Concert Review: Gene & The Brass
Gene & The Brass February 27th, 2022 Chelsea Table + Stage Wayne du Maine, Dennis Hernandez, Valery Ponomarev - trumpets B3+: Franz Hackl - trumpet, John Clark - horn, Jonathan Greenberg - bass trombone Gene Pritsker - guitar/conductor Charles Coleman - conductor Composers Concordance is surely one of the best kept cultural secrets in New York City, and they proved this yet again with a stellar performance at Chelsea Table + Stage on February 27th. This concert featured Gene and the Brass. As you might expect, the show focused on compositions written explicitly for that class of instrument--with one fun exception. Performers included Wayne du Maine, Dennis Hernandez, Valery Ponomarev, and Franz Hackl on trumpet; horn player John Clark; and Jonathan Greenberg on bass trombone. The show opened with the world premiere of Joyous in a Surfeit of Distraction, written and conducted by Gene Pritsker. It began with subdued motions, almost atonal, yet melodic--reminding me of a euphonious