Ceilings - Norman David & Ensemble Six Plus - (digital)

Norman David & Ensemble Six Plus, Ceilings, in digital WAV format.

"This is the first album by my adventurous sextet, Ensemble Six Plus. For this album, I composed pieces scored with varying numbers of horns. Some have the three horns of Andrew, Sean, and myself; in the others, there are six or nine horn parts. We obviously tracked the extra parts for this album and the results are remarkable. That said, I structured the pieces to also be full statements when we perform live and are not playing the extra parts.

The rhythm section is an integral part of the action and in no way relegated to a subordinate role. Morgan is essentially the fourth member of the horn section at times; Jason and Erik have a healthy share of melodic and rhythmic material; and they all do a bunch of soloing. Above all, they are a dynamic unit that charges the ensemble.
Tracking has intrigued me for the longest time. It allows a composer to write thicker music without having to seek out extra players. Moreover, there is a distinctive and incredible buzz that results when top-rank players track the extra parts. Bottom line: here is music for six musicians, or more—Ensemble Six Plus. I hope it affects you."

- Norman David