Best Brass Arranger of the 80's, 90's and 00's

[supersop]

Here's a quick bio for everyone on the list:

Wayne Downey - Arranger and caption head for Blue Devils

Scott Boerma - Probably should have not put him on this list for the 80's- Arranger for Scouts from 89 - 06

Jim Prime Jr. - Arranger for Crossmen, Bridgemen, Garfield Cadets and Star of Indiana and Madison this year.

Jim Ott - Spirit of Atlanta - died in 1980 and a massive force in the 70's

Michael Klesch - Arranger for Cadets, Crossmen, Carolina Crown, Colts, Phantom Regiment

Gail Royer - Arranger and corps director for SCV until his passing.

Jim Wren - Music arranger for Phantom Regiment, 1968-1996.

Key Poulan - Arranger for Santa Clara Vanguard 00's

Richard Saucedo - Arranger for The Cavaliers 00's and the Troopers

J.D. Shaw - Arranger for Phantom Regiment 00's

Doug Thrower- Arranger for Blue Coats since 1997, Dutch Boy, the Kiwanis Kavaliers and the Canadian Knights

This is mostly off the top of my head ... please feel free to make corrections !!!!! Klesch is a tough one because he worked with multiple groups simultaneously ... no way I could figure out years for corps with him but I do recall his writing resulted in some of the most successful years for those corps ... Garfield/CBC especially.

I tried to limit this to the top 6 or 7 arrangers for brass from each Era. My personal choices were difficult to decide but goes as follows:

80's: (super hard to pick)

Wayne Downey

90's:

Michael Klesch

00's:

J.D. Shaw

I truly believe that everyone on the poll list were incredible writers in their own right. Extremely hard to decide on a 1st choice in each era. I think Klesch, Shaw and Saucedo have dominated the 00's. The 80's was the toughest choice of all .. I wanted to pick Jim Ott but everyone on that list from the 80's were absolutely magnificent!!!!!!!!!!!

If I left out a major player ... I apologize. It's 6am and I haven't slept. Feel free to write in your post if I left someone out that deserved mentioning (or if their your top vote and not on the list).

EDIT: Oops I left off Jay Bocook (maybe it was subconscious :P )

Edited August 17, 2010 by supersop

[supersop]

If you're gonna pick Wayne Downey for all 3 decades ... I'd sure like to know why. Post your thoughts please!!!!!!

[MikeZ]

I voted Downey, Prime, Shaw. I have to admit though that I have a soft spot for Chuck Naffier, and he would have been my pick for the 90's if it was an option.

Z

[supersop]

I voted Downey, Prime, Shaw. I have to admit though that I have a soft spot for Chuck Naffier, and he would have been my pick for the 90's if it was an option.

Z

Chuck was Colts brass arranger and caption head from 1990-1999 and the Crossmen from 2000-2003. He did some good work with these corps as an honorable mention.

[Abbevillekid26]

If you're gonna pick Wayne Downey for all 3 decades ... I'd sure like to know why. Post your thoughts please!!!!!!

I would too.

I like Boerma a lot, and Shaw.

[jwillis35]

I voted Jim Prime for 1980s, but Wayne Downey would have been my no. 2 guy there.

I voted Michael Klesch for the 1990s, but he would be my no. 2 guy there. You left Jay Bocook off the list.

And for the 2000s I have liked J.D. Shaw's writing with Phantom a lot, but also still prefer the Jay Bocook style, who has remained lyrical, aggressive, and exciting. But all these guys are good and are doing/or did a fabulous job. I can't wait to hear what Jim Prime puts together next year for Madison.

[WestCoaster]

I picked Wayne all three decades, simply because nobody has been close to as dominating as he any of those decades. His arrangements have lead to HOW many high brass trophies exactly? (you left out the 70's, that would've been him as well though lol)

And no, it's not just success...I can think of several shows from every decade that I thought were absolutely incredible (I WILL admit to a bias towards his earlier years, however a) I believe he is simply delivering exactly what the judges are asking for and b) I love a lot of the newer stuff too like 94, 96, 99, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, and yes 2010 as well!).

That plus he's a hell of a teacher too.

Most honorable mentions to Jim Ott, Jim Prime, and Mike Klesch, all great in their own right.

The others, I'm not as familiar with (it'd be helpful to get a rundown of which guys wrote for which corps, I'm much more familiar with the drum scene myself). Whoever wrote for Vanguard in the 80's gets major props from me, as well as the composers who handled Cavies of the 00's.

[supersop]

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Edited August 17, 2010 by supersop

[FHdork]

80s: Royer

90s: Prime

00s: Thrower

[supersop]

I picked Wayne all three decades, simply because nobody has been close to as dominating as he any of those decades. His arrangements have lead to HOW many high brass trophies exactly? (you left out the 70's, that would've been him as well though lol)

And no, it's not just success...I can think of several shows from every decade that I thought were absolutely incredible (I WILL admit to a bias towards his earlier years, however a) I believe he is simply delivering exactly what the judges are asking for and b) I love a lot of the newer stuff too like 94, 96, 99, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, and yes 2010 as well!).

That plus he's a hell of a teacher too.

Most honorable mentions to Jim Ott, Jim Prime, and Mike Klesch, all great in their own right.

The others, I'm not as familiar with (it'd be helpful to get a rundown of which guys wrote for which corps, I'm much more familiar with the drum scene myself). Whoever wrote for Vanguard in the 80's gets major props from me, as well as the composers who handled Cavies of the 00's.

I can respect that, but I do feel his writing since 2002 has been a totally different animal .... and it tastes gamey. Not a fan of his writing style/techniques since then at all.

Bocook does deserve to be on the list and I clearly forgot to add him (but again with my personal tastes, I'm not a fan of his in the slightest)