The Motor City Brass Quintet
Christmas Vespers - Reviews
Detroit Free Press
Mark Stryker
Free Press Music Critic
I'm usually a Scrooge when it comes to Christmas recordings, but here's one full of enough creative vitality that I might have to rethink my prejudice. "Christmas Vespers" (***, Brassjar Music), the welcome debut by the Motor City Brass Quintet, includes seamless and highly musical performances of interesting arrangements of seasonal carols and songs like "Sleigh Ride" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," etc.
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The International Trombone Association Journal
Gretchen L. McNamara
Wright State University
From traditional to less-known Christmas music, the Motor City Brass Quintet compiles a wonderful collection of literature to celebrate the season. The 22 tracks and nearly an hour of music are sure to delight every listener gearing up for the holidays, from novice to professional. In their liner notes, the quintet emphasizes the significance of good arrangements for brass quintet that are fun to perform. Featuring arrangements by Rob Roy McGregor, Nicholas Hansinger, Jason Borngesser, David Gilliland, Bonnie Kline, Gordon Cherry, Randal Block, and Thomas Purdie, and an original composition by John Harbison, the recording compilation melds good musical elements with interesting and captivating lines in contrasting styles.
Notable are the lush sosenuto arrangemnts of McGregor, performed with wonderful style, intonation, rich ensemble tone, and group balance. In contract to the more traditional holiday fare is the complete recording of John Harbison’s Christmas Vespers, featuring Dennis Archer narrating the Christmas Story from Matthew 2:1-12. While the role of the ensemble as a whole is not lost, this composition features the quintet musicians as individuals to a greater extent that the other repertoire included on this recording, with roles of the Wise Men played by the Bb trumpet, horn, and trombone. King Herod is represented by the tuba, and the Star and the Prophecies are portrayed by the C trumpet. The use of contemporary forms and harmonies as well as sounds created by the use of the straight mute give this piece a unique flavor juxtaposing the arrangements of more traditional Christmas repertoire. Christmas Vespers would be a great addition to any musician’s recording collection.
The MCBQ's debut recording has received high accolades from notable artists.
I am honored to have my arrangements presented on The Motor City Brass Quintet Christmas Vespers CD. They give them such a sonorous and finely balanced performance that you will think your Christmas tree has been dipped in liquid gold. What a way to start an album of such varied and beautifully played arrangements by a wonderful variety of arrangers and composers.
Rob Roy McGregor, formerly of The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
I am just now listening to the Handel and I have to tell you that I am just about jumping out of my seat, it sounds SO GREAT!! The tuning, sound, style, balance is just perfect. You have a very beautiful sound, which I consider the heart and soul of every trombonist. BRAVO!!
Gordon Cherry
Principal Trombone, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
President, Cherry Classics
"It's a nice sounding ensemble and I enjoyed the CD a lot. Very good playing all around. A lot of good brass writing and I like Harbison's piece very much. And the trumpets sound really fine!" - Allan Dean, St. Louis Brass Quintet
Composer John Harbison (Pulitzer Prize winning composer/MIT Professor) "absolutely loves it! The group sounds terrific, spectacular! And the narrator is really wonderful on [Christmas] Vespers."
And trumpeter Rolf Smedvig (founder, Empire Brass) says, "I had a chance to listen to Christmas Vespers - fantastic - terrific - wonderful recording - just great! You all are fantastic - I love it!"
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