# Best brass real recordings? Any suggestions?



## germancomponist (Jun 18, 2011)

Beside the "brass war" thread.... .

I would like to know what real recordings do you like. What are the best brass examples for you?


----------



## maraskandi (Jun 18, 2011)

Maybe not exactly answering your question, but I have to say the most impressive live experience of brass playing for me was hearing these guys in Stockholm with the natural cobbled street reverb, they were so tight, and blitzed off gorgeous brass arrangements one after the other, I was spellbound. The clip here is only short, but the other I found on youtube didn't do justice to the sound they made, a small impression can be gathered from this though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPjgicof ... re=related


----------



## José Herring (Jun 18, 2011)

germancomponist @ Sat Jun 18 said:


> Beside the "brass war" thread.... .
> 
> I would like to know what real recordings do you like. What are the best brass examples for you?



Depends on what you want. Solo brass, orchestral brass or brass choir type stuff like brass quintet. There are many stellar recordings of brass. Some of the better brass sections for orchestra are recordings by Chicago Symphony, Berlin, New York and Cleveland. Many fine examples. Look for recordings of Mussorky's "Pictures at an Exhibition". The final section called the "great Gates of Kiev". Also, the first movement of Mahler sym #5, as well as too many others to list. For brass quintet type stuff then the Canadian Brass has a lot of good recordings as well as 

If you're looking for more pop, funk type stuff. The look for "The Tower of Power" brass sections.

For more big band Jazz type things, Count Bassie and also though quite dated sound wise, Woody Herman and his Thundering Heard.

This is a minor fraction of what's out there. There are so many good players all around the world it would be tough to give any hint at a comprehensive list.

As a side note the typical hollywood brass sound is considered to be a little low brow for most of the finer players and ensembles. So, I would try to stay away from 99% of the film scores, though there are a lot of good players here that's for sure, but the film industry kind of taints everything in this town and all people want out of brass is full section fff it seems.


----------



## germancomponist (Jun 18, 2011)

josejherring @ Sat Jun 18 said:


> ... and all people want out of brass is full section fff it seems.



Not me, but I agree. Isn`t it sadly?

I mean, I had played the trumpet, flügel- and tenor-horn for years, and I know that we can play pp, p and mf..... . So, where is the reason because brass in film-scores is so often used only by playing ffffff? 

BTW; thanks for your good post!, the examples you described....!


----------



## Hannes_F (Jun 18, 2011)

germancomponist @ Sat Jun 18 said:


> I would like to know what real recordings do you like. What are the best brass examples for you?



I don't really know why but I happen to dearly love british brass bands: 

Phillip Jones Brass Ensemble 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUUpTViikig

and

Grimethorpe Collerie Band
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_25?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=grimethorpe+colliery+band&sprefix=grimethorpe+colliery+band (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_ ... liery+band)

(I know both is not what you are looking for but you asked ...


----------



## germancomponist (Jun 18, 2011)

Hannes_F @ Sat Jun 18 said:


> (I know both is not what you are looking for but you asked ...



Hehe, Hannes, thanks for the links!

I am not looking for only the most known hollywood brass recordings...... . 

Thanks for the links you have posted!


----------



## wst3 (Jun 18, 2011)

off the top of my head...

Anything from the London Symphony Orchestra, and a lot of the Ormandy recordings with the Philadelphia Orchestra would be my first picks for big orchestral stuff. For pieces that are tailored for brass (e.g. Great Gates of Kiev, Copland) pretty much any of the big orchestras do a good job. It depends on whether you are shopping for a specific piece or an orchestra.

For pop I like Chicago (early years) for their arrangements and production, and Tower of Power, and Earth Wind and Fire, and anything Alan Toisannt (sp?) arranged. Among others<G>!

In the jazz idiom it is really difficult, there are great recordings of ok performances, mediocre recordings of great performances, and of course some great recordings great performances. I've been listening to a lot of 1970s era Pablo and Blue Note catalogs lately, and I think their engineers did a great job, and the performances are nothing to turn up your nose at either.

