"Not content with being one of the finest and most famous euphonium players in the world, Steven Mead now seems intent on becoming one of the most exciting conductors around. Here he has teamed up with the legendary Hans Gansch and the Austro-German brass ensemble SoundINNBrass, and the result is pretty spectacular. The sound of the ensemble is straighter and more ‘orchestral’ than the traditional British brass band sound, but superb in every department. This is playing at the highest level, with Steven Mead leading the programme as soloist in Chick Corea’s Spain (arranged by Peter Meechan) followed by Joachim Refardt’s arrangement of Dizzy Gillespie’s A Night in Tunisia (sounding appropriately ‘hot’). The pure sound of Hans Gansch’s cornet joins Steven Mead in a medley from the Ulvaeus-Andersen musical, Chess, followed by Johaness Baer featuring on flugel horn in his own arrangement of Chuck Mangione’s theme from the film, Children of Sanchez (with some outstanding jazz improvisation in the middle section). He is also the soloist in his own Ballade for Alicia (dedicated to Steven’s daughter), which also features some outstanding piccolo trumpet playing from Holger Becker, before SoundINNBrass performs an up-dated arrangement of George Gershwin’s Strike up the Band by Joachim Refardt (with a little Alfred Newman and Horst Jankowski thrown in for good measure). Hans Gansch features as the meltingly-beautiful soloist in Roger Harvey’s arrangement of Steven Sondheim’s Send in the Clowns. Steven Mead is the easygoing soloist in Joe Zawinul’s Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (with Peter Meechan’s arrangement fitting him like a glove) while Roger Harvey’s arrangement of I Got Rhythm proves that SoundINNBrass has that in abundance! Johannes Baer contributes another original track with his Sardan, while Steven Mead features as soloist once more in Peter Meechan’s arrangement of Maynard Ferguson’s Chameleon. Steven also multi-tracks himself immaculately in Bob Siebert’s Little Jazz Waltz, while Vincent Youmans’ familiar Carioca is given a new lease of life by Colin Randle and the ensemble’s trombonist, Hubert Gurtner. The album ends with Robert di Marino’s blazing arrangement of Chick Corea’s La Fiesta. If ever there was an antidote to the grey skies of a British winter, then this is album it. The recorded sound, by Erich Pintar of Studio Weinberg, tends towards dryness, but this only increases the impact of the outstanding playing. I really cannot praise this release too highly, containing as it does some of the finest brass talent in Europe today in fresh arrangements that really make the listener sit up.

Rodney Newton
British Bandsman, Saturday 29th November 2008