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

[oldtimedrummer]

I would add Chris Tomsa to your list. He's worthy.

[Forever_Knight]

80's Downey

90's Prime All the way

00's Klesch

Also Jim Prime was the arranger for Blue Knights this year as well.

[DWEST]

One trick pony or all around arranger.

[DWEST]

double post

Edited August 19, 2010 by DWEST

[rayfallon]

I think it's wicked interesting that JD is out ahead during the 00s - not that he isn't worthy - just interesting...

[rayfallon]

it's amazing how Jay Bocook & Larry Kerchner were both left off this list.....

I was surprised tha both Bocook and Jay Kennedy were omitted.

Not sure about Larry in the 80s - early 80s Bridgemen - late 80s Star I guess, some Sky Ryders.

One thing that I personally find just a tad ironic is that our DCP membership is at times a bit short with the judging communicty for their inability to align their subjective assessments after a number of 10 minute listens, but we can't come even close to agreeing after 20 and 30 years of consideration.

Maybe this judging stuff is not as simple as it seems?

[CuriousMe]

<snip>

Robert W. Smith may best be known to fans for being at the forefront of creating original programming for drum corps in the 1980s. A brass arranger who brought the Florida-based Suncoast Sound to prominence during the corps’ finalist seasons of 1983-1989, he also wrote shows for the Velvet Knights, Spirit of Atlanta, Magic of Orlando, Glassmen and the Cadets (1989's Les Mis show).

<snip>

I just pulled the last two off the DCI site.

I understand that you pulled this from DCI...but while Robert Smith wrote our original Les Mis book....I seem to remember Mike Klesch coming in and rewriting it.

[hostrauser]

Also, I'm pretty sure Gordon Henderson did most (all?) of SCV's arranging in the 90s. Key Poulan didn't join the staff until this century.

[pizzaguy]

Great thread! You picked all the right arrangers to include IMO. Just a few minor corrections come to mind. In addition to Ott, Royer, and Boerma not arranging much in the 80s (already mentioned), Poulan didn't come onboard at SCV until 2003. I would have included Gordon Henderson for his work at SCV in the mid-80s thru early 90s and 96-02. His work in the latter period was the very definition of cutting edge IMO. I TOTALLY agree w/ the poster who can't understand Jim Wren getting so few votes. How??????? EVERY SHOW he wrote thru the 80s and 90s was a freaking MASTERPIECE of power and beauty.

[supersop]

Great thread! You picked all the right arrangers to include IMO. Just a few minor corrections come to mind. In addition to Ott, Royer, and Boerma not arranging much in the 80s (already mentioned), Poulan didn't come onboard at SCV until 2003. I would have included Gordon Henderson for his work at SCV in the mid-80s thru early 90s and 96-02. His work in the latter period was the very definition of cutting edge IMO. I TOTALLY agree w/ the poster who can't understand Jim Wren getting so few votes. How??????? EVERY SHOW he wrote thru the 80s and 90s was a freaking MASTERPIECE of power and beauty.

Totally agree. It was definitely my fault for naming GR as the arranger of the 80's for SCV .. and that was out of ignorance on my part. I did my best to look up what I couldn't remember off the top of my head .. and leaving Gordon Henderson out of the 80's lineup was a big mistake on my part ...... a mistake because I never knew who was writing all those great Vanguard shows during my era of drum corps. He and Smith definitely deserved to be on the list ...... as well as Bocook in the 00's.

Also, keep in mind that I was trying to keep the lists somewhat short ... afterall, not every show written by Bocook, Smith and others mentioned ... were Masterpiece material. A shorter list made sense to me .. otherwise I would have had to list every arranger in the top 25 over all 3 decades .....

One thing I find interesting is that in comparing a poll last year with regards to best shows of the 90's ... PR won that poll here on DCP. How is it that PR can win the poll and have so few votes for Jim Wren. I know I've learned a few things because of this thread .... maybe the same goes for most here on the Planet. Jim Wren is to PR as Downey is to BD as Klesch was to Cadets as Prime was to Star ............. he was one of the best of the best of all time. A true master of arranging for G bugles, and created a signature sound with compositional elements that were distinctly his own... and distinctly PR to this day (thanks to J.D Shaw continuing to arrange the same way Wren did for so many years).