The Music of James Pugh & Daniel Schnyder
The Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble
| "... his ensemble of Manhattan's finest brass players is, on this
showing, as smooth and subtle as you'll ever hope to hear"
Peter Grahame Woolf, Musical Pointers |
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"OK, I’ll stop holding back and tell you what I really think
... The Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble has produced an exceptionally
fine recording ... beautiful, spacious, playful, and mysterious. I
have listened to it many times and it is better every time."
Calvin Smith, International Horn Society |
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"succeeds on every level: extraordinary musicianship, clear and sonorous recorded sound, fresh and interesting repertoire."
Chris Gekker, The Brass Player (New York) |
The Brass Player (New York)
The Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble, based at Purchase College, State University of New York, presents music by James Pugh and Daniel Schnyder in their premier recording. GABE is a brass octet - on this
cd they also perform trios, quartets, and, with some guests, a work for trombone ensemble. This project succeeds on every level: extraordinary musicianship, clear and sonorous recorded sound, fresh and interesting repertoire.
Jim Pugh and Daniel Schnyder share some common ground, each being prominent in both jazz and "classical" circles as performers as well
as composers. The music here is of remarkable quality, engaging at first hearing with the depth and substance that rewards repeated exposure.
These works are often intensely rhythmical - you would be hard pressed to find a brass ensemble recording that swings this hard. Pugh and Schnyder also offer contrasts. Jim's music is full of appealing lines, counterpoint, and harmonic sonorities that range from wistful to majestic. Daniel revels in texture: he loves to mix colors, blur
voices together, design striking solos. Now and then he'll throw you passages of rhythmic interplay that are just outrageous.
This cd works beautifully from beginning to end. Here are some highlights: the
'Trios' by Jim and Daniel - both significant compositions played by Graham Ashton, Jeff Lang, and Jim Pugh with elegance and fire; Jim's captivating ’Äò4x2x1’Äô - a trombone ensemble work; Daniel's
'Four Short Stories' - whichsqueezes an insane amount of solo and group virtuosity into its four minutes - it will startle you again and again; and finally, Daniel's Jazz Feel
(movt ii) from 'Three American Dances' where Mark Gould's solo trumpet recalls the
fervent color of Mannie Klein.
Congratulations to Graham and his Ensemble, Jim, Daniel, and everyone involved with this recording.
Chris Gekker
Musical Pointers January 2004
Graham Ashton, London born
trumpeter and one time member of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, has led
a distinguished peripatetic professional life in Europe, Australia and,
now, New York, where his ensemble of Manhattan's finest brass players is,
on this showing, as smooth and subtle as you'll ever hope to hear. Both
these composers are active in the brass world and of eclectic bent, each
'composing in any number of styles'. The liner notes ask us to hope that
they will 'stand the test of time to become household names beyond the
realms of our brass world'. This is an apt reminder that brass music, as
choral music, tends to be compartmentalised and ghettoised apart from
'mainstream' concert fare. Additionally there are national boundaries
which aren't crossed; there is a multitude of American composers unknown
in UK. James Pugh, who plays in
the group, is Professor of Trombone at Purchase College and Daniel Schnyder is
Composer-in-Residence with the Milwaukee Symphony Orcnestra. Pugh's and
Schnyder's music, which feature in all GABE's
concerts, is accessible but never simplistic nor, at the other extreme,
does it have any truck with 'cutting edge' modernism; Pugh's the more
securely tonally based, Schnyder's the more adventurous.
It is all imaginative, often witty (as evidenced by their titles) and
makes for an enthralling hour of enjoyment - a CD which I would never have
considered purchasing, or suggesting to review, from a listing. Exemplary
recording at Purchase College and Signum's presentation to their usual
high standard.
Peter Grahame Woolf
International Horn Society - The Horn Call. May 2004
It is a delightful experience to be introduced to a fine ensemble for
the first time. It is a wonderful experience to hear and learn new works
for brass ensemble. It is an especially exciting experience to hear horn
playing as good as Jeff Lang sounds on this CD. OK, I’ll stop holding back
and tell you what I really think of this recording! The Graham Aston Brass
Ensemble has produced an exceptionally fine recording of new works for
brass. The two composers here have exhibited a wide range of spirit and
styles in works that should become frequently performed parts of the brass
ensemble repertoire. I will tell you my favorite pieces on this CD. I
won’t tell you my least favorites because they might be the ones you think
are the best. We’re all going to have a favorite or two. The variety is
very wide here.
Daniel Schnyder’s The Iron Tetrapod is my favorite. I’m not sure I will
be able to tell you why, it just is. It may be that while listening to it
I imagined how much fun it would be to play. It is full of energetic
rhythmic drive that blurs the classical/jazz line. It could have been an
incidental dance by Leonard Bernstein from West Side Story. For two
trumpets, horn, and trombone and being a bit under four minutes, it would
be a good change of pace on a brass quintet recital. In addition to being
a very good piece, it would give the audience some variety in
instrumentation, and the tuba player probably wouldn’t mind the time off.
The opening work, And Flights of Angels, employs the entire ensemble
and is beautiful, spacious, playful, and mysterious. I have listened to it
many times and it is better every time. Schnyder’s Trio is five movements
of energy in a wide-ranging emotional piece. The expressive range of the
brass trio is explored and stretched.
In the past I have occasionally purchased music, sight unseen, solely
because of the title. Sometimes I wasted my money. Sometimes I found a
winner. This would be one of the winners. Written for two trumpets, horn,
and trombone, Aviariations is one that I would buy just because of the
title. Wouldn’t you, with movements titled “One Good Tern,” “No Egrets,”
and “Toucan Dance?”
Four Short Stories, for Brass Octet consists of four short movements
that are best described as ‘very busy’. There’s only a little broad
expansiveness here, lots of scurrying about.: it sounds like fun. The last
movement, Monkfish lasting 36 seconds, is too short!
4x2x1 features the extraordinary bass trombone playing of David Taylor
with guest trombonists Joe Alessi, Dick Clark, Eijiro Nakagawa, Mark
Patterson, Matt Ingman (bass), and Jeff Nelson (bass).
Triad is best described by composer James Pugh: “Triad was written at a
time when I was dealing with personal issues surrounding my own status as
an adoptee. The title refers to the ‘adoptive triad’ of birth mother,
adoptive mother and child.; each instrument plays one of the roles – horn,
trumpet and trombone respectively. The piece begins pre-birth and explores
some of the dynamics of these difficult and highly interwoven
relationships.”
Closing this CD’s program is Three American Dances. And a great ending
it is with African feel, jazz feel, and Cuban feel. Whether you are
listening to your favorite piece on this CD or your least favorite, you
will be hearing excellent music, performed and recorded beautifully.
Calvin Smith
Shropshire Star, Jan 10th 2004
Despite the best efforts of Pete Postlethwaite in Brassed Off, brass
music - like table tennis - has remained a minority sport. But this
exciting collaboration between a fine ensemble and these two first-rate
composers should redress the balance. The pieces are challenging and fun
and should win new converts to the world of brass.
Andy Richardson
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