CD Review: Flash! by Sandstorm Brass

Whilst moving my CD collection onto its shiny new shelving unit recently, I was struck by just how many CD’s I have and how old some of them now are. Their age reflected by the layer of dust on some of the cases, it was clear how long it is since I listened to some of them. But this gave me an idea. Why not review these recordings all these years after they were first released?

In a series I’ve decided to call “Reviews of CD’s I found at the back of the shelf” (Snappy right?) the first review is of an album I remember listening to loads as a child but had long since forgotten I owned. If nothing else, it is interesting to look back on recordings that came out from previous decades (and in some cases previous centuries) to see how they stand now in this high-tech, fast paced period of world history in which we live.

Cooking up a Storm

At the beginning of a new Millennium in a time before endless DC Comic Book movies ‘Flash!’ burst onto our CD players, bringing us the musical talents (and fresh faces) of Richard Marshall (cornet), Alan Morrison (cornet), Sandy Smith (horn), Nick Hudson (trombone) and Shaun Crowther (tuba) as ‘Sandstorm Brass’. With music from composers such as J.S Bach, Joseph Horovitz, Alan Fernie and Sandy Smith himself, the quintet serve up a broad range of easy listening genres that, thanks to iTunes, have served to make my commute to work much more enjoyable recently.

To look at, the CD cover is bright, colourful and slightly ‘off the wall’ with the faces of Messrs Marshall, Morrison, Smith, Hudson and Crowther superimposed onto cartoon firefighters. Not very flattering, although they should probably be thankful such technology was still quite new – modern graphic designers may have been more creative and less forgiving! It is without doubt though a cover that entices you to listen, mainly out of curiosity as to what music could hide behind such a cover. My only issues with it are the lack of attention to detail in the track listing with the titles of Two Spirituals being printed the opposite way to the recording, and the chosen font which is hard to read. That said, both of these issues are largely irrelevant in 2019 compared to 2001 thanks to advent of media streaming platforms and the only reason that I read the printed cover was for the purposes of this review!

As you would expect with so prestigious a group of brass musicians, this is a perfect demonstration of small ensemble playing. The balance is tight, the technical ability without question and the track list varied enough to stop it feeling monotonous. The musical selection can arguably be best grouped by genre into ‘Bierkeller’, ‘Chamber Orchestra’ and ‘Town Band’, and this is in every way meant as a compliment because the choice is perfect and there is something there for everyone. Sandy Smith’s arrangement of The Flash! provides a bright energetic opening and marries well with a good chunk of crowd pleasing cheese in the form of Ain’t Misbehavin, Gymnopedie No 1 and Struth! There is just enough here to bring a fun, light hearted feeling to the listener. Horovitz’s Folk Song Fantasy continues this theme and works well with the contrasts of Two Spirituals and Harlem Rag March with the use of muted cornets working effectively. Songs of The American Dream balances nicely with Bach’s beautiful Air from Suite No. 3 in D which has been sensitively arranged by Alfred Frackenpohl, and really shows the players at their finest. Suite for Brass comes across almost like a test piece for quintet and demonstrates the solo playing of each player, including Shaun Crowther who has movement three all to himself. My personal favourite however is Five Elizabethan Dances which is well arranged by Alan Fernie and knits together different styles of playing and works fantastically well for this ensemble.

Despite being more restrained in their choice of music and demonstrating less propensity to stray beyond the conventional boundaries of the ledger lines, this recording reminds me very much of those produced by Mnozil Brass. Of course in 2001 nobody had heard of everyone’s favourite Austrian brass septet, the Gansch horn or ‘Lonely Boy’.

A Flash in the pan? 

Sadly it seems that Flash! proved to be Sandstorm Brass’ only recording. With such a talented group I find it surprising that they didn’t release anything else, and I’m not really old enough to remember whether or not they did live concerts together. Perhaps it was simply a case of the market for brass quintets simply not being big enough to make investment in it worthwhile. I would suggest that no matter the makeup, an instrumental quintet will always be limited in their ability to retain the attention of an audience. Still, their one and only published offering is a cracking one and if you haven’t listened to it yet then you’re definitely missing out!

Current availability 

This CD is still available to purchase from several online suppliers and is best priced on World of Brass for the princely sum of 99p.

Full Track Listing

1. The Flash                                               Carlo Mora arr. Sandy Smith
2. Ain’t Misbehavin’                                  Fats Waller arr. Lee Norris
    Five Elizabethan Dances:                       arr. Alan Fernie
3. Watkins Ale
4. The Earl of Salisbury’s Pavane
5. Wolsey’s Wilde
6. Tower Hill
7. My Selfe
8. Gymnopedie No. 1                                   Erik Satie arr. Sandy Smith
    Struth!:                                                     Chris Hazell
9. Start Tappin’
10. Restin’ Up
11. Trekkin’ Home
12. Air from Suite No. 3 in D                       J.S. Bach arr. Alfred Frackenpohl
13. Folk Song Fantasy:                                 Joseph Horovitz
      Suite for Brass No. 1                               Ron Goodwin
14. Movement 1
15. Movement 2
16. Movement 3
17. Movement 4
      Two Spirituals:                                        arr. Alan Fernie
18. Swing Low
19. Joshua Fit de Battle
20. Harlem Rag March                                  Thomas Tupin
      Song of the American Dream:                 Martin Ellerby
21. She’ll be coming round the Mountain
22. Every Night when the sun goes down
23. The Trail to Mexico/Tom Dooley
24. Shenandoah
25. Blue Tail Fly/Buffalo Gals