In 2009 I finished a short piece for brass quintet. The premise was an imaginary elevator length conversation between Duke Ellington and Leonard Bernstine. The piece has been preformed in the Seattle area twice. For more info about Jazzish or to obtain a copy of the piece, feel free to contact Ed Castro.
Tag: Chamber Music
Important Albums
When I think about important works for brass quintets two albums come to mind right away. In part, because of the spectacular playing but more importantly because of the impact all of these works have had on the brass community. Most of the pieces performed on both of these albums have become standard repertoire for…
Blackbird Variations
I remember listening to Blackbird Variations by Robert Dennis and wanting for a hint of the song by the Beatles. Soon after I learned that the piece performed by the American Brass Quintet on the recording titled New American Brass released in 1992, was based on the poem Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird by …
Drei Stücke
Not too long ago I was swimming in a sea of modern music. After a while I found myself listening and enjoying a piece by Stefan Hakenberg written for brass quintet. Drei Stücke offers great opportunities for brass players who want to stretch out with some funky rhythmic expressions in the first movement, explore a…
George Walker Music For Brass Quintet
A few weeks ago I was thinking about composers of color and their contributions to brass quintet literature. I came across George Walker’s piece Sacred and Profane and instantly fell in love with it. Now I can start searching for more brass quintets written by people of color.
Evanescence by Robert Starer
I’m often surprised at some of the pieces of music I only get to hear in recordings. It’s seems more like a secret that I get to keep all to myself. However, in this case I feel compelled to share my interest in a Robert Starer brass quintet. My infatuation with Evanescence by Robert…
Chamber Music DNA
National teacher appreciation week past us a few weeks ago and I sent out the usual emails to my former teachers thanking them for the years of inspiration. My hope is that this post substitutes having missed several extremely important and influential members of that team. Having had the pleasure of learning from three member of the…
New Years Day Performance
Mosaic Brass Quintet had a great time performing live on KING FM on New Year’s Day. Afterwards we made a video: Enrique Crespo: Suite American No. 1, Ragtime | Mosaic Brass Quintet
Mosaic Brass Quintet 