Radio Pascani

is 11-piece Romanian brass band plays a type of ecstatic, hyper, adrenaline-fueled gypsy music sometimes affectionately referred to as speed brass. After hearing just a couple of songs, it will not be hard to see why. This group is amazingly fast and tight, and their performances have a contagious energy that can be clearly felt whatever one's familiarity with the genre. The rhythm section consists of a couple of tubas and a lone bass drum, with the rest of the lineup composed of trumpets, clarinets, alto saxophones, and other horns. (It often sounds like there's a violin sawing away, but that isn't the case.) Most of the tunes are traditional pieces from Romania and neighboring lands -- the type of music that is played at rural weddings and ceremonies, and that has been for generations. However, this is clearly a living tradition: the performances are maniacally alive, and there isn't whiff of any sort of museum-grade preservationist ethic. Regardless of genre, music really doesn't get much faster or more delirious than what Fanfare Ciocarlia has to offer here. ~ William York|