When the
DePue Brothers were growing up in Bowling Green, Ohio, their house was always
filled with music, especially during the holiday season. Each year, their dad, Dr. Wallace DePue, Sr.,
who was music professor at Bowling Green University, would write a new
Christmas carol as his holiday gift.
One, written in 1990, is called "When It's Christmas Time" and
is the title of their new CD being released for the 2013 Christmas season. The brothers -- Wallace Jr., Alex, Jason and
Zach -- who are all classically trained violinists and have performed with the
most prestigious musical organizations including The Philadelphia Orchestra,
are proud to dedicate their CD to their dad.
Continuing their dad's tradition of sharing holiday music with family
and friends, the DePue Brothers Band has put their own signature on their dad's
carol with Alex's new arrangement and by enriching these holiday classic carols
with adistinctive bluegrass, jazz, and classical groove.
This
highly acclaimed string ensemble performs around the country playing an
eclectic mix of musical genres based on their classical training but bringing
in bluegrass, funk, jazz, rock and more. The band include Wallace, Alex, Jason
and Zach DePue with percussionist Don Liuzzi, guitarist Mark Cosgrove, bassist
Kevin MacConnell and Mike Munford, who was recently named International
Bluegrass Association's the 2013 Banjo musician of the year. The brothers'
individual musical endeavors continue -- Zach
with The Indianapolis Symphony as concertmaster, and with Time for Three; Jason
with The Philadelphia Orchestra; Alex with his solo endeavors and with
DePue/DeHoyos; and Wallace with his company, Concert Instruments.com and with
The Philly POPS.
The
album is a mix of standard arrangements from the brothers' youth includingJesu,
Joy of Man's Desiring, and the heavenlyAve Maria with new arrangements by Alex
DePue of Good King Wencelas, Winter Wonderland and the DePue original song, The
Fat Man. One of the album highlights is
Jason DePue's brilliantarrangement of the pop classic Sleigh Ride with his
unique musical gestures. The CD includes the many contributions of equally
talented additional band members including Don Liuzzi's exotic Pat-a-Pan and
the serene O Holy Night, Kevin MacConnell's elegant jazz arrangement of
Christmas Song richly sung by Wallace Depue andMike Munford's exquisite Medley
of Carols for banjo.
No
matter where they may be performing, the brothers reunite each Christmas and
each year their dad writes another carol. These carols were musical expressions
of love to his four sons and enduring gift cards to the DePue's family and
friends with personal notes and updates from each growing child. In addition,
as a gift to their community, they would perform in their hometown church and,
now, they return to the church this Christmas with an additional gift - their
holiday music recorded. "When It's
Christmas Time" is a celebration of what incredible musical range and
sheer musicianship they bring to their holiday repertoire as it brings together
the very best of what these virtuoso musicians have to offer.
Band
member/manager Don Liuzzi, percussionist with The Philadelphia Orchestra, said
recently, "When the DePue Brothers get together to play, they play to the
height of their abilities. They play with utter abandon and joy. They play off
one another and perhaps because they are brothers, they express with music far
more than can be spoken with words. There is no musical group in the world like
the DePue Brothers."
Liuzzi
credits each band member for his unique contribution to the recording and
points out that Jason has a creative role in the album that cannot be
overstated. He explains further, "Jason returned to the studio after the
recordings were almost finished to add new lines of inspiration on the violin
and mandolin." Something Liuzzi describes as "incredible gems!"
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