Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Catching the musical "bug" when given a trumpet at age nine, Fisher "Mickey" Tull (1934-94) and his older brother formed a high school jazz group called "The Dukes of Rhythm", even making some recordings at the local radio station. From there he went "on the road", gaining valuable professional experience. Enrolling at North Texas State Univ., he was immediately immersed in a trumpet studio overflowing with talented players, some being later immortalized in one of Tull's compositions, Eight Profiles for solo trumpet. He joined the faculty of Sam Houston State Univ. In 1957 as a music theory instructor. After completing a Ph.D. in Composition he was promoted to Chairmanship of the Music Department at Sam Houston State, his seventeen-year tenure spanning some of the Depts. #most successful years. The burgeoning city of Houston, with it's symphony orchestra and a ballet company, provided professional outlets for his compositions. This recording seeks to present some of Tull's lesser-known compositions deserving of attention. (Tim Tull, from the liner notes)

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Colonel Lowell E. Graham and the United States Air Force Band and the United States Air Force Singing Sergeants present this cheery album of old and new Holiday classics. Originally released in 2000, this album has stood the test of time and will be just as enjoyable this holiday season as it was nearly two decades ago. Traditional songs include sing-a-long favorites Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Up On The Housetop, Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, and others, while newer pieces include Pat Ballard’s Mister Santa and Barry Manilow’s Because It’s Christmas. What better way to say "Season's Greetings" than with this special collection of music from The United States Air Force Band that appeals to the youthful, more playful side of our human experience?

Classical Music

Bite the Bullet was inspired by the Venetian artist Carlo Marchiori’s painting of the same name. The painting depicts two Pulcinelli, Venetian clowns dressed as bakers, shooting at one another with guns, bullets meeting in the middle, creating a white-orange-pink cloudburst. I was in awe of the vibrant colored landscape and the Pulcinelli, providing the creative impetus for this work. In Bite the Bullet, I portray the intensity of the painting and use my own sonic color scheme through orchestration and instrumental color. You will hear the intensity of the brass and percussion sections portraying the gunshots by the Pulcinelli with the woodwind flourishes emulating the painter’s brush strokes.