Brass Quintet On Original Sea Shanties
Review Jeffrey Kaufman trained in composition at Julliard and Manhattan School, but much or his career has been as a producer for National Public Radio and a varied list of performers. I enjoy his engaging, interesting music. The three-movement, 20-minute Clarinet Sonata (1973) has a lyrical, lively, and contrapuntal I; a songlike II with rippling piano accompaniment; and a driving Toccata (III). This is an excellent reading by clarinetist Jerome Summers and pianist Robert Kortgaard. A cheery, seven-minute Overture to a Shakespeare Comedy (2016) is given a lively performance by Quintet a Pois (flutist Margaret Swinchoski, clarinetist Donald Mokrynski, oboist Aaron Jakubiec, bassoonist Jill Collubra, and horn player Susan LaFever). The performance of Brass Quintet on Original Sea Shanties (2015) is not as impressive, though. The work, three original shanties by composer Kaufman, often sounds tentative in this reading by the Houston Brass Quintet (trumpeters Allen Chen and Sarah Perkins, horn player Mary Gold, tromboonist Craig Beatti, tuba player Patrick Wade). A Solemn Music (1975) is a somber meditation on Kristallnacht, the violent 1938 event that targeted Jewish-owned businesses in Germany. The work is scored for brass sextet, organ, and piano, the organ note really noticed until the dramatic ending. This is a group of solid brass players (trumpeters Dominick Derasse and Hugo Moreno, horn player Susan LaFever, trombonists Dick Clark and Matt Molore, and tuba player Dale Turk). Carolyn Enger is the pianist and (apparently) organist. The next two works are paired but really have nothing in common. Long and Lazy ; is a swinging thing for piano (Harris Simon), violin (Matt Urbaniak), bass (Ratzo Harris) and drums (Grady Tate). Fast and Furious is a demonic thing for solo piano (Evelyn Luest). The surprise of the album is the six-minute Essay for Euphonium and String Orchestra (2015). It is a gorgeous, wistful piece of music, originally the middle movement of a trombone work. Beautiful playing by soloist David Zerkel adds to a lovely reading by conductor Levon Ambartsumian and the ARCO Chamber Orchestra. The same ensemble is heard in the album's final work, the nine-minute Song for Strings (2015). It is a theme and variations in reverse, beginning with the last and most complex variation, then working its way toward the theme at the end. KILPATRICK --American Record Guide
Jeffrey Kaufman  (Artist),     The Houston Brass Quintet  (Artist),     Jerome Summers  (Artist),     clarinet  (Artist),     Robert Kortgaard  (Artist),     piano  (Artist),     David Zerkel  (Artist),     euponium  (Artist),     ARCO Chamber Orchestra  (Artist)    &                   5                  more   Format: Audio CD
{"Package Dimensions": "5.55 x 4.97 x 0.54 inches; 2.82 Ounces", "Manufacturer": "Phoenix USA", "Date First Available": "July 9, 2018", "Label": "Phoenix USA", "Number of discs": "1"}