HATQ Review - Jim Prindle

I recently received and listened to the CD All Day Meeting and Dinner on the Ground by the High Altitude Trombone Quartet and organ. I highly recommend it. The quality of playing, musicianship, and engineering is excellent.

At first, I thought I would like to hear a little more separation of voices but as I continued to listen I realized it was like sitting in the audience in a large church listening to the blend and reverberation of sounds in the hall. And the programming contributes to that feeling of being at the concert. The selections are chronological--Baroque (Speer, Schutz, Gabrieli, Bach), Classical (3 pieces from Mozart's 'Mass in C Minor'), Romantic (Bruckner), and 20th century (Ives, Spillman, Mancini). A baritone vocalist joins them for Schutz and Bruckner. Fili mi Absalom is an absolute delight, the contrast of soloist and somber quartet makes this a wonderful work. Hearing the Speer with organ continuo gives a new interest to this old standard. My personal favorites were the majestic Bruckner motets, new arrangements of Inveni David and Ecce Sarderos Magnus. The Mancini is a beautiful balladic arrangement of Two for the Road by Tony Klatka

The title selection, All Day Meeting and Dinner on the Ground (1998), by Robert Spillman was commissioned by the HATQ. An impressionistic rhapsody using Appalachian hymns and folk music, it is reminiscent of the Morley Calvert Suite from the Monteregian Hills for Brass Quintet. One can almost imagine this as the background music for a PBS special about Appalachia. Haunting, spiritual melodies and counterpoint give this fine work a down home flavor of simplicity and sincerity.

This group is about blend, harmony, sonority, and phrasing—in short, all the things the combinations of trombones are best at doing. There are no real flashy technical passages or screaming high leads, but there is a lot of heartfelt homogeneity and love of music. Combining their "pipes" with the organ is an imaginative and logical combination. Keep your eyes out for this fresh and wonderful ensemble. This CD should be in your personal library.

Bill Holst is on the list and is acting as manager. You can e mail him at wholst@coinfotech.com or visit their website at www.hatq.org for more information.

Jim Prindle