And the hits keep coming at the Palladium. After consecutive weekends of packed houses and three, count them, three sold out shows, we’re geared up for more, starting tomorrow night with the Canadian Brass. We had the opportunity to talk with their hornist Eric Reed about the group’s performance at the Palladium this weekend, Friday, March 15 at 8. Presented by Bill Edwards/The Mahaffey Theater, don’t miss the only Tampa Bay performance of this legendary group!
Upon joining the Canadian Brass in 2010, Eric Reed said “It is a huge honor to be a member of the Canadian Brass. I grew up listening to them on record and in concert and I feel so incredibly fortunate to now be a part of their storied legacy. There is nothing like the experience of performing with Canadian Brass – the energy the group puts into their presentation is only matched by the enthusiasm of our amazing audiences, and the result is something unparalleled in the music business. I’ve never experienced anything like it.” We had the great opportunity to talk with Eric about the Canadian Brass, and started with a question inquiring out the group’s significant history:
The Canadian Brass has been performing and recording for a long time. How and where did the group first come together?
The group was formed in Toronto in 1970 by Chuck Daellenbach and Gene Watts, two colleagues that simply wanted to play music, and to do so at the highest level. They started out playing concerts for children, almost 300 per year! The next thing they knew they were on stage at Carnegie Hall as the first brass group to grace that legendary stage. The rest, as they say, is history.
How is the music you began playing then, different from the music you’re playing today?
The main difference is that there’s so much more of it! In 1970, there was basically no music for brass quintets to play, so Canadian Brass set out to create a repertoire for this ensemble. We have done so by taking a “masterpiece approach,” taking the finest music from all repertoire and genres and adapting it for brass quintet. This is what Canadian Brass has done since the very beginning and what we continue to do today, and the vastly increased repertoire for brass quintet is a testament to that.
How does Canadian Brass’ current music, differ from those of other brass groups?
Canadian Brass is known for the variety of music that we play in any given show, as well as the way that we present it. Not only do we perform music of all time periods, from Bach to the Beatles and Gabrieli to Lady Gaga, and of course Dixieland and early Jazz, we present it in a way that’s not only entertaining but accessible to audiences of all ages and levels of musical understanding.
Do you use traditional instruments?
We use modern instruments based on the finest traditional models. The instruments themselves are made here, in North America, by the Conn-Selmer Company, and are 24k gold-plated. We are proud of the legacy we continue by playing the finest and most respected instruments in the world, and that they are basic, standard instruments available to everyone.
Tell us about the program you’ll be playing at the Palladium on Friday, March 15 at 8.
As always, the audience can expect an entertaining concert with a large variety of musical styles and sounds. We offer a sort of chronology of the very best music for brass; we start with some early Baroque and late Renaissance (Scheidt, Dowland, Gabrieli) followed by staples, Bach and Brahms. Traditional showpieces will feature members of the group (Carnival of Venice among others) and we’ll even play a tango (Killer Tango by Sonny Kompanek). We always end with a pageant of sorts – I believe for this concert we’ll be doing a bit of “choreography!” (Tribute to the Ballet)
Do you have any new recordings on the horizon?
Yes, we have a number of great new recordings on the horizon; some are recorded and nearly finished, some in the process of being recorded or arranged, some being dreamt about and others still mere twinkles in our eyes. What they are specifically, you’ll have to wait and see! Rest assured, they’ll be purely Canadian Brass, and they’re certain to be a great continuation of the group’s recorded legacy.
Tickets and info are available for the Canadian Brass from The Mahaffey Theater, (727) 892-5767, or call The Palladium Box Office, (727) 822-3590.
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