Entry #11: Mike Lovatt's Brass Pack & On a Little Street in Singapore

Mike Lovatt's Brass Pack

Mike Lovatt is a British trumpeter and currently the Derek Watkins Chair of Trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music. The group was created around 2021-2022 and was a passion project pursued during COVID.

The goal of Brass Pack is to not only recreate the sound of Big Fat Brass but also to bring new arrangements and compositions to this style of brass ensemble. The group is essentially a big band with French horns taking the place of saxophones. In addition to the horns, the group features piano, guitar, bass, drums, tuned percussion, harp, and two tubas.

There most popular video is a Carmen Suite by Georges Bizet, arranged by Colin Skinner.

Performance by the Brass Pack

The personnel for this performance include: 

Trumpets:

Mike Lovatt, Simon Gardner, Tom Walsh, James Davison, Stuart McLean-Fowler, Derek Lawton 

Trombones:

Gordon Campbell, Andy Wood, Tom Dunnett, Peter North, 

Tuba:

David Kendal

French Horns: 

Christopher Parkes, Richard Bissill, Anna Ferriol, Sarah Willis

Harp:

Geraldine O’Doherty 

Piano:

Graham Harvey 

Bass:

Laurence Ungless 

Guitar:

Adam Goldsmith

Drums:

Matt Skelton 

Percussion and Timpani:

Jeremy Cornes

On a Little Street in Singapore

And now, continuing with the theme of my blog. The next track on Billy May's Big Fat Brass album, On a Little Street in Singapore. This chart was written by Billy Hill and Peter de Rose. Billy Hill was an American songwriter, violinist, and pianist. Originally credited under the pseudonym of George Brown, allegedly because he didn't want his name reversed to 'Hill Billy'. Peter de Rose was an American jazz composer and singer.

Until next time!

-Jacob