Program No. 96 - 30th March 2014

Hour 1 (Jazz and Contemporary Brass)
Trumpet Magic - A Tribute to Rafael Mendez

For the first time on Brass Monkeys we will be featuring one album.

This album was released in 2006 and is a tribute to the legendary Mexican trumpet player Rafael Méndez.

The trumpet player is the current principal trumpet player of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Geoffrey Payne, and he is more than ably backed by said orchestra, under the direction of Jean-Louis Forrestier.

Sadly we cant play the entire album due to time considerations, but the tracks that we will be playing are:

1.     Hejre Kati
2.     Dance Of The Comedians
3.     Bell Song From Lakme
4.    Habanera from Carmen
5.     Dance Boheme from Carmen
6.     Czardas
7.     Zigeunerweisen
8.     Canto Moro
9.     Plegaria Taurina
10.   Farewell My Grenada
11.   La Virgen De La Macarena

Next week, we will start our series looking at brass playing in popular songs of the last 30 to 40 years. We'll begin with brass used by American singer Billy Joel.

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Hour 2 (Movie Scores)
John Williams and Steven Spielberg in the 1990s
 

 About 6 weeks ago we looked at the collaboration between John Williams and Stephen Spielberg in the 1980's which included the Indiana Jones movies, as well as E.T., Empire Of The Sun and Always.  This week we look the continuation of this partnership in the 1990's.

1.    The Banquet Scene
2.    The Ultimate War
     - Hook (1991)

3.    Journey to The Island
4.    T-Rex Rescue & Finale
     - Jurassic Park (1993)

5.    Main Theme
     - Schindler's List (1993)

6.    The Long Road To Justice
     - Amistad (1997)

7.    Hymn To The Fallen
     - Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Next week, we take another look at the works of Michael Giacchino, as we explore his works away from Pixar.

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Hour 3 (Brass Bands and Ensembles)
Philip Wilby (Part II)

Last week we looked at three major works composed by Philip Wilby that incorporated music from composers such as Paganini, Vivaldi and Mozart.  This week we continue through his catalogue of major works for brass band.

1.    Dove Descending (Yorkshire Building Society Band)
     - Kings of Europe (2004)

2.    The New Jerusalem (Tertnes Brass)
     - Norwegian Brass Band Championships (1999)

3.    Jazz (Grimethorpe Colliery Band)
     - From Sonnets to Jazz (1997)

Next week we are going to be looking at some of the test music for the upcoming Australian National Brass Band Championships, to be held in Brisbane over Easter.

Program No. 95 - 16th March 2014

Hour 1 (Jazz and Contemporary Brass)
Maynard Ferguson

Maynard Ferguson was one of the most adaptable trumpet players, being one of the few to readily change with the times during his long career, from the 1940s to the 2000s. Whilst not the first to utilise the upper register, he came to own that territory.  He released well in excess of 50 albums over his lifetime, with seemingly dozens of compilation albums that have been put together after his death.

Tonight's show seeks to only scratch the surface of his works (as a lot of the tracks tonight have been taken from compilation albums, and could have come from one of 5 or 6 different albums, I have left that information off. But we'll be discussing albums on the show).

1.    Gonna Fly (Theme from Rocky)
2.    Birdland
3.    Sesame Street
4.    The Girl from Ipanema
5.    Eleanor Rigby
6.    Star Trek Theme
7.    MacArthur Park

Next week we'll have our feature of a single album, that is Trumpet Magic: A Tribute to Rafael Mendez, performed by Geoffrey Payne on trumpet with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

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Hour 2 (Movie Scores)
Elmer Bernstein

Elmer Bernstein is one of the legends of score composition, having composed for more than 200 movies over his 51 year career. two of his scores (The Magnificent Seven and To Kill a Mockingbird) were listed in the top 20 of the 100 greatest movie scores of all time, compiled in 2005. He was nominated for 17 Academy Awards (and won only one), as well as five Grammy Award nominations.

His first score was for Saturday's Hero in 1951 and his final score was in 2002 for Far Fro Heaven (which was nominated for an Academy Award).

 1.    Main Title
     - The Great Escape (1963)

2.    Sky Hi
     - Thoroughly Modern Mille (1967)

3.    Finale
     - The Black Cauldron (1985)

4.    Main Title
     - To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

5.    Main Theme
     - Ghostbusters (1984)

6.    Airplane Suite
     - Airplane (aka Flying High)(1980)

7.    Walk on The Wild Side
     - Walk on The Wild Side (1962)

8.     Suite from The Ten Commandments
     - The Ten Commandments (1956)

9.    The River Crossing
     - Zulu Dawn (1979)

10.   Main Title
     - Wild Wild West (1999)

11.   Main Title
     - The Magnificent Seven (1960)

Next week we revisit the collaboration between Steven Spielberg and John Williams as we look at the 1990s. Think Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, Amistad and Hook.

