Below are various newspaper and journal reviews of my arrangements and performances.
Music Reviews
"Leyenda" by Isaac Albeniz
By Jon Burgess, Morehead State University, Kentucky
International Trumpet Guild, January 2000 
Leyenda, from Suite Espanola No. 1, op. 47, is the fifth of eight movements originally written for piano, each reflecting a region of Spain.  The first section is in a fast 3/4 (quarter note equals 160) and consists of repeated sixteenth-note patterns in the trumpets.  The horn, trombone, and tuba trade off on an eight-note ostinato pattern.  In the next section (più lento), the first trumpet is featured in an extended solo passage that allows the player an opportunity for expressive playing.  Duration is approximately 5 minutes.
The trumpets are written in B-flat with a first trumpet range of a - a" and a second trumpet range of a f".  Secure double-tonguing technique is required of both trumpeters as they frequently trade off on rapid sixteenth-note sequences.  The work presents no endurance problems in any of the brass parts.  Although technical demands would be moderate for a college level brass quintet, adequate rehearsal would be required for abrupt tempo changes and the development of style.
Richard Waddell is a trumpeter and member of the Chamber Brass of Boston.  His adaptation is an excellent arrangement that quintet members should enjoy performing.  More importantly, it is certain to be a favorite with audiences.
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CD Reviews
Boston Brass - Young Fogeys
By John Ellis, The Crane School of Music, State University of NY at Potsdam
International Trumpet Guild, December 1998
Young Fogeys by the Boston Brass is yet another attempt at the brass quintet genre to perform the music of the big band era from the 1940s to the 70s.  The Boston Brass, a quintet of considerable talent, attempts to take a large bit of the repertoire of Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich, and Dizzy Gillespie, a considerable challenge for a five-piece brass group.  The album contains many favorite big band tunes, including Malaguena, Fly Me to the Moon, and Channel One Suite.  The arrangements, mot by horn player J.D. Shaw, are creative and recreate the energy of the original tune.  The performance is outstanding.  Trumpeters Richard Waddell and Jeff Conner exhibit some fine playing throughout the album, especially on the Channel One Suite.  Their use of flugelhorn adds color and texture to the arrangements.  Their ability to go from playing lead to solo to tutti is nothing short of amazing.  Tubist Randy Montgomery provides a rhythmic drive that gives the arrangements a great groove.  But when I listen to this album, something just seems to be missing.  Other brass ensembles, such as Meridian Arts Ensemble, solved the problem by adding percussion.  While I respect what the Boston Brass has done, I don't think I would pull out this album to listen to 'Round Midnight.  I will be the first to say that the brass quintet as a genre is extremely versatile and can perform music from an incredibly wide spectrum, but maybe there is a limit.  (John Ellis, The Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam, Potsdam, NY)
Performance: Repertoire:
Recording Quality: Overall:
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Boston Brass - Stealing the Show
By Kevin Scully, Pine Bush, NY
International Trumpet Guild, December 1997
Boston Brass, whose members are artists-in-residence at Boston College, has released a CD of opera overtures arranged primarily by members of the ensemble.  The arias chosen adapt well to the brass quintet idiom and are generally lighthearted, as the comical CD cover implies.  The quintet literature is filled with music from the opera repertoire, and although some of the pieces chosen have been arranged several times (e.g., Bizet's Carmen), the Boston Brass renditions are imaginative and well scored.  The suite from The Merry Widow is written especially well, with the melodies generously distributed throughout the ensemble.  The Overture to The Magic Flute is also noteworthy.  The performances on this CD are top notch.  The ensemble sound is bright without being crass, intonation is solid, and the individual players display impressive technique and musicianship throughout.  J.D. Shaw deserves special recognition for his horn playing.  His sound is beautiful and he is particularly musical in the more lyrical solos.  I recommend this album highly, especially for the fine arrangements presented.  (Kevin Scully, Pine Bush, NY)
Performance: Repertoire:
Recording Quality: Overall:
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Boston Brass - Fire in the Chamber
International Trumpet Guild, May 1996
The Boston Brass, formerly the Chamber Brass of Boston, is composed of artists-in-residences at Boston College.  The ensemble has received numerous awards, including those presented at the 1988 and 1989 Raphael Méndez International Brass Competitions, the 1990 yellow Springs National chamber Music Competition, and the 1992 International Brass Quintet Competition in Narbonne, France.
Fire in the Chamber is an exciting CD.  The performance level is virtuosic in all parts.  The highly technical demands of the repertoire are handled ably by all five players.  Balance and intonation are good, especially between the trumpets who are frequently scored in octaves in the Waddell arrangements.  The upper brass can be overpowering at times, as in the Chaconne movement of the Holst Suite in E-flat, and a few minor pitch problems exist in the Borodin In the Steppes of Central Asia, but overall, this is an ensemble worth hearing.
The acoustics are beautiful, and the recording quality is outstanding.  The arrangements are particularly exciting and colorful.  Some of the more ambitious arrangements lack sufficient instrumentation to stay true to the original brass scoring (e.g., the opening fanfare in Festive Overture), but generally the transcriptions are exceptional.  Arrangements are available directly from Richard Waddell. (J.M.)
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Concert Reviews (excerpts)
All selections that appear in all CAPITAL LETTERS are by Richard Waddell.
The Boston Chamber Ensemble, University Lutheran Church, Cambridge, MA
By Michael Manning
Special to the Globe, January 17, 1995
“Trumpet soloist and guest artist Richard Waddell brought us a Concerto in D by Jacques Loeillet, a minor practicioner of the French Baroque.  Waddell is a good player...his tone is clarion bright and well focused.  The second movement's lovely fold of melody and countermelody with first violin was really quite moving, and Waddell brought the final Allegro some effective coloristic nuance."

