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Thank you Vince Guaraldi, Bill Boston and Aaron Brask, plus all of the supporting musicians! This CD was just what I needed to hear on the day that I happened to first listen to it- perfect for relaxation. Yes, it does deserve your full listening attention, but it can also be used to simply soothe what needs soothing. This is the music that reminds us of of those great Charlie Brown comics, TV specials. and cartoons.
Aaron Brask does a great job of capturing the charm of the Charles Schultz characters. His playing is clear and light with facility and character. All of the supporting musicians are masterful performers. There is not much else to say about this CD except "get it." Unless you are an insufferable curmudgeon you will have a great time listening to it.
Aaron Brask does a great job of capturing the charm of the Charles Schultz characters. His playing is clear and light with facility and character. All of the supporting musicians are masterful performers. There is not much else to say about this CD except "get it." Unless you are an insufferable curmudgeon you will have a great time listening to it.
Calvin Smith, May 2009
"My Diamond in the Rough"
This issue comes to you just in time for the holidays. Neither the front nor the back covers of the disc lend any idea as to what the listener is about to experience. As I popped this disc into my car stereo unit I couldn't imagine how one hornist would hold my attention through thirty-seven short, strophic melodies. I was totally unprepared for the ingenuity, musical wizardry, and variety that was to manifest itself. Mr. Brask opens the disc with a sublime monophonic presentation of Once in Royal David's City: no additives, no distractions from the tune, simply brilliant and heartfelt. As I eagerly awaited each band to change, I tried and failed miserably to second guess the next techniques by the title of the selection. Through the wonder of multi-tracking and over-dubbing, as many as four-or five-part horn choirs appeared, some with straight-forward harmonies; other with added seconds and sixth; others in a jazz vocabulary. This disc was not thrown together by any stretch of the imagination. Mr. Brask is also the keyboardist and percussionist here. The only outside collaborator is the harpist. There are some truly humorous arrangements; others are grippingly sensitive; still others are of total amazement. What began as a cassette-tape holiday gift idea mushroomed into this disc. There is literally something for everyone on this recording: Spanish motifs, American harmonic progressions, great contrapuntal moments, superior obbligato lines, and artfully carved variation designs. Look for the ad elsewhere in this issue to obtain a copy, as the artist handles the discs himself. He is a member of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. You won't be disappointed in this album."
John Dressler-Horn Call November 1996
This issue comes to you just in time for the holidays. Neither the front nor the back covers of the disc lend any idea as to what the listener is about to experience. As I popped this disc into my car stereo unit I couldn't imagine how one hornist would hold my attention through thirty-seven short, strophic melodies. I was totally unprepared for the ingenuity, musical wizardry, and variety that was to manifest itself. Mr. Brask opens the disc with a sublime monophonic presentation of Once in Royal David's City: no additives, no distractions from the tune, simply brilliant and heartfelt. As I eagerly awaited each band to change, I tried and failed miserably to second guess the next techniques by the title of the selection. Through the wonder of multi-tracking and over-dubbing, as many as four-or five-part horn choirs appeared, some with straight-forward harmonies; other with added seconds and sixth; others in a jazz vocabulary. This disc was not thrown together by any stretch of the imagination. Mr. Brask is also the keyboardist and percussionist here. The only outside collaborator is the harpist. There are some truly humorous arrangements; others are grippingly sensitive; still others are of total amazement. What began as a cassette-tape holiday gift idea mushroomed into this disc. There is literally something for everyone on this recording: Spanish motifs, American harmonic progressions, great contrapuntal moments, superior obbligato lines, and artfully carved variation designs. Look for the ad elsewhere in this issue to obtain a copy, as the artist handles the discs himself. He is a member of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. You won't be disappointed in this album."
John Dressler-Horn Call November 1996
John Dressler, November 1996
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