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Hour 3 (Brass Bands and Ensembles)
Philip Wilby

Philip Wilby is a British composer, and whilst he composed for a wide variety of instruments it is his brass band music that we will obviously be looking at closely tonight. In particular we will play 3 of his major works for brass band that have been popular over the last decade or so. The three works share a common theme as they relate to, and include theme and variations of works from well known composers.

1.    Paganini Variations (Grimethorpe Colliery Band)
     - Paganini Variations (1999)

2.    Vienna Nights (Lyngby-Taarbaek Brass Band)
     - European Brass Band Championships 2012

3.    Red Priest (Oslo Brass Band)
     - NM Brass 2012 (Elite Division)

Next week we continue to look at the works of Philip Wilby.

Program No. 92 - 23rd February 2014

Hour 1 (Jazz and Contemporary Brass)
Nils Landgren Funk Unit

Nils Landgren is a Swedish R&B funk and jazz trombone player. He began playing drums at the age of six, before at last discovering the trombone at 13.

By his own reckoning he has been on more than 500 albums, as a soloist, as part of Nils Landgren Funk Unit, or as a sessional player. He has performed with people and groups as diverse as ABBA, Ray Parker Jnr., Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Eddie Harris and Maceo Parker.

Landgren tours regularly. In the next few months you can see him perform in Sweden, Germany, France and Switzerland.

Tonight's show will feature his group Nils Landgren Funk Unit.

1.    Walk Tall
2.    You Dig
3.    Cannonball
     - Paint It Blue (1996)

4.    Slowfoot
5.    Brazos River Breakdown
6.    Freak U
     - Licence to Funk (2007)

6.    Money, Money, Money
7.    Super Trouper
8.    Dancing Queen
     - Funky ABBA ( 2004)

Next week will feature some of Nils Landgren's solo works.

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Hour 2 (Movie Scores)
Alexandre Desplat

Possibly one of the most underrated movie score composers around at the moment, Desplat is a prolific composer, in both Hollywood as well as in his native country, France.  He has been nominated for 6 Academy Awards, 6 Golden Globe Awards (won one), 6 BAFTA Awards (won one), 7 Cesar Awards (won three) and 5 Grammy Awards (won one).

Tonight's program simply serves as an introduction to his vast body of work. Expect a few more programs featuring this composer in the future.

1.    Mr Fox In the Fields Medley
2.    Finale
     - Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)

3.    Sky Battle
4.    Fireplaces Escape
5.    Destroying the Locket
     - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I (2010)

6.    Opening Titles
7.    Heilbronn Mine
     - The Monuments Men (2014)

8.    Main Title
9.    Finale
     - Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)

10.   Philomena
11.   Confession
     - Philomena (2013)

12.   Calling the Guardians
13.   Oath of the Guardians
     - Rise of the Guardians (2012)

14.   Battle With the Tartars
15.   Ice Bear Combat
     - The Golden Compass (2007)

Next week we look at video game music and uncover those written by well known movie score composers.  You may be surprised as to who will feature on the show.

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Hour 3 (Brass Bands and Ensembles)
Classical and Operatic Overtures

A lot of well known music in the classical genre has been transposed for brass bands over the years.  Tonight's program looks at the Overture, both in symphonic and operatic form as the length of these works can sometimes fit well as either major works or entertainment items for brass bands.

1.    Russlan And Ludmilla - Overture (Fodens Band)
     - Brass in Concert (2001)

2.    The Hebrides Overture - Fingal's Cave (Black Dyke Band)
     - Essential Dyke Volume 7 (2007)

3.    La Forza del Destino Overture (Soli Brass)
     - WMC 2001 Brass Band CD 2 (2001)

4.    William Tell - Overture (Grimethorpe Colliery Band)
     - Classic Brass (1989)

5.    Overture - The Marriage of Figaro (Black Dyke Mills Band)
     - European Championships (1991)

6.   1812 Overture (BAYV Cory Band)
     - European Championships (2003)

I found more than enough music here for a couple of programs. Next week, we'll continue with this theme.

Program No. 91 - 16th February 2014

Hour 1 (Jazz and Contemporary Brass)
Wycliffe Gordon

In my opinion Wycliffe Gordon is one of the most versatile and influential jazz trombone (as well as trumpet, tuba, piano, didgeridoo, strings) players (he also sings) around in the USA at the moment. He is no stranger to our shores, having been a guest of the Melbourne International Festival of Brass on at least two occasions.

1.    It's All Right With Me (with John Allred)
2.    The Preacher (with John Allred)
     - Head to Head (2002)

3.    The Battle Hymn Of The Republic
     - The Gospel Truth (2000)

4.    When The Saints Go Marching In
     - In The Cross (2004)

5.    Great Big Wall (Emily Asher)
     - Dreams May Take You (2012)

6.    Sweet Georgia Brown
     - The Search (2000)

7.    Georgie On My Mind
     - Standards Only(2006)

8.    Undecided (with Marty Erickson)
     - You and I (2008)

9.    Brass Glory (Kenny Carr)
     - Sound The Alarm (2004)

Next week, we stay with trombones as we feature Swedish funk and jazz player, Nils Landgren.


