all the news that isn't

A recent poll names the Chicago Symphony Orchestra the top American Orchestra – far surpassing even Boston or New York. Ha! (wait a second, where do I live now?) Of note, the famous Chicago Brass sound is credited. And while I find sounds to be tending more homogenous lately, there really is something to the Chicago school of brass playing (the one that I grew up learning, if not completely emulating). Which is a great segue to say, if you don’t yet have the CD featuring (among others) the brass players of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra playing the music of Gabrieli, get it! Being all brassy and antiphonal and whatnot, it’s a great album for the holiday season for those of you that might associate such things.