
Bright, virtuosic brass arrangements that bridge the gap between formal concert halls and playful street performance. Perfect for festive mornings and focused afternoons.
Listening to Canadian Brass feels like opening the heavy doors of a cathedral only to find a group of world-class musicians winking at you. The sound is undeniably regal, anchored by the rich, foundational puff of the tuba and topped with the crystalline clarity of twin trumpets. There is a physical warmth to the air they move, a shimmering metallic resonance that feels both ancient and immediate. It is music that demands respect for its technical perfection but refuses to take itself too seriously.
What sets them apart is their incredible agility. They can pivot from a complex Bach fugue to a swinging Dixieland standard without losing a shred of dignity or precision. Their signature 'sneakers with suits' aesthetic translates perfectly into their sound: it is high-art execution delivered with a populist, approachable heart. The arrangements are often dense and clever, utilizing the full frequency spectrum of the brass family to create a wall of sound that feels much larger than five people.
Start with their holiday collections if you want to hear them at their most iconic, as they have essentially defined the modern sound of Christmas brass. For those interested in their technical range, 'Amazing Brass' or 'High Society' showcases their ability to handle everything from Renaissance polyphony to early 20th-century jazz with equal parts grace and fire.
Canadian Brass is a Canadian brass quintet formed in 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, by Charles Daellenbach (tuba) and Gene Watts (trombone), with horn player Graeme Page and trumpeters Stuart Laughton and Bill Phillips completing the quintet. As of August 2023, Daellenbach is the sole original member in the group, with the other members being trumpeters Joe Burgstaller and Mikio Sasaki, hornist Jeff Nelsen, and trombonist Keith Dyrda. The group is known for the use of humor in their live performances and an irreverent attitude that includes their signature attire of formal black suits with white running shoes. They have performed internationally and have recorded more than 170 CDs and DVDs. They have commissioned, performed, and recorded hundreds of transcriptions and original works for brass quintet. Canadian Brass has a library of more than 600 compositions and arrangements written specifically for them. The quintet was named as "one of the most popular brass ensembles in the world" in 2015 by The Washington Post. They have appeared on all the major North American TV networks, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, CBS Sunday Morning, and Hunan TV in China.
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