Reviews

As the music programmer at WVT radio, I can't recall getting the kind of feedback on a new group that we've gotten from the CD from Proteus, at least three cuts of which have been consistent request generators. This is a tremendously exciting young group that communicates directly both to younger demographics and older classical music fans with an electrifying combination of classical purity of execution and pop music accessibility. We feel as if we witnessed the first days of music's newest superstars.

- J. Seth Williamson,II; Music Director/Producer, WVTF Radio

...fresh and intriguing...

- Times Union, Albany, NY

They were as smooth as the raft of politicians that visited Klamath Falls on the same day. The difference, though, was they were much more satisfying.

- Herald and News, Klamath Falls, OR

These young musicians, graduates of Eastman, Curtis, Boston University and other top music schools, had an ease of playing and genuine respect that made you realize how vital it is for young people to see such groups.

- Diane Wright, The Herald, Everett, WA

I especially enjoyed the new and unique sound the brass gave to chamber numbers such as [Bach's] Fugue in G minor...the lovely deep tones of the brass gave the fugue a wonderdul new dimension.

- Kathy Zehr, Ponca City News, CA

The musicianship of the individual performers and the ensemble as a whole rivals that of the Canadian Brass and many of today's top string quartets. However, the tonal palette of Proteus 7 is so much broader than either of these types of ensembles, it is not fair to compare!

- John S. Husser; Chair, Music Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Cream of the crop!

- Roanoke Times 

The program which included innovative arrangements by Feza Zweifel was an outstanding example of chamber music at its very best.

- Eugene C. Fellin; Chair, Department of Music, Radford University

Unlike other classical brass groups, Proteus 7 has a lot of collective professional expertise in other idioms, which thoroughly invigorates what could have been another of those boring, neither-fish-nor-fowl "crossover" albums. With the aid of a couple of good Latin percussion ringers and an additional trumpeter, the seven Proteans come up with a fairly hot, unsentimental, crisply rendered program of Afro-Cuban, Mexican, Brazilian, South African and Pat Metheny tunes interspersed with some pleasing, driving originals by trumpeter Anthony DiLorenzo. A lot of the jazz impetus comes from reedman Charles Pillow, who tosses off several accomplished, heated solos -- and it's a safe bet that almost any Latin ensemble would love to execute the ensembles with the stunning, classically trained precision of Proteus. Indeed, their rendition of "Mambo No. 5" rivals the legendary sharpness of the original Perez Prado band version, though the temperature is cooler. In other words, this is far more than just a cha-cha lounge act and the whole thing is staggeringly well-recorded by Dorian's fiber-optic 24-bit process.

- Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

For the lovers of good cha cha music, this is the ultimate and latest collection out for release! 16 selections, including "Brazil," "Besame Mucho," "Better Days Ahead," "Perfidia," "Malaguena." Anthony DiLorenzo, composer and trumpeter, performs his composition "Weekend Jam." In addition to DiLorenzo, the other gifted performers on this musical adventure include Geoffrey Hardcastle, Patrick Kunkee, Charles Pillow, Hans Bohn, Soctt Hartman, Matthew Gaunt, Feza Zweifel, Victor Rendon, Mark Suter. For those who like their cha cha music sweet, lively, and sensual, this is the cd to have!

- Lee Prosser, Jazzreview.com

Bright, Brash, Brassy Bernstein

Of the many Bernstein-related recordings that will no doubt appear during this 10th anniversary of his death, few will likely be more distinctive than Bernstein Tribute.

Comprising six brass players and a percussionist, Proteus 7 create a bright, brash — and, well, brassy — sound that perfectly suits Bernstein's music. For a start, that sound is sharp-edged — jagged, almost — and it defines the myriad harmonic and rhythmic layers that are at the core of the composer's jazz-inflected scores.

Brass also is a signature sound in jazz, itself a signature of American music. And if any composer could lay claim to being truly American, it was Bernstein. From the jump-cut, blue-noted refrain of "Jet Song" from West Side Story, to the elegaic theme of "Simple Song" from Mass, Proteus 7 evokes not merely the sound but the spirit of Bernstein that was, by turns, streetwise and profound, witty and ultimately human in scale and impact.

- Harry Sumrall, Sonicnet.com