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And a great time was had by all.

By Carl Webster

Tuba Internet Discussion List November 6, 1999  

The Boston Brass rolled in Arkansas Tech University and gave the audience one of the finest performances I have ever witnessed from any musical group.
The show started out with TOURNAMENT GALOP by Gottschalk.  After a few blipped entrances at the very beginning the rest of the piece was played to perfection. The tuba playing was incredible. After this piece I heard some older people behind me ask "Who IS this tuba player?".
Next up was Gallard Battaglia featuring the 2 trumpets.
The next major piece was "Quartet No. 8, Op. 110" by Shostakovich. 
Thoughts of Love by Arthur Pryor gave the bone picker and the group a chance to ham it up.  
The first half ended with Circus Bee and some great dexterity shown by the 2 trumpets.
When the first half ended, I heard numerous kids saying they had to go meet the tuba player and get his autograph.
The second half was all jazz and all impressive tuba playing to the uttermost extremes. 
In the Mood began the second half. 
Autumn Leaves and Laura were the next two pieces and showed the musicianship, artistry and emotional maturity of the group.  
Two foot tappers were next: Alright, Okay, You Win! and Sing, Sing, Sing.
And if that wasn't enough, they went into Caravan and brought the house down. 
To mellow things out a bit I Remember Clifford was the next tune.  This was a most beautiful melody and arrangement.  The last two pieces, Brazil and CASA LOMA STOMP, got the audience worked back up into a frenzy.
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Lighting a Fire

By Berge Johnson

West Central Tribune, October 28, 1997
On Sunday evening, October 26, West Central Concert Series members were treated to a wonderful musical "Smorgasbord" by the Boston Brass.
They certainly lived up to the title of their [recent] recording, Stealing the Show.
To brass players in the audience it was evident from the opening bars of the Fanfare from La Peri that this was no ordinary brass quintet, but one of flawless technique and tonal beauty.
IN THE STEPPES OF CENTRAL ASIA, a tone poem by Alexander Borodin, one could almost see the sunrise and imagine a tribe of nomads moving through this mountainous terrain. Skillful duet playing by the French horn and trombone, echoed by two flugal horns, lent a subtle beauty of sound which left one almost breathless!
The quintet was held together throughout the concert by the performance of Randy Montgomery on tuba, who demonstrated the total range of the instrument with a talent which was nearly flawless.
Trombonist Ed Clough showed his ability with a beautiful arrangement of a solo written by Arthur Prior, trombonist in John Phillip Sousa's band, titled Thoughts of Love.
I Remember Clifford, a flugal horn solo played by Jeff Conner, written as a tribute to trumpet player Clifford Brown, who died at the age of 25, was one of the most moving pieces of the night.
The group's performance is best described by a comment tuba player Randy Montgomery attributed to his "grandfather" following the group's rendition of Caravan. "If that don't light your fire, yer wood's wet!"
They certainly "lit my fire," as well as the fires of most members of the audience and this concert goes down as one to be remembered!
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Boston Brass A Versatile Group

By James MacInnes

Rapid City Journal, October 23, 1997

The opening piece, the "Fanfare from the ballet La Peri by Paul Dukas established at the outset the quality of the ensemble.

This was followed by an Aria in F by G.F. Handel. 
Horn player J.D. Shaw was featured next in Glitter and be Gay from Leonard Bernstein's Candide. 
An excellent arrangement of Borodin's IN THE STEPPES OF CENTRAL ASIA featured some fine flugelhorn playing by Kelley and Conner and served as a quiet interlude before the spectacular arrangements of the Havanaise and the DANSE BOHEME from Bizet's Carmen.
Trombonist Ed Clough was soloist in a Sousa-era waltz, Thoughts of Love, written by Arthur Pryor. 
The first half of the concert closed with a rousing circus march, Circus Bee, by Henry Fillmore.

After intermission the group played a number of excellent arrangements of big band, Latin and jazz.  BUGLER'S HOLIDAY by Leroy Anderson added a third trumpet, played by hornist J.D. Shaw. 
Then came a couple of bigband numbers, Route 66 and Sing, Sing, Sing, featuring everyone on fine solos, as did the next piece, Backyard Blues.
Then came a surprise: The group sang a barbershop quintet, Ice Cream.
The big production of this part of the program was a masterful arrangement of Duke Ellington's Caravan.
Then another surprise: in Hoagy Carmichael's NEW ORLEANS tubist Randy Montgomery sang a fine chorus.
AMERICAN PATROL and Brazil demonstrated more of the group's versatility. In the quiet moment just before the finale, Jeff Conner played an elegaic flugelhorn solo in I Remember Clifford.
The concert closed with another rouser, CASA LOMA STOMP, by Gene Gifford.
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