2013 is quickly approaching and we’re taking a look back through our 2012 releases! 2012 saw not one, but TWO new Dallas Wind Symphony releases!
Playing With Fire
Music by Frank Ticheli
The Dallas Wind Symphony
Conducted by Jerry Junkin
Featuring the Jim Cullum Jazz Band
An all-American collaboration, The Dallas Wind Symphony and the Jim Cullum Jazz Band team up on this new sonic spectacular from Reference Recordings, PLAYING WITH FIRE! The five pieces presented here offer a musical panorama from composer Frank Ticheli (b.1958). Light to dark, to joyous jazz celebration, it is all here for the listener. The first four pieces are among the best by this famed concert band composer. The final composition, PLAYING WITH FIRE combines the mighty Dallas Wind Symphony with enthusiastic playing by the 7-piece Jim Cullum Jazz Band! Wind band fans and traditional jazz enthusiasts will revel in these splendid performances.
Reviews:
“Many listeners need to know about this gem of a recording…you are going to like it at first listen…To top it all off superbly, the last few selections feature a truly traditional jazz band; I mean that if Louis Satchmo Armstrong was still around, he would want to play in the Jim Cullen Band…” — Positive Feedback
“Both musical groups are on their toes, and if your deck decodes the HDCD signal (as my Oppo does) you will benefit from some enhancement of the standard CD fidelity. But without decoding this is still quite a spectacular album and Ticheli’s works are not the sort to alienate those averse to New Music.” — Audiophile Audition
Horns for the Holidays
Jerry Junkin/Dallas Wind Symphony
Horns For The Holidays showcases an exciting 12-track lineup including brilliant original arrangements of festive favorites with many first recordings. This sonic spectacular also features the huge Fisk pipe organ at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, and is faithfully captured by Reference Recordings’ world-renowned team of engineer Keith Johnson and producer Tam Henderson. A treat for wind band enthusiasts, audiophiles, and all who love great holiday music!
Reviews:
“This potential blockbuster exudes breathtaking arrangements of familiar seasonal music with scintillating performances by the Dallas Wind Symphony and precise presentation of an incredibly palpable Soundstage – an Ace of Spades if ever there was one.” — Simeon Sandiford
“If you are a lover of Christmas music—carols, popular songs, and all manner of medleys and clever arrangements of such—and you miss this extraordinary recording by the first-rate Dallas Wind Symphony, then your holiday listening stands to be just a bit more dull, less festive, and more ordinary than it could have been… It’s tempting to use that well-worn line, ‘if you buy only one Christmas CD this season, this one should be it’ —but I won’t; I’ll just say that if by chance it is the only one, you won’t be disappointed.” — David Vernier, ClassicsToday
“This brilliant album is full of Christmas music that you’ll actually enjoy listening to–and it will sound great on your system, too.” — John Grandberg, Inner Fidelity
“To my ears, this is one of Reference Recordings’ best-sounding albums.” — The Audio Beat
“But the bottom line is this. He has a field day on Horns for the Holidays. As long as you can lighten up enough to listen with even a modicum of frivolity and a bit of joy in your heart, you’ll have a ball as well.” — Jason Victor Serinus, Stereophile