Chamberlain Brass - Cocktail Hour (Feat. Terell Stafford)

Traditionally, brass quintet repertoire lies within the "Classical" music genre. Although some modern groups have strayed from this standard, none have taken a full commitment to breaking the mould like Chamberlain Brass. The rich depth, nuance and flexibility of the brass quintet lends itself to a myriad of stylistic slants but very few of these styles have been fully explored or done well. Performances of jazz by a classical group can sound forced or lack swing and feel. Generally for these performers the jazz style is secondary or an "add-on" to their usual classical approach. By combining jazz musicians and fresh, new repertoire, Chamberlain Brass have created something exciting and different: a purely jazz brass quintet. Chamberlain Brass' debut album, "Cocktail Hour", explores jazz, Latin, pop and soul with a unique approach. Utilizing the virtuosic improvisation of internationally renowned trumpeter Terell Stafford, and new original arrangements by rising New York arranger Jayan Nandagopan, the jazz brass quintet has moved from obscurity to a sensation. The addition of the talented Mark Ferber on drums and percussion puts the "icing on the cake" to this innovative album. Whether you're in the mood for hard bop, cool jazz, spicy Latin or deep soul, it's always "Cocktail Hour". Terell Stafford (trumpet soloist) Terell Stafford is one of the more recent members of the line of accomplished jazz musicians emanating from Philadelphia. By his own admission he didn't start to take jazz seriously until 1988. However a Master of Music degree in classical trumpet from Rutgers University has endowed him with an enviable fluency and roundness of tone. A chance musical encounter led him to join Horizon, Bobby Watson's notable hardbopping quintet in 1990. The ensuing five years with Horizon added a practical reality to Stafford's academic grounding, taking him on regular European tours that included the Montreux Jazz Festival (1992) followed by North Sea Jazz (1994). With the Watson group he has played New York's Blue Note and Sweet Basil, appeared at Carnegie Hall and the Jazz Times Convention, and drawn favourable notices when appearing with Branford Marsalis on the NBC Jay Leno Show. Terell recorded 3 times with Horizon, also with Stephen Scott, Lafayette Harris and with his friend and musical sibling saxophonist Tim Warfield, whom he invited on the rite-of-passage album for Candid, Time to Let Go, his first album as leader marking the moment he felt appropriate to strike out on his own. Here Stafford's vigorous attack, liquid delivery and keen melodic sense are balanced by a poise and patience normally found in the playing of trumpet elder statesman. Jayan Nandagopan (arranger) Jayan Nandagopan is an Australian born trombone player and arranger living in New York City. He has performed and toured around the world with many different artists including: Ray Charles, James Morrison, Roger Daltry, Alice Cooper, Peter Frampton and Gary Brooker to name a few. He has also performed on cruise ships with many world class headline acts. It was on the ships that Jayan started arranging for different ensembles and in different styles. Since moving to New York City he has performed with many artists and has been commissioned to write arrangements for various ensembles including Chamberlain Brass, Minneapolis Pops Orchestra, Music St. Croix Chamber Orchestra and has had arrangements performed by Chestnut Brass in South Korea and all over the USA. Jayan has over twenty arrangements published to date, with many more to be released. Chamberlain Brass Founded in 2010 as an friendly brass chamber music ensemble dedicated to serious brass repertoire, The Chamberlain Brass quickly evolved into a highly specialized wedding ceremony and wedding cocktail hour group. Winning The Knot 'Best of Weddings' award in both 2013 and 2014, The Chamberlain Brass has played hundreds and hundreds of cocktail hours refining the art of brass jazz cocktail music. The group is composed of well known New York pros, each with many years of experience touring, recording, and performing in brass quintets. Musicians: Terell Stafford (trumpet soloist tracks 1-7) Terry Szor (trumpet) Franco Finstad (trumpet) Patty Schmitt (French horn) Jayan Nandagopan (trombone) Kyle Turner (tuba) Mark Ferber (drums) Recorded on October 28-30, 2013 at Gene & Shelley Enlow Recital Hall at Kean University in Union, New Jersey Engineered and Mastered by: Andrew Bove Edited by: Andrew Bove and Matthew K. Brown Mixed by Andrew Bove, Franco Finstad, and Jay Nandagopan Assistant Engineers: Doug Bove and Mario Correa Technical Information: Microphones: AEA R84, A840, Beyerdynamic M160, Bock 251, DPA 4006TL, Schoeps MK2, MK41, Shure SM57, Wunder CM7 Preamplifiers: Forssell Technologies SMP-2, Grace Design m802 Analog to Digital Conversion: Lavry Engineering Blue, and RME Recording System: ADK Sequoia workstation Monitoring: ATC SCM20 and ATC SCM50 Loudspeakers, and Sennheiser HD600 Headphones BoveAudio.com.

1) Four
2) Blue Bossa
3) Ribbon in the Sky
4) Black Orpheus
5) Mo' Better Blues
6) So What
7) Girl from Ipanema
8) L-O-V-E
9) Beyond the Sea
10) Wonderful World
11) Somewhere Over the Rainbow
12) Come Fly with My
13) Unforgettable
14) April Showers
15) Thousand Years
16) Moonlight Serenade
17) Besame Mucho