Varieties Extravaganzas
Henri Elkan, 2026
9/10
Listen to Varieties Extravaganzas
The ever prolific Wayne Alpern is back with a 13th record, where the diverse originals and arranged pieces host the Times Square Brass Quintet.
The bright trumpets of “Allegretto” opens with a piece inspired by Handel and uses plenty of rhythm, and “I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire” follows with Adolfo Monterroso’s soulful tuba that adds much warmth to the the haunting tune from 1938.
In the middle, “Motet” captures the essence of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestinra’s work with strong attention to tonality via James Picarello’s horn, while “Parade”, a piece intended for Alpern’s daughter, blends the brass with melody and playfulness.
“Reinvention” and “Serenade” exit the listen. The former embraces melody and harmonics with Addison Maye-Saxon’s trombone being especially luminous, and the latter is the most ambitious moment, where a building presence makes for a lively and very colorful finish.
Much like everything Alpern does, this is creative, precise and timeless, whereRobby Garrison and David Puchkoff’s trumpets sure do mesh well with the rest of the quintet.
Travels well with: Wayne Alpern- Alchemy; Wayne Alpern- Modern Music