Norwegian Wind Brass Ensemble: Brass From Utopia: A Frank Zappa Tribute
Author: Andy Robson
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Musicians: |
André Fjortoft (perc) |
Label: |
NorWind |
Magazine Review Date: |
August/2014 |
RecordDate: |
date not stated |
Here's some kicking fun with absolutely no commercial value whatsoever, so hurrah to that. Launching with a sprightly ‘Peaches En Regalia’, these funky Norsepersons easily span the many moods of the Zappa universe, dark and complex on ‘The Dog Breath Variations’, positively Stravinsky like on ‘Uncle Meat’, and suitably breathless on ‘G-Spot Tornado’. Zappa (Frank and Francesco!) would've particularly enjoyed that this is a state sponsored orchestra dating back to the 16th century who normally focus on the baroque. (There has to be a pun here about flat baroque and berserkers but we'll leave that to our good readers and Roy Harper). Technically this splendid aggregation of brassers has no problem dealing with all those Zappa complexities: director Stian Aareskjold keeps the arrangements simple, straight ahead, tight and joyous. The Black Dyke Mills band never sounded like this. But maybe it should. Make a brass noise here.

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