The River Raisin Ragtime Revue is a Michigan based orchestra that puts on exciting community events to educate the public about the American popular repertoire from before the jazz era. Some of their themed projects have become albums that we out in the rest of the country can enjoy. In the past we've reviewed both Nobody is Somebody, which chronicled the music and life of Bert Williams, and Music of Reginald R. Robinson, featuring his new ragtime compositions of the last twenty years played by the orchestra.
Their new release is an ambitious attempt to demonstrate the evolution of the trombone's role in community orchestras from the Civil War through the dawn of jazz. Though obviously an album that will have the most appeal for trombonists, the 4R's have created a balanced and exciting program that any fan of early American music will enjoy. Their thirteen member orchestra includes violins, viola, cello, banjo, flute/piccolo, cornet/trumpet, tuba, clarinet, piano, percussion, and obviously, trombone.
Blaze of Glory: The Trombone in Early American Popular Music was imagined by River Raisin bandleader William Pemberton and trombonist Robert Lindahl. Together they choose 19 orchestrations, almost none of them previously recorded, from a selection of over 5000 they had at their disposal. The tracks include cakewalks, marches, polkas, novelty numbers, rags and other tunes picked t
Trumpeter James O’Donnell: The Motor City Jazz Maestro
Brian Sheridan
