Review: Brukdown – Bone-afide - Folk and traditionally inspired album
Players:
Rob Moseley – Trombone
Merin Rhyd – Trombone
Isobel Daws – Trombone
Angus Butt – Bass Trombone
Tracklist:
1) The Peacock (Zoltán Kodály) 3.24
2) Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Liszt arr. William Foster) 9.25
3) 7 Siete Canciones Populares Españolas (De Falla arr. William Foster)
I. El Paño 1.16
iii. Asturiana 2.34
iv. Jota 2.49
v. Nana 2.00
vi. Canción 1.14
8) Cariad Caerlŷr (Angharad Jenkins arr. Patrick Rimes) 5.04
9) Big D (Angharad Jenkins arr. Patrick Rimes Rimes/Williams-Jones/Humphreys/Jenkins/French arr. Patrick Rimes) 6.18
10) 12 Three Transylvanian Dances (Bartók arr. William Foster)
I. Dudások (‘Bagpipes’) 1.35
ii. Medvetánc (‘Bear Dance’) 1.04
iii. Finale 1.59
13) Sometimes I feel like a motherless child (Traditional Spiritual arr. Sam Every) 3.44
14) Brukdown (Errollyn Wallen) 2.32
15) Yo Soy Maria (Astor Pantaleon Piazzolla) 3.32
16) Fuga y Misterio (Astor Pantaleon Piazzolla) 4.02
17) Loch Lomond (Trad. arr. Isobel Daws) 3.03
The opening track ‘The Peacock’ gives you a good sense of what you get throughout the CD, the quality of playing, the quality of the recording, a great opening that really leaves you wanting more… and more is what you get. ‘Hungarian Rhapsody’ is sit back, relax and enjoy, even the almost impossible high register is controlled and comes across well, the anticipation of the accel’s and the precision of the faster tempo keep you engaged and wondering what is round the corner, an excellent arr. From William Foster, it is a great track and one I go back to for another listen, also the choice of Isobel Daws when I asked for her favourite. ‘Siete Canciones Populares Españolas’ is a great listen as part of the overall CD or as an individual piece with 5 movements it has a bit of everything, some stand out moments, control and balance are a delight, contrasts are well handled, and it is perfectly together. This is worth the cost of the CD alone, another from William Foster and he has got this one spot on, clearly someone who knows how to get the very best from the Trombone.
We move onto ‘Cariad Caerlŷr’, I got stuck on this one for a while, going back for another listen, the opening captures you and draws you in and the rest of the piece just doesn’t let you go, another great arrangement, this time from Patrick Rimes. Just checked and I have played this one 14 times in the process of writing the review, a couple more than any of the others, clearly a firm favourite. ‘Big D’, I think this might be a marmite track, some will love it and some won’t, you can’t deny the amazing dexterity of the players and the tempo really gets the pulse racing, but I am not sure it will be for everyone.
‘Three Transylvanian Dances’, I am starting to run out of words to describe how good this CD is and the three movements open with ‘bagpipers’ a very well arranged piece from William Foster, the great sounds and wonderful balance continue through this piece and this has great lift that again can be listened to in isolation and I have done so many times. ‘Sometimes I feel like a motherless child’ is a different piece from what goes before, a welcome change that has more of a solo element which is great to hear and a very relaxed feel to it. This piece was arranged by Sam Every, clearly someone who has a good understanding of the Trombone.
The title track ‘Brukdown’ from multi award winning Errollyn Wallen – a new angle and settles into a great tune, a real toe tapper, the Bass Trombone work is outstanding, a great ‘feel good’ piece. ‘Yo Soy Maria - Fuga y Misterio’ has a fab opening and then moves into a lovely Argentine Tango feel, moving along well, just when you think it’s finished you get the 2nd half and this picks up tempo as it goes and has a very exciting feel that continues to drive, the switch to the slower tempo is a delight and the tone just fills your ears which is wonderful and beautiful ending.
‘Loch Lomond’ is a firm favourite, no bells or whistles, just a well-paced, beautifully balanced track the little interruptions don’t take you away from the tune, they sit perfectly in the tune and just add a new layer, I really enjoy easy listening, relaxed playing and this fits that perfectly, delightful. A lovely arrangement from Isobel Daws.
To me a CD purchase is a hope that I will get something I can listen to in the car or during moments of quiet, I never expect to like every track, I like to listen to music a lot and having a CD where I can choose any track on the CD and know I will like it is very rare, but this CD does exactly that, each track is fairly even for the amount of play time , ‘Cariad Caerlŷr’ is top of the playlist in the time I have had the CD and for me is the stand-out track in a CD full of stand-out tracks.
Rob Tompkins
Available from the Bone-afide on-line shop
Store — BONE-AFIDE Trombone Quartet (boneafide.co.uk)
You can also purchase the music from the same web-site
