On The Town

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From start to finish, we hear only total precision, excellent tone, plenty of fire and stylistic contrast, and superb intonation and balance — American Record Guide

Release Date: 23rd Jan 2006
Catalogue No: CHAN4554
Label: Chandos
Series: Brass
Length: 66 minutes

Bernstein: Suite from "On the Town" (Arr. for Brass Quintet)

Work length15:23

$6.30

$7.80

Center City Brass Quintet

I. New York, New York

Track length4:24

$1.05

$1.30

II. So Long, Baby

Track length1:28

$1.05

$1.30

III. I Wish I Was Dead

Track length1:29

$1.05

$1.30

IV. I Can Cook Too

Track length1:55

$1.05

$1.30

V. Subway Ride and Imaginary Coney Island

Track length3:34

$1.05

$1.30

VI. Ya Got Me

Track length2:33

$1.05

$1.30

Bernstein: Suite from "West Side Story" (Arr. for Brass Quintet)

Work length18:00

$8.40

$10.40

Center City Brass Quintet

I. Prologue

Track length2:28

$1.05

$1.30

II. Something's Coming

Track length2:23

$1.05

$1.30

III. Maria

Track length2:52

$1.05

$1.30

IV. Tonight

Track length1:56

$1.05

$1.30

V. America

Track length2:02

$1.05

$1.30

VI. One Hand, One Heart

Track length2:03

$1.05

$1.30

VII. I Feel Pretty

Track length1:33

$1.05

$1.30

VIII. Somewhere

Track length2:43

$1.05

$1.30

Gershwin: Suite from "Porgy and Bess" (Arr. for Brass Quintet)

Work length21:04

$9.45

$11.70

Center City Brass Quintet

I. Overture - Catfish Row

Track length2:22

$1.05

$1.30

II. Summertime

Track length2:37

$1.05

$1.30

III. A Woman is a Sometime Thing

Track length1:32

$1.05

$1.30

IV. My Man's Gone Now

Track length3:21

$1.05

$1.30

V. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'

Track length1:18

$1.05

$1.30

VI. Bess, You is My Woman Now

Track length3:47

$1.05

$1.30

VII. In ain't Necessarily So

Track length2:22

$1.05

$1.30

VIII. There's a Boat that's Leavin' Soon for New York

Track length2:22

$1.05

$1.30

IX. O Lawd I' on My Way

Track length1:23

$1.05

$1.30

Ellington: Caravan (Arr. for Brass Band)

Work length2:41

$1.05

$1.30

Center City Brass Quintet

Ellington: Chelsea Bridge (Arr. for Brass Band)

Work length5:20

$1.05

$1.30

Center City Brass Quintet

Ellington: Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me (Arr. for Brass Band)

Work length4:16

$1.05

$1.30

Center City Brass Quintet

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The ‘On The Town’ suite begins with a dissonant, flutter-tongued fortissimo chord, followed by a hectic passage that seems to say it all about an average day on the streets of New York. In the same movement there is also a ‘homesick’ interlude, rather like the one in Gershwin’s ‘An American in Paris’. Later movements explore other moods: a jitterbug dance, a trombone blues full of wry humour and a Broadway-belting showstopper, in which each of the instruments take a turn as the star performer. After the classic ‘lonely trumpet’ number, the suite finishes up-tempo with a samba rhythm number.

Bernstein made much of the urban blare of brass in his original score to ‘West Side Story’, which conveyed the youthful vitality and menace that underlies the drama. But brass can also have a hymn-like glow and numbers such as ‘Maria’ and ‘One Hand, One Heart’ draw on that for spiritual nourishment.

Jack Gale’s ‘Porgy and Bess’ suite has more of a ‘stand up and sing it’ character that his ‘West Side Story’ suite, reflecting the difference in style between Gershwin’s grand opera and Bernstein’s turbulent drama. The many colours of brass sound suggest the mood and characters of the opera: the passionate lament of ‘My Man’s Gone now’ contrasts with the insinuating trumpet (with cup mute) of ‘It ain’t necessarily so’ for example.

Duke Ellington was an inescapable force in American music. ‘Caravan’ is built around a contradiction: a dark, smokey main strain with an Arabic flavour, alternates with a sunny, major-key bridge passage. ‘Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me’ ranges from manicured urbanity to a bright, almost New Orleans-style swing. Billy Strayhorn’s ‘Chelsea Bridge’, with its sliding ninths is Strayhorn at his most pensive.

Reviews

From start to finish, we hear only total precision, excellent tone, plenty of fire and stylistic contrast, and superb intonation and balance

On The Town

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