MICHAEL DAUGHERTY (b.1954): Raise the Roof (version for Timpani and Wind Band), Brooklyn Bridge, JAMES SYLER (b.1961): The Hound of Heaven, JOHN MACKEY (b.1973): Strange Humors.

Description: Daugherty has the lion's share of this release: Raise the Roof is a kind of concerto for timpani and band where the timpanist gets to play melodies in addition to much else while Brooklyn Bridge (2005) is the biggest work here at 29 minutes. Its four movements represent views toward the cardinal points of the compass from the bridge's span, suggesting all the muscle and bustle of New York City with the finale a tribute to Artie Shaw. Syler's 18-minute, six-movement suite from 1988 is based on a British poem of the same title which charts the spiritual journey of a desperate soul while Mackey's little five-minute piece merges African hand-drumming, an Orientalist musical style and the big band sound. Rutgers Wind Ensemble; William Berz.