John Crossett of The Audio Beat has a high-ranking review of the Dallas Wind Symphony’s newest release Playing With Fire: Music by Frank Ticheli:

“It is a diverse collection of music that seems to have been written as much for the sheer enjoyment of the listener as to show off the exceptional range a wind band can have in its repertoire. From the powerful to the delicate, the music highlights what these 19 instruments and 51 musicians can achieve… The melding of classical music and jazz has been attempted many times in the past with varying results, usually less than successful. Here, however, the combination succeeds. Perhaps the style of jazz being played — Dixieland for the most part — helps the cause. The music bounces and flows — it’s Gershwin with a beat and one of the finest mergings of classical and jazz I’ve heard… Johnson captures the small identifying touches — the air being blown past a reed or into a mouthpiece — with a clarity that you cannot ignore, yet the the massed power of the Dallas Wind Symphony is astoundingly realistic. When the Cullum Jazz Band is added to the mix, the results don’t change one iota. From the brass to the bass to the drums, the jazz band sounds as realistic as I’ve heard…This HDCD is a world-class effort well worth seeking out.” — John Crossett, The Audio Beat

Find the full review on www.theaudiobeat.com

Get Playing With Fire as an HRx 176kHz/24bit download at HDtracks.com!

Or order direct from ReferenceRecordings.com