MERIDIAN ARTS ENSEMBLE - Brass quintet

Smart Went Crazy 
F. Zappa: Big Swifty (1970);
Harry; Youre A Beast (1967); The Orange County Lumber Truck (1967); Tmershi Duween (1973); Duprees Paradise (1972)
J. Hendrix: Purple Haze
J. Halle: Softshoe; Boots
P. Johnston: Sleeping Beauty
B. Strayhorn: Lush Life
K. Nurock: Smart Went Crazy (1992)
N. Yamada: Mundane Dissatisfactions (1991)

Channel Crossings

The Meridian Arts Ensemble has established itself as one of Americas finest chamber ensembles through its innovative repertoire and critically acclaimed performances. Praised by the Los Angeles Times for their near symphonic richness and depth, this brass quintet, which first came to the attention of the music community as First Prize Winner of the 1990 Concert Artists Guild New York Competition, has won special acclaim for its performances of a provocative array of composers, ranging from J. S. Bach to Frank Zappa. The Meridian Arts Ensemble has commissioned numerous works, and has also collaborated with or premiered works by Elliott Carter, Frank Zappa, Kirk Nurock, Ira Taxin, Phillip Johnston, David Sampson and others. Future projects include premieres of commissioned works from Milton Babbitt and jazz composer Tom Pierson, and a work for quintet and drums by Stephen Barber. The Ensembles interest in expanding the horizons of concert repertoire has been further demonstrated through performances of works from such diverse sources as Renaissance vocal settings, Baroque key-board music, Afro/Cuban dance pieces, jazz and rock.

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A unique recording has hit the marketplace (...) The Horn Call, May 1994 The playing on the disc is wonderful, the feeling this group provides to the music is superb. (...) This is a disc to be savoured over and over. It is a must. Tubas Journal, September 1994
(...) An intriguing musical melange (...) Lynn Watson, November 1994 Als totaal een uiterst prikkelend geheel, dat iedere seconde overtuigd door de enorme technische n, veel belangrijker, spirituele toewijding waarmee de musici te werk gaan. (...) Een ware voltreffer (...) Luister,
March '94 essential collection (...) Sterophile, January '94 One thing's certain: There is nothing standard or even predictable in this program. (...) maybe even Zappa never sounded better (...) CD Review, March '94 There is a higher density of worthwhile composition here than on the average Kronos release. The Wire (England), February 1994 this is a cross over album par excellence (...) Classical CD Guide, September
1994 Na het beluisteren van Smart Went Crazy heb je het gevoel -toe maar!- dat je leven niet meer hetzelfde is. (...) (...) Klassiek, rock, blues, jazz, salza: de benepen hokjesgeest wordt aan het einde van de twintigste eeuw door het Meridian Arts Ensemble de concertzalen uitgeblazen. Concertzender, November 1995