanity Fair Interview. 

“There are some scenes where we do make reference to earlier thematic pieces. We haven’t done it yet, but we’re planning to do it. It’s something that I think will seem very natural and right in the moments for which we’ve chosen to do these kinds of quotes. There aren’t many of them, but there are a few that I think are important and will seem very much a part of the fabric of the piece in a positive and constructive way.”
— John Williams on the new score

One key difference from the past recording of Star Wars is they used a studio orchestra instead of the London Symphony. We're sure it will be great, but there was something great about the marriage between this franchise and the London sound. The few precious bits we get to hear in the trailer sound great. They're clearly new, but familiar at the same time. 

The score for this newest Star Wars installment is set to be released December 18. Will you buy it? Let us know in the comments. 

Mentioned in this Post

Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Amazon


Film Score Friday: Wing Commander

Wing Commander: The Movie
Starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Saffron Burrows, Matthew Lillard, Tch?ky Karyo, J?rgen Prochnow
Buy on Amazon

This week on Film Score Friday, we listen to the score from Wing Commander. The score is from David Arnold and Kevin Kiner. There's one problem here though. The movie is bad. We know it's hard to believe that a movie about fighting cat people in space could be anything but good, but alas it is true. 

Terrible movie aside, the score is a good time. It's cheesy at times, but in a good way. There's lots of brass to listen to throughout the score. There's some screamin parts in octaves across the whole section at times that are just great. Just please, don't watch the movie. 

 

Mentioned in this Post

Wing Commander on Amazon

Wing Commander on iTunes

Perfect Landing from the Canadian Brass

The Canadian Brass have a new recording out called Perfect Landing. From the liner notes:

“To effect a perfect landing all systems must be operating at one hundred percent efficiency - and that is where Canadian Brass finds itself today. Leaders in the chamber music world once only enjoyed by the finest string quartets, the Canadian Brass routinely meets receptive audiences more typically witnessed in pop culture - this disc represents the perfect landing of this entire Canadian Brass community.”

There's some old favorites the group recorded before like some Luther Henderson and Arthur Frackenpohl arrangements. There's also some new material like the original piece from Caleb Hudson called White Rose. There's no specific theme behind the album which includes everything from Bach fugue to Spanish march to Hebrew liturgy. The album is certainly worth a listen. 

Will you be picking up this album? Let us know in the comments. 

Mentioned in this Post

Perfect Landing on Amazon

Perfect Landing on iTunes

Film Score Friday: Star Trek II The Wrath of Kahn

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig
Buy on Amazon

This week on Film Score Friday, we listen to the score from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn. James Horner wrote the score for this 1982 edition in the Trek franchise. This was Horner's first big profile movie. He delivered well. When Horner was brought on board, producers asked him to not use any of Jerry Goldsmith's material from the prior Star Trek film. 

“I’m sure that I was influenced by Goldsmith’s large orchestral scores when I started out, and that was because the people who employed me wanted that kind of sound. I wasn’t in a position to say, ‘Go To Hell!”
— James Horner on Star Trek 2

The director asked Horner to make the score sound "seafaring." This comes through quite a bit. There's a triple motive from the horns that adds drama at the right times in the top end of the range. Trumpets have lots of great fanfares as well. The low brass has plenty of chances to put air in their horns as well. 

In many ways, this film resembles an old submarine movie. The programmatic themes Horner inserts match this theme well. 

 

Where does this rank for Star Trek score? Let us know in the comments. 

Mentioned in this Post

Star Trek II on Amazon

Star Trek II on iTunes

 

8 Orchestra channels to follow on SoundCloud

There's a ton of ways these days to follow artists you love. A number our favorite orchestras have some great material worthy of your time on SoundCloud. Here's a list worth starting with. Included with each orchestras is an example of the content each orchestra offers. You'll notice they're not all music. That's a good thing, because there's some great interviews and other content available. 

London Symphony Orchestra

LSO Live

Note: This is another channel from the London Symphony content, but includes some different content. 

Chicago Symphony

New York Philharmonic

Brussels Philharmonic

Los Angeles Philharmonic

London Philharmonic

Dallas Symphony

 

What other channels do you recommend? Let us know in the comments. 

Mentioned in this Post

What is SoundCloud?

Film Score Friday: Band of Brothers

Band of Brothers [Blu-ray]
Starring Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Shane Taylor, Donnie Wahlberg
Buy on Amazon

This week on Film Score Friday, we listen to the music from the miniseries Band of Brothers. While it is a miniseries and not just a film, we think it's worth a look this week. Michael Kamen wrote the music for this 2001 HBO production. The epic miniseries follows a group of soldiers from basic training to the end of World War 2 in Europe. 

“It’s about ordinary men doing extraordinary things, and that was uppermost in my mind when I wrote the music for it”
— Michael Kamen on Band of Brothers

If you're familiar with Kamen's work, you'll hear familiarity in this score. That's a good thing. In particular, you might recognize some common threads with his score from Robin Hood. The score, at times, is very sparse with just a few instruments in the orchestra. In one instance, Kamen scored a lone Trumpet with the Violins. The effect is great. At other times, he transitions quickly to a full orchestra. The effect plays very well. 