And then there are the brass ensembles and choirs. As mentioned before, there are a ton of really good brass choirs in England for some reason, and the Canadian Brass (some might consider them English<G>) are among my favorites.

So much great stuff to pick from...


----------



## JJP (Jun 18, 2011)

For classical brass sections, the Chicago symphony had a fabulous sounding brass section in the '80s and '90s - especially the french horns. There were some great recordings under Solti. It's one of my favorite sections of all time.

I haven't checked out the CSO in about the last 10 years or so, but they have a great brass tradition. Hopefully I can get back there during the concert season someday.


----------



## maraskandi (Jun 18, 2011)

Custom trumpet :
Ibrahim Maalouf, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcLYqjYm ... re=related

Edit: Young lad; shows him up, sans trumpet...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMYsHTqN ... ature=fvwp


----------



## David Story (Jun 18, 2011)

The Father of Orchestration, sounding youthful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lql6AydiJ4k

This is fiendishly difficult, sounds amazing. No overdubs here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdVRaCibYLU


----------



## germancomponist (Jun 19, 2011)

And some great examples, how real brass can sound, you will find here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lovagdY1Uc

and here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26kjVB_V-9A&feature=related


----------



## jamwerks (Jun 19, 2011)

An excellent learning source is:

"Swing, Here and Now"
The Music of Harry Warren
Arranged by George Roumanis

Warner Bros. Publications
ISBN 0-7579-0280-4

Incredible playing in a advanced Big-band style.
Most importantly, you get the CD and the score
for detailed study !! =o


----------



## germancomponist (Jun 19, 2011)

Another good listening example what I like very much is this one:

Holst - Planets Suite - Jupiter - Proms 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYdzb6TZW7M&NR=1

And the strings sound is also very cool.


----------



## trumpoz (Jun 19, 2011)

For Big Band recordings:

Frank Sinatra - Anything in New York. Conrad Gozzo played lead trumpet, one of the greatest ever. 
Shorty Rogers Big Band - I think from the 1950s... had Conrad Gozzo on lead Maynard Fergusen playing 5th.
Bob Mintzer Big Band 
Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra

Brass Band:

Black Dyke - There is a great CD with Don Lusher (trb) and Maurice Murphy (trumpet) being featured soloists. Anything of theirs is great.
Grimethorp Colliery
Fodens Band http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNzeYaYPmm8
Corey
Canadian Brass Quintet
Mnozil Brass (these guys are madmen)
Brighouse and Rastrick

any of the above brass band stuff - look for _Variations on a theme by Paganini_ (Phillip Wilby) or compositions by Phillip Sparke. The Paganini is seen as on of 'the' test piece around the world. Try _Extreme Makeover_ by Johan de Meij. I think Black Dyke has done a recording of it.

Orchestral:

Chicago Symphony
New York Symphony (I have a great recording of The Planets conducted by Leonard Bernstein)
Melbourne Symphony (I'm biased - Geoff Paine and Michael Bertoncello are amazing)

Solo (there are literally hundreds - these are off the top of my head):
Tpt: 

Maurice Andre - Teleman Trumpet Concerto
Haken Hardenberger - Any 20th Century concerto
Sergei Nakarijakov - Get the recording of when he was 15. I nearly put the trumpet away after hearing that. 
There is a great recording of Wynton Marsalis doing Pachabels Canon in D for 8 trumpets (overdubbed)

Trb:
Christian Lindberg - there is an amazing dvd of him doing duets with Hakan Hardenberger (tpt)
Michael Maulchay
Brett Baker

Tuba:
Øystein Baadsvik - I had the pleasure of accompanying him..... an amazing musician. 

Have fun going through that list. There is plenty of brass band stuff on youtube

There is some great Film score stuff as well (not just the ffff stuff alluded to earlier). 

Born on the 4th of July - Tim Morrisons trumpet solos are gold
Anything played by Malcolm McNab - particularly the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto

Oooops - forgot a lot of the early Michael Jackson recordings. Jerry Hey Horns. Nuff said.

And to complete my trumpet bias - Tuttis Trumpets the who's who of the time in trumpet playing.


