Author Archives: Josh

Christine Brewer

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I’m listening this Sunday morning in Singapore to a radio broadcast from St Louis of the Four Last Songs by Strauss with the SLSO and my favorite living female opera singer, Christine Brewer. She’s from southern Illionois, near Saint Louis, and got her start with the St Louis Symphony Chorus. These days, she’s the best of the best in the opera world. Not only is she an amazing musician with a once-in-a-generation quality voice, she’s also super cool and down to earth. Every time she sings with us in St. Louis, she brings an elementary class from Marissa, Illinois, where she used to teach school. She’s genuinely nice and truly a real person, which is rare in the opera world of superdivas.

One of my favorite moments in 9 years playing with the St Louis Symphony was a performance of the Britten War Requiem, when Christine was placed in the front of the chorus, right behind the trumpet section. It was a little bit like the old Memorex ad.

The Australian Brass Quintet

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I had the good fortune while I was in Singapore this week playing with the Singapore Symphony to meet and hear the guys of the Australian Brass Quintet.  The elite young brass players of Australia, these guys are great players as well as very nice cool guys.  Check out this video of them playing Rhapsody in Blue arranged by Paul Terrancini, with pianist Timothy Young. Special shoutout here to the two excellent trumpeters of the group, international soloist Tristam Williams and the new principal trumpeter in Sydney, Dave Elton.

Timmy

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Another classic Icebucket track, this was Josh Gindele’s vision of a song by Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld.  I hope I’m not supposed to pay Matt and Trey for the rights to this.  Cello, cowbell and “vocals” by Josh G, and the conch solo by yours truly.  No drugs at all were involved in the production of this tune from 2009.

[audio:http://joshuamaccluer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/timmy.mp3|titles=timmy]

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The Girl With the Flaxen Hair

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Here’s a live radio broadcast performance from 2005 of Debussy’s beautiful Girl With the Flaxen Hair arranged for brass quintet by Dave Sabourin.  Joining me on this performance are Chris Van Bergen, trumpet, Greg Roosa, horn, Steve Lange, trombone, and Gerry Pagano, tuba.

[audio:http://joshuamaccluer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/flaxen-hair-mp3.mp3|titles=The Girl with the Flaxen Hair]

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Amazing Grace

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Here’s a performance from back around 2004 from a live radio broadcast on KFUO from the St Louis Botanical Gardens. This is the opening section from Luther Henderson’s great arrangement of Amazing Grace. Joining me are Susan Slaughter on trumpet, Stephen Lange on trombone, Gerry Pagano on tuba and Greg Roosa on French horn.

[audio:http://joshuamaccluer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/amazing-grace1.mp3|titles=amazing grace]

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The St Louis Symphony Experience

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Here’s a cool Youtube commercial for the Saint Louis Symphony with Carmina Burana in the back. It’s nice to see my friends and colleagues say what they say about music. They believe what they’re saying, the musicians in SLSO really do love music. Too bad there’s no shot of the trumpet section in the commercial!

The Star Spangled Banner that Won the World Series

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We got a last minute call last October to go play the national anthem for a crucial NLDS Game 4 versus Philly.  The Cardinals were down 2-1 at that point, and so it was a must win.  We played, and the Cardinals won, and then went on a tear culminating in a World Series win.  It all started with this performance we like to think.

In the video I’m playing with Mike Walk and the legendary Susan Slaughter, who is a huge Cardinals fan.  This is also her very classy and stirring arrangement.  It was great how the crowd cheered as we finished.  Go Cardinals!

Nostalgia in Times Square

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Here’s a jazz cut from the old days in 2001 with my friend Tim on guitar playing Mingus’ classic Nostalgia in Times Square, back when I was sounding a little like early Miles.

[audio:http://joshuamaccluer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/nostalgia.mp3|titles=Nostalgia in Times Square]

 

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Icebucket- These Boots are Made For Walking

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This was the album that started it all.

Icebucket was born in 2009 and lasted for five days during my trip to Austin for the South by Southwest music festival. SXSW, for short is absolutely awesome. In one week that year there were 1,800 bands packing the town, and everywhere you can imagine there’s a stage and a different band playing there around the clock. A must see for the music lover.

In between some great discoveries we found some time to lay down a few songs on the Stone Age multitrack recorder that I had brought down with me. We were limited in our gear, we had one microphone, a trumpet, cello, and some hand percussion including an icebucket from which the band gets its name.

This version of These Boots is my first single ever, and I think it came out pretty well. Rebecca Gindele is on vocals, Josh Gindele on cello and percussion, and I’m on trumpet and castanets. Enjoy!

[audio:http://joshuamaccluer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/boots.mp3|titles=These Boots are Made for Walking]

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Haydn Trumpet Concerto, First Movement

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Here’s a performance of mine from the good old days back in 2002 of the first movement of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto, with the Denver Young Artists’ Orchestra. I’m playing a classic old Yamaha short bell Eb from the 1970s.

[audio:http://joshuamaccluer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/haydn-1st-mov-mp3.mp3|titles=Haydn Concerto, 1st Movement]

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