Hooray for Crystal Records!  They have made so many wonderful brass recordings over the years.  It's great to see them being reissued on CD.  The Mighty Tubadours is a quartet of amazingly talented musicians all of whom play...the tuba!  (What a shock!)  This CD, bearing the cover of one of my favorite Crystal LPs, actually holds the contents of TWO LPs, plus a bonus track.  There are 17 selections of classical, traditional, and jazz pieces plus 18 Christmas hymns and tunes (the bonus track is the previously unreleased Jingle Bells Waltz).

These gentlemen obviously have a great sense of humor:  the liner notes list among their achievements First Place prize on the Gong Show in 1977, but this is by no means trashy or bad music making.  In fact, the music they make is surprisingly delightful; smooth, rich, and mellow.  Pick a familiar piece such as Mouret's Rondeau (the Masterpiece Theater Theme) or the first movement of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, and you will immediately know this is no musical joke, but a different approach to some beautiful music making.  Surprisingly non-bombastic, these four tubists--sorry, tubadours--are fantastic musicians.  The knockout piece for me is Bach's Fugue in G Minor--superb playing and recording.  Of course, something like the Dance of the Reed Pipes (from The Nutcracker) played on tubas is innately funny; but it works.

The Christmas section opens with O Little Town of Bethlehem, in an arrangement that suits the hymn perfectly.  Play this one at low volume and it becomes truly magical.

I would recommend this for late night listening; it might even make good background music for your next get-together.

      Kimba W. Lion
from 1994 issues of The Off-Center Record newsletter
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