----------



## rayinstirling (Jun 19, 2011)

Ok not the best recording but

How about this this


----------



## misterbee (Jun 20, 2011)

Specific recordings that most influenced me as a trumpet player...


Big band -
Kenton 76 Stan Kenton Orch)
XXL (Gordon Goodwins Big Phat Band)
Music of Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays (Bob Curnow LA Big Band)
Time Being (Buddy Rich)

Funk -
Tower of Power Direct Plus
The Dude (Quincy Jones)
Brother Sister (Brand New Heavies)


----------



## germancomponist (Jun 20, 2011)

rayinstirling @ Sun Jun 19 said:


> Ok not the best recording but
> 
> How about this this



Very cool, Ray!


----------



## dcoscina (Jun 20, 2011)

Bill Stromberg's recording of Herrmann's Mysterious Island kicks total ass. Moscow Symphony played on it. The brass writing on The Balloon Pts 1 & 2 is just outstanding.


----------



## adg21 (Jun 22, 2011)

germancomponist @ Sun Jun 19 said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYdzb6TZW7M&NR=1
> 
> And the strings sound is also very cool.



that doubling strings and horns (softly) melody at 3 mins is particularly silky smooth.


----------



## Blackster (Jun 22, 2011)

adg21 @ Wed Jun 22 said:


> germancomponist @ Sun Jun 19 said:
> 
> 
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYdzb6TZW7M&NR=1
> ...



Yes, you are absolutely right. Also, that particular combinations is used very often in film scores. Somehow this passage you are talking about seems so close to the soundtrack of Braveheart (especially the track "Wallace Courts Murron" at around 3:40min)


----------



## adg21 (Jun 22, 2011)

what strikes me about the Holst is just the way the violins and horns sound almost indistinguishable from each other in that bit, all violins 1 and 2 and all the horns play the same melody at same register, they just melt together


----------



## dcoscina (Jun 22, 2011)

Here's that Herrmann I was talking about. Epic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fuJOcfd04g


----------



## jc5 (Jun 22, 2011)

The sound of the online video leaves something to be desired, but the performance is stunning:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x27oq3_cso-bruckner-nr-6-part-1_music

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x27o2j_cso-bruckner-symphony-nr-6-part-2_music

First movement of Bruckner's 6th symphony with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Solti.


----------



## Jean Paul (Jun 22, 2011)

germancomponist @ Sun Jun 19 said:


> Another good listening example what I like very much is this one:
> 
> Holst - Planets Suite - Jupiter - Proms 2009
> 
> ...



+1 
One good version of 'The Planets' is Yoel Levi -Telarc CD-80466. 20-Bit Digital Mastering with awesome imaging depth and huge dynamic range. But some people consider it too clean (studio-like demo) and a bit bright. 
Another one of my favorite versions is H. Von Karajan - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.


----------



## germancomponist (Jun 23, 2011)

dcoscina @ Tue Jun 21 said:


> Bill Stromberg's recording of Herrmann's Mysterious Island kicks total ass. Moscow Symphony played on it. The brass writing on The Balloon Pts 1 & 2 is just outstanding.



+1

Bill did many cool recordings. Watch this video too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnYKRqO42Fs&NR=1


----------



## germancomponist (Jul 26, 2011)

Some minutes ago I had found this Herrmann score, linked on facebook. Awesome!!!

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q38DDjczNFA&feature=player_embedded#at=598


----------



## Hans Adamson (Jul 26, 2011)

I'm no brass expert, but my favorite is an old Deutsche Grammophone recording of Mozart's "Jupiter" symphony. I think it is Karajan. When the horns enter the polyphonic weave at the end of the last movement. They excite the whole room and reside majestically on top of all other instruments. It's like the climax of the whole symphony...


----------



## handz (Jul 26, 2011)

Blackster @ Wed Jun 22 said:


> adg21 @ Wed Jun 22 said:
> 
> 
> > germancomponist @ Sun Jun 19 said:
> ...




You are right, it is bit similar, it would be not first time Horner "borrowed" something from classical. 

Also the part starting at 6:39 reminds me the "Orgy" track from Barbar Conan (great score, and RIP Basil) 

Holst s truly a father of film scoring


----------

