“Seventy minutes of wind-band music includes the album’s title piece, Wine Dark Sea by John Mackey…attractive, whimsical, soulful, filmic.… Dan Welcher’s Spumante…is an ebullient starter with enticing colours and a ready wit. J’ai été au bal finds Donald Grantham exploring Cajun music, the dance music delightfully lopsided and friendly, a tuba and a euphonium are given a jazzy workout before the brass contingent beefs things up and the music becomes fantastical. The Concerto for Clarinet…
“The University of Texas Wind Ensemble is one of the finest in the country, and its frequent appearances on disc have been cause for celebration…for fans of new music…this has a lot of appeal. I’m especially fond of Frank Ticheli’s clarinet concerto, which is brilliantly crafted. But the symphony reveals new strength over repeated listens, too. As mentioned, Keith Johnson’s recorded sound is exemplary, but turn up the volume to fully realize this disc’s potential.”…
Wine Dark Sea Jerry Junkin, conductor The University of Texas Wind Ensemble Nathan Williams The University of Texas Wind Ensemble has firmly established itself as one of America’s elite wind bands Active in the area of commissioning new music since 1988, the group has offered world premiere performances of works by many composers including John Corigliano, Michael Daugherty, Donald Grantham, David Maslanka, and Dan Welcher. One of the guiding principles of the ensemble is contact…
Composer Donald Grantham breaks down his work J’ai été au bal recorded by Jerry Junkin and the University of Texas Wind Ensemble’s upcoming release Wine Dark Sea: J’ai été au bal is a celebration of some of the popular/folk music styles of Louisiana— in particular Cajun music and the brass band tradition of New Orleans. The dance flavor of much of the music is suggested by the title (“I went to the dance”), and two…