REVIEWBrukdown by Bone-Afide

It’s easy to forget how technically demanding some of these pieces are, such as Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, where the music is played with the same effortless style as the piano originals but with the added warmth of the low brass timbre. Cadenzas in the high register and lip trills pop out of nowhere and the ensemble is so tight on the accompaniments that it sounds like one player. This continues in de Falla’s Canciones Populares Españolas, where Merin Rhyd is featured as the solo ‘singer’ and shows the trombone’s vocally expressive capabilities stunningly, and again in the Three Transylvanian Dances, by Bartôk.

Then there are the transcriptions of works by the Welsh folk group CALAN. These are just incredible, even if the quartet do resort to using baritones to “keep up” with the folk fiddler’s fingers! When I saw the German style baritones online, I assumed it would be for a Central European piece, so I was surprised to see them on a Welsh piece – maybe the British baritone horn would have made more sense? Either way, the players show they are up to the challenge and the piece roars through to an exciting conclusion, driven by the emphatic bass line.

The jazzier numbers are great, but it’s on the technically demanding transcriptions and heartwarming ballads where this quartet really hold their power. They make these hard to play pieces sound easy, fresh and fun. And this is the crux of the album – it is very enjoyable to listen to. I listened to several tracks so many times that Apple Music suggested adding them to my favourites list, alongside pop artists, and it didn’t feel out of place. This is the genius of this album.

Building on the work of groups such as the New Trombone Collective and Maniacal4, I think this quartet could go far and push the trombone quartet and instrumental music into the mainstream zeitgeist, something that can only be good for the future of our instrument.

These excellent young players could clearly turn their hands to whatever they wanted, musically speaking, but I feel in this ensemble they really do what they want to do authentically and have fun doing it, which is a welcome antidote to the very rigid and competitive environment we often find ourselves in. I for one am really excited to see what they do next.

Brukdown is available for purchase from BONEAFIDE’s website, along with many of the featured arrangements. ◆

BY ALASTAIR WARREN