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Hour 2 (Movie Scores)
John Williams and Steven Spielberg in the 1980s

John Williams has been working with Steven Spielberg since The Sugarland Express in 1974.  There has been so much great music composed as part of this collaboration, that I have chosen to start off with looking at their joint projects in the 1980's. During this time there were 6 movies that Williams scored for Spielberg, including the one of the best action trilogies of all time, a score featuring in the top 10 scores of all time, as well as a relatively unknown one.

1.    Bicycle Chase
     - E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

2.    Follow Me/ Dorinda's Sol Flight
     - Always (1989)

3.    Toy Planes, Home and Hearth
4.    Exsultate Justi
     - Empire of The Sun (1987)

5.    Desert Chase
6.    The Miracle of the Ark
     - Raiders of The Lost Ark (1981)

7.    Anything Goes
8.    Slave Children's Crusade
     - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

9.    Finale & End Credits 
     - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Next week we play music from French composer Alexandre Desplat.

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Hour 3 (Brass Bands and Ensembles)
Goff Richards

There wouldn't be many brass bands in the world that don't have a work or two by British composer Goff Richards in their repertoire. Although he passed away in 2011 his original compositions and arrangements of well known tunes will endure.

1.    Fanfare for a New Age (Brighouse & Rastrick Band)

2.    Pops For Brass (Brighouse & Rastrick Band)

     - The Best of Goff Richards (2005)

3.    Barnard Castle ( Lyngby-Taarbæk Brass Band)

     - Decade of Brass (1999)

4.    James Bond Medley (Grimethorpe Colliery (UK Coal) Band)

     -  Movie Brass (2001)

5.    Doyen (Halifax Concert Band)

     - Halifax Concert Band (2008)

6.    Oceans (Desford Colliery Band)

7.    Russky Percussky (Desford Colliery Band)

    - Making Tracks (1990)

8.    Zorba's Dance (Buy As You View Cory Band)

     - The Glory of Cory (2002)

Next week, we are going to look at some well known orchestral overtures, arranged from brass bands.

Program No. 88 - 26th January 2014

Happy Australia Day everyone.

Tonight's show will be a celebration of Australian music, in brass, in cinema and on radio.

Hour 1 (Jazz and Contemporary Brass)

1.    Beds are Burning (Midnight Oil)
      - Scream In Blue (1992)

2.    Forgotten Years (Midnight Oil)
      - Blue Sky Mining (1989)

3.    ABC News Theme
      - Remixed by Pendulum (2010)

4.    Back In Black (Trombone Shorty)
      - Trombone Shorty - Live At Jazz Fest (2007)

5.    Holy Grail (Hunters & Collectors)
      -  Living In Large Rooms and Lounges (1995)

6.    Do You See What I See (Hunters & Collectors)
      - Collected Works (1986)

7.    Eagle Rock 1908 (Ross Wilson)
      - Tributary (2008)

8.    Land Down Under (Ophil)
      - Ophil Live (2005)

9.    Still Young  (The Cat Empire)
10.  Go (The Cat Empire)      -  Steal The Light (2013)

11.  Sydney By Night (James Morrison)
      -  Postcards from Down Under (1988)

Next week, we play music from Australian trumpeter and singer, Vince Jones.

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Hour 2 (Movie Scores)

We are featuring music from two iconic Australian movies. The first was released back in 1982 with music composed by Bruce Rowland - The Man From Snowy River. The second movie was released in 2008 with music composed largely by David Hirschfelder - Australia.

1.    Main Titles
2.    Mountain Theme
3.    Jessica's Theme
4.    The Chase
5.    Jim's Ride
6.    Jim Brings In The Brumbies
7.    Closing Titles
     - The Man from Snowy River

8.    Welcome to Australia (Overture)
9.    No Man Hires Me, No Man Fires Me
10.  The Rush
11.  Across the Room / Begin the Beguine
12.  Faraway Downs
13.  Fire from the Sky
14.  Nimrod (From the Enigma Variations)
15.  Waltzing Matilda
     - Australia

Next week we play music from Ramon Djawadi.
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Hour 3 (Brass Bands and Ensembles)

 1.   The Australasian (Grimethorpe Colliery Band)
     - Grimethorpe in Concert (2002)

2.    An Australian Fantasy (Sellers Engineering Band)
     - The World of Brass (1992)

3.    Endeavour (Yorkshire Imperial Band)
     - Endeavour (2002)

4.    At The Going Down Of The Sun (Kew Band Melbourne)
     - 'Neath Austral Skies

5.    Terra Australis (Brighouse & Rastrick Band)
     - The Nationals 2010

6.     Waltzing Matilda (Melbourne Staff Band)
     - Celebration Of Faithfulness (2007)

7.    Advance Australia Fair (Australian National Band & David Stanhope)
    - Advance Australia Fair: The Australian National Anthem (2005)

On next week's show, we feature trombone player Brett Baker.