The record company Cala Records recently released a series of CD�s called New York Legends, with principal players from the New York Philharmonic.

The CD with principal trumpet Philip Smith, (CACD0516) starts and ends with a piece for several trumpets. Track one is Concert Piece for Eight Trumpets by Bruce Broughton. It was composed in 1975 to trumpeter Lew Soloff. Lew is also playing together with other leading New York trumpeters. The last piece on the CD is There�s a Great Day Coming for 6 tumpets by W.L. Thompson (1847-1909). In addition to those two composers there are music by George Enescu (Legende), Henri Tomasi (Triptyque), Leonard Bernstein (Rondo for Lifey and Fanfare for Bima from Brass Music) and Eric Ewazen (Trio in E-flat for Trumpet, Violin and Piano)

On the music by Bernstein 3 other principal brass players, Philip Meyers horn, Joseph Alessi trombone and Warren Deck tuba, join in and make an impressive sound. It is really amazing that so few players can make such a huge sound.

There are also several tracks with more lyrical and soft playing. Joseph Turrin plays an important part on this CD, both as a composer and as an accompanist on piano. On track two, Smith and Turrin performs Intrada, a piece written for Smith in 1988. On track 18 and 19 they play Two Portraits. It was written for the International Trumpet Guild�s 20^th Anniversary. Here Smith uses both a flugelhorn and a trumpet.

Gershwins melody Someone to Watch Over Me (arr. Joseph Turrin) is also played by Smith and Turrin and is a real winner as an encore piece. Song for Cornet by Richard Lane was written for Derek Smith, Phil Smith�s father. Here one can hear that Phil Smith has a background from the brass bands in the Salvation Army.

Apropos The Salvation Army, I order this CD from:

1-404-728-1383 (office)
1-404-728-6740 (fax)
Joe_Johnson@uss.salvationarmy.org