Sound Off / Sousa on Review

Sound Off / Sousa on Review

Eastman Wind Ensemble, cond. Frederick Fennell

Mercury Living Presence, MG 50264 & MMA 11163 - MONO versions from sessions recorded in mono and stereo

Rec. 1960 & 1961 resp.

This post replaces an earlier one which included 'Sousa on Review' only.

While all of Fennell's Sousa (and others') stereo era march recordings have been issued on excellently remastered Living Presence CD's in stereo, there are few if any good quality transfers of the mono counterparts from the same sessions available on CD or in high quality download format. Although in this case the stereo versions would be considered by many to be far superior, it is worth remembering that most listeners at the time would have heard these performances in mono and that it would still be a few years before the majority could afford a stereogram or similar state-of-the-art record player. 

The Lp's used for the present transfers had evidently seen much use over their 50 or so years, but nevertheless remained in generally very good to excellent playing condition.

The Eastman Wind Ensemble comprised students from the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York, several of whom would later occupy positions in major American symphony orchestras: standards were extremely high, as they remain today. The ensemble has inspired concert band players across the world throughout its existence, not least through its recordings made under Fennell's direction.

Both Lp's were recorded in single sessions with the band sitting in their customary straight rows across the stage of the Eastman Theatre. Some of the marches are more well-known than others, but all are worth exploring. Before Sound Off, Fennell had already recorded eighteen marches, the best-known ones of all appearing on a collection entitled Marching Along, which also included some by other composers. 

Items to watch out for here in particular are Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, whose score unusually calls for harp and 'Turkish Crescent' (or 'Jingling Johnnie' - shown on the sleeve above): at the conclusion, the score states that the latter's bells should be allowed to ring on until the sound has died away naturally; New Mexico has special effects recalling the history of that US state; Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company utilises 'Auld Lang Syne' during its trio section whilst Pride of the Wolverines and The Black Horse Troop (Sousa was himself a keen horseman) remain exceptionally strong examples of the genre in general. Playing is outstanding throughout. The Mercury team led by Wilma Cozart (later to become Cozart-Fine) capture all departments in very natural sounding recordings: the bass drum 'thwacks' are superb! In all, stirring stuff!

Track Listing for Sound Off

Side One

1. Sound Off
2. Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
3. Sabre and Spurs
4. The Picadore
5. Our Flirtation
6. The High School Cadets

Side Two

1. (Trk 7) The Invincible Eagle
2. (Trk 8) Bullets and Bayonets
3. (Trk 9) The Liberty Bell
4. (Trk 10) Riders for the Flag
5. (Trk 11) Solid Men to the Front!
6. (Trk 12) The Gallant Seventh

Track listing for Sousa on Review

Side One

1. The Rifle Regiment
2. The Pride of the Wolverines
3. Golden Jubilee
4. The Gridiron Club
5. New Mexico
6. Sesqui-Centennial Exposition

Side Two

1. (Trk 7) The Black Horse Troop
2. (Trk 8) The Kansas Wildcats
3. (Trk 9) Manhattan Beach
4. (Trk 10) Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company
5. (Trk 11) The National Game
6. (Trk 12) The Glory of the Yankee Navy

As with other posts here, I will willingly remove these albums from this blog should anyone concerned in its production or copyrighting complain about its presence here on legal grounds.

Download links (Flac is high quality, but takes up significant computer space (about the equivalent of an audio CD for the whole album). Use flac for reference listening or for further editing/mixing etc.; Mp3 is more suitable for mobile listening, still of fairly high quality, but takes up much less space. Both downloads come with the same notes and high resolution artwork. Click on above image for preview):

Sound Off FLAC

Sound Off MP3

Sousa On Review FLAC

Sousa On Review MP3


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