Dallas Brass best show I've seen in years

Sales were kind of slow this year for season subscriptions for the Hot Springs Village Concerts Association. Some people just weren’t excited about the selections this year. If last night’s performance of the Dallas Brass was any indication of what is to come, pull out your credit cards and buy your season before the end of this week.

I have to admit, I was not very excited about going to last night’s concert, all brass, ho hum. I had to drag my husband kicking and screaming. We should have known better. We are friends with jazz trombonist Steve Suter and I have learned to appreciate trombones through his performances and his group Bonerama. But still, how many Steve Suter’s can there be?

Let me tell you, brass players can be exceedingly talented, thoroughly entertaining, campy and funny. D. J. Barraclough, Juan Barrios, Paul Carlson and Luis Araya under the direction of trombonist Michael Levine rock. They also swing and salsa with flair.

Last but not least is percussionist, Ryan Burd. He was unbelievable. My husband told me he was going to have nightmares after the concert. I fell for it and asked him why and he said even when he was Burd’s age he never played the drums that well and my husband Lee has his undergraduate and master’s from the prestigious Julliard School of Music and was the original drummer of Man of La Mancha on Broadway. Very high kudos from him.

Last night was Burd’s first performance with Dallas Brass. He went to Armstrong Atlantic State for his undergraduate and got his masters at the University of North Texas. Two weeks after graduating this summer and moving to Chicago he got the call to join Dallas Brass.

Although the group has its roots in Dallas, none of the current players live in the Dallas area. They come together to perform from Minnesota (Levine), Utah (Barraclough), Puerto Rico (Barrios), Illinois (Carlson and Burd) and Costa Rica (Araya).

I will guarantee you will enjoy the Dallas Brass form the opening strains of Hoedown from Aaron Copeland’s Rodeo to the encore featuring snippets from 34 recognizable tunes. Yes, there will be an encore; you won’t be able to stop clapping for these guys.

Those of us in the Tuesday night audience got a special treat; teens from the Jessieville and Fountain Lake School Districts attended a workshop just prior to the concert and stayed for the show. Their enthusiasm was contagious when Burd finished a particularly difficult solo we all cheered like teenagers. Fun, fun, fun.

These talented musicians show agility, depth and lightness covering many styles throughout the evening. The concert is also an educational experience; Levine gives brief history lessons on American music between each set. There is so much I can say about each of these gifted musicians and their choice of pieces but I will leave it here and let the show unfold before you. Enjoy.

The rest of the Concerts’ Association’s season includes Almost Elton John, Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack, Irish Sopranos and Hotel California. I can’t wait.