A single disc may not suffice to cover the scope and range of Irving Berlin's prolific trove of melodies; however, the 19 selections on Berlin for Brass manage to give a judicious overview, from Berlin's early novelties (Cuba, That International Rag, Alexander's Ragtime Band) and guileless ballads (What'll I Do) to songs Fred Astaire made famous (Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails, Puttin' on the Ritz) and Ethel Merman showstoppers (They Say It's Wonderful and There's No Business Like Show Business). Rare Berlin gems such as Lazy, Listening, and Harlem on my Mind merit discovery, while the touching, curiously underrated Supper Time deserves equal classic status alongside White Christmas.

The arrangements conjure up the syncopated milieu of Berlin's prime while incorporating the harmonic sophistication and textural savvy such arrangers as Robert Farnon and Nelson Riddle brought to this idiom. Eleven are by Jay Krush, the ensemble's deft tuba player, and they reveal his talent for imaginative muted effects (Blue Skies' opening and closing trumpet solos with Harmon mute evoke Miles Davis) and contrapuntal sidetalk. I especially enjoyed E. Solot's unpredictable modulations in Alexander's Ragtime Band, and his gorgeously reharmonized White Christmas. M. Hood's snazzy, vivacious treatment of When I Lost You is also memorable, and light years removed from the song's origins as a ballad Berlin wrote in tribute to his late first wife. The sound is fine, but music such as this cries out for more sonic oomph and close-up detail. Brass mavens take notice!

--Jed Distler