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Being a Crown homer, of course I love Klesch's work.  And being a Spirit homer, I can't help but think if Jim Ott was still with us .... wow!

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Klesch is brilliant, but I would put BD brass design and JD Shaw in the same circle as Klesch. 

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i really enjoy Crown as well. for me, their brass sound just blows away most other drum corps.  they have become one of my top favorite corps.

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54 minutes ago, Liahona said:

Klesch is great and all but he is not the only one over the years who has given us marvelous brass arrangements...in no particular order...

Jay Bocook, Wayne Downey, Scott Boerma, Jim Ott(RIP), Gail Royer(RIP),Jim Wren, Key Poulan, Richard Saucedo, J.D. Shaw, Doug Thrower, Brad Kerr Green, Will Pitts, Ryan George, Michael Martin, Chuck Naffier, Robert W Smith, Andrew Markworth, Frank Dorritie, Timothy Salzman, Ken Norman, Emil Pavlik, Frank Williams, Larry Kerchner, Sal Ferrera, James Wedge, James Elvord, Jim Prime Jr., Sandra Opie, Truman Crawford, Jack Meehan 

 

 Yes. I'm not sure if the OP is talking about just todays brass arrangement writers, or those who have come before can be included in his question. If he is broadening his question to beyond just " today's DCI ", then for certain there are lots of brass arrangers that one could put right up there with the wonderful brass arrangements of Michael Klesch..  You listed a few here, there are no doubt a few others that other posters could include on this list as well.

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1 hour ago, Liahona said:

Klesch is great and all but he is not the only one over the years who has given us marvelous brass arrangements...in no particular order...

Jay Bocook, Wayne Downey, Scott Boerma, Jim Ott(RIP), Gail Royer(RIP),Jim Wren, Key Poulan, Richard Saucedo, J.D. Shaw, Doug Thrower, Brad Kerr Green, Will Pitts, Ryan George, Michael Martin, Chuck Naffier, Robert W Smith, Andrew Markworth, Frank Dorritie, Timothy Salzman, Ken Norman, Emil Pavlik, Frank Williams, Larry Kerchner, Sal Ferrera, James Wedge, James Elvord, Jim Prime Jr., Sandra Opie, Truman Crawford, Jack Meehan 

 

I've been taught by and played four of those guy's charts. 

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Klesch is the modern day Jim Prime to me. Both arrangers fall into the - "CD's you put in the car":- category. That category being the arrangements and how they are played, equal to or exceeding enjoyable without visual. 

Also want to note the importance of needing a good brass instructor/ brass staff to interpret and teach the arrangement for the corps. Prime had Donnie Van Doren. And we know his brilliance. Klesch has his  "Van Doren" in Matt Harloff. Just as much kudos to him is deserved for interpreting and polishing the arrangements and creating the  "Crown sound". Thankfully YouTube exists to show us his technique. All kinds of awesome in the videos to showing us how to kick butt and motivate a brass line to the extraordinary. That video from 2013 where he says, "Its all you, no one is scared, it's the season" - best ever. 

The technical brilliance written into Klesch arrangements is always awesome to hear. As a brass  player, I sit back and listen to those runs in the opener of 2012's show, or the many moments in 2014 and just say, "####, now thats playing!" But more importantl of an enjoyable listen to me is Klesch's subtlety and emotion in the ballads he arranges. 2008 with Somewhere/Somewhere over the Rainbow. The 2015 Copland Piece. And lets not overlook what he did with Acedemy's Unchained Melody last year. 

Is he the best out there tight now? To some , yes. To me, I tend to pick a handful like Shaw, Naffier, Boerma, Downey/Meehan,Thrower, and Boccok. I also look at brass staffs in teaching and interpreting those great arrangers, just as much as I look at the arrangers. So while Klesch is great, I am also  happy for many others I get to hear every year. 

 

 

Edited by Dmlkmen
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1 hour ago, BRASSO said:

 Yes. I'm not sure if the OP is talking about just todays brass arrangement writers, or those who have come before can be included in his question. If he is broadening his question to beyond just " today's DCI ", then for certain there are lots of brass arrangers that one could put right up there with the wonderful brass arrangements of Michael Klesch..  You listed a few here, there are no doubt a few others that other posters could include on this list as well.

I think his intention is to be discussing current arrangers. He stated "in DCI" and not in DCI history, so I'm taking it as present arrangers. 

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