Posted by Greg Crider on February 15, 2002 at 19:19:39:
I saw BLAST! last night at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, and it was excellent. Whether or not you like the concept, the execution was superb. From things I had heard here and there, I had expected a group of overage ex-corps players who played fairly well, but not spectacularly. Boy, was I in for a surprise.
According to the program, the great majority of the players in this touring company have music degrees, and quite a number of them have performance degrees. Believe me, it showed; the sound was superb. While the ensemble parts weren't that virtuosic, the ensemble sound was tremendous. When combined with the physical demands of the performance, the total package was awe-inspiring. There was some superb solo work, especially from the trumpets.
The tubas had 4 Yamaha 621's (I couldn't tell if they were BBb or CC), and they got a lot of sound from those little horns. They added 1 more 621 for Land of Make-Believe.
I know some people don't like the concept of BLAST!, but it was a ton of fun and the most entertaining thing I've seen in quite a while.