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After
Class
Music For Special Occasions |
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"I recommend Hues of Blues & Greys, in part because it shows Civil War music still has worth, but mostly because it is an enjoyable album." Jim Kushlan, Civil War Times, December, 1997 |
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"Of the many musical groups performing today, very few
can be called unique. After Class is one of the few which fits that description."
So says Bobby Horton of this classy Alabama-based group, which
consists of Rob Angus on hammered dulcimer, Brant Beene on guitar and
mandolin, and Mark Weldon on violin, guitar, mandolin, and cello. After
Class more than lives up to Horton's enthusiastic endorsement. Their original
arrangements and playing on "Hues of Blues and Greys" are characterized
by what Horton calls "a style and emotion that make a 'ho-hum' tune come
to life. They almost seem to breathe together as they perform...."
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From Poetry & Music Of The War Between The States
"If you don't think you need one more collection of period standards,
think again. You haven't really heard them until you've heard them performed
by After Class."
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After Class with Rob Angus on hammered dulcimer; Mark Weldon on violin,
viola, guitar, and mandolin; and Brant Beene on guitar, mandolin and octave
mandolin has produced one of the best Civil War albums I've heard since
Ken Burns' film The Civil War. Bobby Horton, who contributed to the original
PBS effort, helped the group find tunes for Johnny Has Gone, which features
a great mixture of well-known and obscure material. All of the instruments
are well-played, but that's only part of the magic. The way the group
plays together appeals to me. Their version of When Johnny Comes Marching
Home is the best I've heard and amply demonstrates the group's uncanny
knack for making old tunes fresh. If you're part of a group seeking an
object lesson in how to put a concept album together, I recommend this
one highly. |
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Other comments received over the years: Please send me 2 "Hues of Blues & Greys" and 2 "Johnny Has Gone." I have enjoyed these CDs so much that I am purchasing them for family & friends... Your music is hauntingly beautiful! This is the best group of its kind around -- I LOVE 'EM! I was given Faith of Our Fathers and Celtic Collection for Christmas. I loved them so much that I had to buy some for gifts. We love driving through the mountains listening to your music. It is very peaceful and relaxing. Gosh, they sound great..... The arrangements are lovely, and the production is top notch. Even the artwork package is just excellent. I am in awe of your group's talent and your music. I've passed the web site on to several of my friends who I think may enjoy it like I do. I was brought to tears today as I watched, listened to your tender care in each chord progression. A guitar/mandolin musician myself, however nothing on a par with the renditions I heard today. I just wanted to express my deepest graditude and heartly thanks. Stuning, magical and period pure. I bought HUES OF BLUES & GREYS by After Class when I visited Gettysburg, Pa. a couple of years ago, and LOVE it!! I've been searching for more of their music ever since. Sure am glad I found your web site! Thanks! I have Hues of Blue and Grey and it is the best instrumental CD I have ever heard. The music is so moving that you feel as if you are back in time and right there with the soldiers. Hues of Blues and Greys is a wonderful collection of Civil War era music….Thanks for many hours of listening pleasure. This is a great mix of slow and fast tunes and the music definitely makes you feel drawn into the Civil War era. HUES OF BLUES & GREYS~~by AFTER CLASS~~SIMPLY THE MOST EVOCATIVE INSTRUMENTAL AMERICAN CIVIL WAR ERA MUSIC YOU WILL EVER ENCOUNTER!~~IN ORIGINAL WRAPPER!...EXTREMELY UNIQUE!!...Dedicated to the many Civil War re-enactors "who honor the memory of those who died for a cause they believed worthy"...Shades of KEN BURNS' CIVIL WAR epic documentary, this is powerful stuff!!...This profoundly moving collection of camp songs brings home the simple but oft-forgotten truth that the boys on both sides of the picket lines for the most part shared the same heritage and values, and but for a geographic accident of birth were brothers in every tragic sense. Perfect for wargaming background, exquisite as a teaching tool , and I enjoy it as an avenue for remembrance that has few if any emotional equivalents for any period in our Nation's history...I mean it, this music is more than entertainment, but a thought-provoking march through time that will resonate in your heart! This CD is top notch and every tune is terrific. The hammer dulcimer and violin together really bring out the best in music of this genre. Just wanted to drop a line or two of appreciation for your music. I first bought your " Hues of Blues and Greys" eight years or so ago. One of my favorite tunes is "Ashokan Farewell" so I snap up any recordings with that tune on them. I have been a fan ever since. You latest CD is wonderful. I cannot hear "Johnny has gone for a Soldier" enough. Thanks again for the beautiful music. The group "After Class" has produced another CD of beautiful songs that speak to your heart and soul. I have all four and can't wait until the "next one". I love the jigs and reels on this CD, and the version of "Ashokan Farewell" is hauntingly beautiful. From start to finish this is an enjoyable CD. A little taste of heaven |