The Westerlies — Wish the Children Would Come On Home

The Westerlies' album "Wish the Children Would Come On Home" is a brass tribute to jazz keyboardist Wayne Horvitz.  Though Horvitz' name is on the cover, don't buy this album expecting jazz, as the music is played with reserved classical inflections, with focus on perfect intonation and rounded notes.  It's a gentle recording with a patient but deliberate energy.

Most of the pieces could be described as chorales.  The plaintive melodies gradually unfold, getting maximum emotive juice out of each pitch and chord.  Played so well, the compositions really speak, and Horvitz' melodies have been stuck in my head for days now, hauntingly universal and summative of everyday life experiences.  The writing is simple but very concise; each note is important and carefully arranged.  It's easy to see why these musicians would be passionate about playing this material.

The fact that this music was originally written for piano is consistently apparent to me - one can hear each of Horvitz' hands in the complimentary higher and lower harmonies.  There is often some kind of repeating ostinato in the lower registers that would be an easy, thoughtless repetition on piano, but would prove truly exhausting on trumpet or trombone, requiring a number of odd leaps in pitch and serious breath control and stamina.  In this regard, this album by the Westerlies is technically amazing, as they make the music sound effortless.

Another noticeable effect of the re-orchestration for brass is that the chords reveal their Debussy-esque lushness and perfect voice-leading when the pitches are split between a number of different musicians.  "Keep That Train Away From My Door", the opener, is one of my favorites for this, and for the peerless warmth and roundedness of the Westerlies' playing.

This album is filled with amazing music; with 16 tracks, each distinctly beautiful and included for good reason, you're getting your money's worth with this album.  I highly recommend it to any fan of classical brass, or open minded fans of jazz that can handle a very mellow recording.  There are some timeless melodies to be found here.