Although about war, the miniseries it ultimately about characters. Kamen's programmatic music pairs well with this. It's also appropriate to the reverent tone the film takes at times. It's well worth a listen. 

What did you think of Band of Brothers? Let us know in the comments. 

Mentioned in this Post

Band of Brothers on Amazon

Band of Brothers on iTunes

Film Score Friday: Batman

Batman (1989)
Starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle
Buy on Amazon

This week on Film Score Friday, we listen to the score from 1989's Batman. Danny Elfman wrote the score from this take on the dark knight. Depending on your perspective, at the time this film premiered there had been few to no successful (read: good) comic book hero movies. Elfman's challenge here was to make a programmatic score, but not one cartoonish. He succeeded. 

Elfman on the score

It's a fantastic score with great range. At time it goes from sounding like a dark Viennese Waltz to Also Sprach Zarathustra. Each brass section gets time to shine many times in this score. Not only that, it feels like the bell is about to come off everything from lead Trumpet to Tuba. The recording absolutely feels like every brass player pushed it to the limit. The other element that works well with the score is doubling of brass parts with organ. The depth of sound matches the tone of the movie perfectly. The Sinfonia of London recorded this. Well done. 

“For Batman, they wanted it to sound like John Williams’ music but I don’t do that - only John Williams can do John Williams.”
— Danny Elfman on Batman


Is this the greatest score from a Batman film? Tell us in the comments. 

Mentioned in this Post

Batman on Amazon

Batman on iTunes

Film Score Friday: Back to the Future

Back to the Future
Starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson
Buy on Amazon

This week on Film Score Friday we listen to the score from Back to the Future. Alan Silvestri composed the score from this 1985 classic. Many people associate the music from this film with Huey Lewis and the News and their pop songs that were included. 

At the time the film was released, the 85 piece orchestra Silvestri used was unheard of. Some changes were made to the music written for the beginning of the movie. Silvestri's beginning material was scrapped for some pop songs that opened the film. The unintentional effect is you don't hear the score until about 18 minutes in the film. The moment is the first time you see the all important Delorean turned into a time machine. Although not necessarily planned by the composer, the effect is awesome. 

The driving theme for Silvestri uses matches the adventurous theme of the film exactly. When you hear the three pick up notes from the horns and their lead in, you'll be ready to jump into a time traveling Delorean. 

The big reveal

 

Silvestri on the score

Where does this rank for time traveling movie score? Let us know in the comments

Mentioned in this Post

Back to the Future on Amazon

Back to the Future on iTunes

Gabrieli from the National Brass Ensemble

“The National Brass Ensemble is comprised of twenty-six of the finest brass players in major orchestras across the US. “Gabrieli”, featuring the NBE, includes 15 pieces from the Italian composer’s highly influential Sacrae Symphoniae (1597), arranged for this ensemble by San Francisco Symphony trombonist Tim Higgins, and the debut of Music for Brass, a new work by celebrated film composer John Williams. The inspiration for this recording comes from a historic, Grammy Award-winning recording, The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli, featuring the legendary brass ensembles of the Chicago Symphony and the Philadelphia and Cleveland orchestras. It has been long admired as the definitive modern performance of Giovanni Gabrieli’s works.”
— Oberlin Music

Go and buy this album immediately. This is a one that should be in your library. This was recorded in 2014 and just came out with arrangements from Tim Higgins. The performance is exceptional. The album itself is an homage to the now revered The Antiphonal Music of Gabrieli recorded in 1968. The album is all Gabrieli with the exception of a new work from John Williams called Music for Brass. It serves as a nice juxtaposition to the rest of the album. 

If you need more convincing, we listed the roster below with a sample. 

Roster

Trumpets
David Bilger
Jeff Curnow
Tom Hooten
Mark Inouye
Adam Luftman
Chris Martin
Mike Martin
Tom Rolfs  
Michael Sachs  

Horns
Richard King
Jennifer Montone
Jamie Sommerville  
Robert Ward
Gail Williams

Trombones
Joe Alessi
Nitzan Haroz
Tim Higgins
Massimo La Rosa
Michael Mulcahy

Bass Trombones
Randy Hawes
Jim Markey

Tubas
Gene Pokorny
Mike Roylance
Yasuhito Sugiyama  

 

A sample from the album

Let us know what you think of this album in the comments. 

 

Mentioned in this Post

Gabrieli on Amazon

Gabrieli on iTunes

Film Score Friday: Dances with Wolves

Dances With Wolves (25th Anniversary Edition)
Starring Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant, Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman
Buy on Amazon

This week on Film Score Friday we listen to the score from Dances with Wolves. John Barry wrote the score for this 1990 film. We have to say it up front. This is a bad movie. It won lots of awards, but it's not our cup of tea. That being said, Barry's score is solid. 

While not a traditional "Cowboys and Indian" film, Barry matches the tone of a western. You'll hear lots of similarities to Copland in that vein and it's a good thing. There's plenty of opportunities for sweeping Horns. There's some great Trumpet solos. The low brass have some dynamic swells in the climax of the film as well. 

 

 

Were we right about bad movie good score? Let us know in the comments. 

Mentioned in this Post

Dances with Wolves on Amazon

Dances with Wolves on iTunes

Dances with Wolves on Sheet Music Plus