BRASSWORKS

"This crowd-pleasing album is titled Kevin McKee: The Complete Music for Brass Quintet, but it could easily be titled The Right Stuff. Allusions to Hollywood aren’t amiss—the word “cinematic” appears several times in the program notes. As a trumpeter with a long career, McKee understands the whole range that a brass quintet is capable of, and he employs deep-toned chords, soulful chorales, military precision, and above all, the dash and swagger of an Errol Flynn swashbuckler... As a composer his mode is unabashed Americana... The performances are first-rate... Throughout, the level of execution is never less than impressive, and the recorded sound is impeccable in its vividness and balance. In short, fans of brass quintets will be amply rewarded, and general listeners can get a thrill by downloading the best of these pieces, which I judge to be Escape."

Huntley Dent, Fanfare [March/April 2023]

"Kevin McKee writes brass music that depicts things. The high-speed, exhilarating `Escape’ is about roaring down a steep mountain road. Iron Horse opens with a lovely, gentle sound painting of an old steam locomotive (`The Blue Goose’) and then portrays another wild ride (`Highball on White Pass’). Vuelta del Fuego is full of Spanish flavors. Galleons & Cutlasses is “McKee’s ode to pirates”. In Semper Gratus, the excellent quintet Brassworks—the faculty brass quintet at Brigham Young University—is joined by the BYU Honors Brass Quintet. The work is dedicated to the armed forces and is full of noble sounds."

Kilpatrick, American Record Guide [May/June 2023]

"[McKee's] CD starts off with his short but potent Escape that instantly grabs our attention. That composition and three to follow, equally intense, are played with infectious enthusiasm by Brassworks... McKee handily demonstrates in his compositions brass alone - without support from pianos, violins and other orchestral instruments - can be used to create wondrous, entertaining montages of sound."

Joel C. Thompson, Cherry Grove Music Review [April 2023]

"Interesting explorations of little-known works for wind and brass instruments may be just the thing for audiences looking for something unfamiliar... McKee is himself a trumpeter, and Escape gets the disc off to a rousing start that certainly shows the composer’s predilection for his own instrument. This is a bright, perky, fanfare-permeated curtain raiser that the ensemble Brassworks tosses off without apparent effort and with considerable élan... McKee’s brass music is uniformly listenable [and] well-structured to take advantage of the varying sounds and capabilities of the instruments both individually and collectively, and all in all a pleasant experience."

Mark J. Estren, InfoDad [April 2023]

The music on this album represents the complete oeuvre of music for brass quintet composed by Kevin McKee. McKee’s first work for brass quintet, Escape, was composed in 2007. Since then, it and the other compositions that have followed have been performed extensively by brass ensembles throughout the world. His musical themes are cinematic in nature, compelling for the listener, and thoroughly enjoyable for the performers.

Kevin McKee (b.1980) is an American composer and trumpeter, whose music has been performed on six continents and can be heard on more than 35 recordings. After earning two degrees in trumpet performance, one from CSU Sacramento and the other from the University of Maryland, he was inspired to try his hand at composition while spending a month working with composer and trumpeter Anthony DiLorenzo at the 2006 MMCJ summer music festival in Japan. McKee’s first piece, a brass quintet titled Escape, was declared “…destined to become a standard” by the International Trumpet Guild Journal; he has been composing ever since. He has contributed to the International Trumpet Guild Journal and is a member of ASCAP. In addition to composing, McKee is an active trumpet performer and teacher in the Washington DC area.
[ www.kevinmckeemusic.com ]
 
Brassworks is the faculty brass quintet in residence at Brigham Young University. They perform frequent recitals and educational concerts and have been featured often on BYU’s popular Celebration of Christmas concerts. In addition, Brassworks has made televised appearances and recordings with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. Additionally, they work closely with the BYU Honors Brass Quintet, an elite student ensemble comprised of the finest brass musicians at the university. This album features a unique collaboration on Kevin McKee’s Semper Gratus, which was composed specifically for the two ensembles to perform together. Although planned beforehand, this album was recorded during the most trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic. KEVIN McKEE (b.1980)
ESCAPE

IRON HORSE
I. The Blue Goose
II. Highball on White Pass

VUELTA DEL FUEGO
GALLEONS AND CUTLASSES
I. Phantom Ship
II. Tempting Davy’s Grip

SEMPER GRATUS
 

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Recorded 7-8 December 2020 [1-6] and 30 April 2021 [7] at the De Jong Concert Hall, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. Producer: Nick Norton. Recording engineer: Jeff Carter. Editing: Troy Sales. Mixing and mastering: Gavin Lurssen, Jeff Carter and Reuben Cohen.
 



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