Travellin' Light - BNFL Band & Russel Gray/Intrada Brass/Waitakere Brass

Advantages: Great patriotic tracks
Disadvantages: none

...I'm sure many of you out there remember the release of the film Brassed Off in 1996, which reminded many people of the strife of a miner, and sparked in the UK a new interest in brass bands. For those who never saw Brassed Off (with the lovely Ewan McGregor :o) ), it follows the life of the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, made up of members of the Grimethorpe Colliery (that's miners to you and me!). Watch the band (featuring McGregor, Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald) as they try and work their way to the National Brass Band Finals- do they make it? The original film soundtrack was released in 1996, and when listening to it, it's easy to understand why it sold 50,000 copies and got the UK into brass band music! I think there's something quintessentially British about brass bands, and spark a patriotic pride in all of us. Plus... Read review

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Advantages: Some catchy numbers, Hysni Zela's vocals
Disadvantages: Not all wedding music, not enough Hysni Zela, over-produced

...Browsing the CDs in the 'World Music' section of my local independent music store I came across the intriguing "Albanian Wedding: Brass Explosion" by a band called Fanfara Tirana. So delighted was I with the cover picture of a pompom-ed slipper and the back cover shot of the band in their finery that I bought the CD immediately. Reading the cover notes I discovered that the band is something of a novelty because, while brass instruments are not unknown in traditional Albanian music, there has never been the tradition of brass bands such as this. Although the band members are all serious and (very talented) musicians, they decided to form a brass band as a joke to create a tradition that never existed - brass bands travelling from town to town playing traditional music at weddings which is very common in the other Balkan countries... Read review

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Advantages: Interesting, eclectic list of guests and collaborators
Disadvantages: A few so-so tracks

...Sting, George Harrison, Van Morrison, Paul Weller, Jamiroquai, David Gilmour, all on one record? What unites them? The common factor is that all have either appeared on ‘Later With Jools Holland’ on TV, or worked with the former Squeeze keyboard player turned bandleader on previous projects. Now he, his piano and 30ish-strong big band get to accompany a bunch of friends on songs old, new (seven co-written by the guest performer with JH himself), borrowed and blue(s) (and jazz). Sting’s ‘Seventh Son’, an old Willie Dixon standard which gave Georgie Fame (who was probably the Jools Holland of the 70s) a hit in 1969 gets things off to a full-blooded start. The ex-Policeman is too often a byword for dullness these days, but you’d hardly recognise him on this lively jazz workout. The same goes... Read review

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