Mission in Brass
19-Oct-2003
Brighouse & Rastrick Band
Conducted by David Hirst
OBRASSO Records: CD 888
Total Playing Time: 64.22 mins
This appears to be a promotional CD for Obrasso Music – I bet the band must love doing these! Fifteen out of the seventeen arrangements are by Alan Fernie yet there is no information in the sleeve notes about him, which is a pity!
This is a good, clear recording of a great sounding band ably directed by David Hirst. They begin with Alan Fernie's arrangement of Mission Impossible and this is a good arrangement with some nice little riffs based on the blues scale put in. Alan works hard to make a very repetitive theme interesting! We like it
Not sure that A Glenn Miller Collection will knock Denzil Stephen's Miller Magic off the top slot on most programmes. Mind you, the Flugal solo in Moonlight Serenade is in a much more forgiving key! American Patrol is a highlight though and this part of the arrangement for me has a real touch of class (and could probably stand on it's own with a bit of creative extension work on it) Trombonology is an upbeat Trombone solo with Kevin Gibbs playing the role of Tommy Dorsey. This arrangement really works. There is a good balance between soloist and band – a sound engineer who knows what he is doing!!
There are a number of ‘band in the park' numbers that are pleasant on the ear and I'm sure will fill out many a lower section programme this summer including The Ugly Duckling, My Way etc. Derek Broadbent, a name forever linked to Brighouse & Rastrick gives an arrangement of the spoof detective theme ‘Dragnet'. It is a Big band number which works well although at 2.04 minutes, could have done with a bit more imagination injected.
An interesting Trombone Trio version of the Jazz standard ‘Basin Street Blues' has a curious balance to it – almost as if the three trombones were recorded sitting in their normal positions. Were they that impressed with the arrangement? The arrangement works pretty well though and has a nice glitzy feel to it
Alan Fernie's selection from the hit show ‘Cabaret' is quite a good arrangement. The links work pretty well and it has some nice moments. The best stuff though is towards the end when the Cabaret theme arrives. Alan does write ‘big' intros and endings which are often better than the stuff in the middle! All By Myself is from the hit film Bridget Jones Diary and sung my Canadian diva Celine Dion. It is arranged here as a horn solo and features Melvyn Bathgate. The arrangement has Merv beginning in his very low register and what a rich sound he creates! The balance between soloist and band isn't always great though and is much better in the middle where the scoring is lighter and the horn is in its more penetrating higher register.
The Lion King at 8.28 minutes is the longest arrangement on the album. Hans Zimmer is well-known for his big score to the Ridley Scott film ‘Gladiator'. This arrangement is a series of the main tracks he composed for the soundtrack of the hugely popular animation and later stage show. It works ok, especially the more upbeat numbers and there is some wonderfully subtle percussion playing from the band. Eleanor Rigby is a cracking arrangement from Alan Fernie. It is a sort of modern big Band version and probably the best arrangement on the disc. The Band play like it is too! The final track is arranged by Christian Jenkins and is fine Olympian music by John Williams. This a fine arrangement and the Band sound great.
Overall, a nice CD in the best tradition of piped music with one or two crackers and some great sounds from the band.
Richard Grantham
What's on this CD?
1. Mission Impossible, Lalo Schifrin, arr. Fernie, 2.30
2. A Glenn Miller Collection, arr. Fernie, 5.52
3. Something Stupid, Carsen Parks, arr. Fernie, 2.33
Cornet Duet: Alan Morrison and John Lewis
4. The days of Wine and Roses, Henry Mancini, arr. Fernie, 2.23
5. Trombonology, Tommy Dorsey, arr. Fernie, 3.29
Trombone solo: Kevin Gibbs
6. The Ugly Duckling, Hart & Loesser, arr. Fernie, 3.27
7. My Way Francois & Revaux, arr. Fernie, 4.39
8. Harlem Rag March, Tom Turpin, arr. Fernie, 3.06
9. Guadalajara, Pepe Guizar, arr. Fernie, 2.27
10. Dragnet, David Newman, arr. Broadbent, 2.04
11. Basin Street Blues, Spencer Williams, arr. Fernie, 3.21
Trombone feature: Kevin Gibbs, Adam Goldsmith, John Ingram
12. The Witchita Lineman, Jim Webb, arr. Fernie, 4.05
13. Cabaret, Kander & Ebb, arr. Fernie, 4.58
14. All By Myself, Eric Carmen, arr. Fernie, 4.36
Horn soo: Melvyn Bathgate
15. The Lion King, Hans Zimmer, arr. Fernie, 8.28
16. Eleanor Rigby, Lennon & McCartney, arr. Fernie, 2.37
17. Olympic Spirit, John Williams, arr. Jenkins, 3.46
Total Playing Time: 64.22
