Soundtrack of the American Soldier (CD review)

Col. Jim R. Keene, United States Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus. Navona Records NV6297 (includes CD and Blu-ray disc).

By John J. Puccio

The title of the album, Soundtrack of the American Soldier, might be a bit misleading. It might lead one to believe the disc contains the soundtrack of a movie called “The American Soldier.” But it isn’t. Not quite, anyway. The album is actually a collection of pieces by various composers written to celebrate the stories of American soldiers as depicted in several different movies and musical suites. Much of the music is familiar, and all of it is well presented by Col. Jim Keene and the United States Army Field Band and Soldiers’ Chorus.

Here’s a rundown on the disc’s contents. You’ll recognize most of the names and many of the songs:
  1. Karpman: “Brass Ceiling” (from The Journey of General Ann Dunwoody)
  2. Steiner: Overture to Sergeant York
  3. Giacchino: Medal of Honor Suite
  4. Cohan: “Over There”
  5. Moshier: A Portrait of Honor
  6. Debeasi: American Sniper Suite
  7. Williams: March (from 1941)
  8. Beal: The Long Road Home
  9. Goldsmith/Bernstein: The Great WWII Medley
10. Berlin: “Good Bless America”
11. Key: “The Star-Spangled Banner”
12. Isham: “Army Strong”
13. Williams: “The Jedi Steps” and “Finale” (from Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

Next, a word about the band. According the album jacket, “The United States Army Field Band of Washington, DC is the U.S. Army’s premier touring musical organization, traveling throughout the country and internationally to connect the American people to their Army and to represent the nation around the world. At the heart of the Band’s mission is telling stories of service that honor veterans and remind people what makes America a country worth protecting.”

After listening to this album, I’d have to say that the Army Field Band is not only the Army's premier touring band, they are one of the best bands in the country. Their precision and execution are remarkable, and they produce a rich, robust sound in the military manner. Everything is as clean and sharply creased as a military officer’s uniform. What’s more, the leader, Col. Jim R. Keene, keeps things moving at a healthy clip. Admittedly, he may not be as flexible or imaginative as some better-known conductors, but this is military music, and Col. Keene ensures that it remains true to its source.

Now, about the music. It seems a little odd to me that the producers of the album would choose to begin things with Laura Karpman’s “Brass Ceiling,” not because it isn’t worthy music but because it’s among the least well-known music on the disc, and it’s not exactly a curtain raiser. Nevertheless, it does set an appropriately serious tone for the album, so all is well. I also had to question the inclusion of John Williams’s march from the Steven Spielberg movie 1941. Again, not because the march isn’t a fun piece but because Williams wrote it for a comedy film, and he wrote it as a sort of parody of the march from The Great Escape (from which we hear a snippet in “The Great WWII Medley”). I suppose the album’s producers in this case wanted a little something to lighten the mood, a bit like ending the program with music from a Star Wars film, not exactly “American” soldiers, but I guess we get the idea.

The rest of the music, though, fits the pattern of good, patriotic, militaristic tunes. The Overture to the movie Sergeant York has a pleasant, poignant, homey, classic-Hollywood feel to it. The Medal of Honor Suite is more theatrical than some of the others and more sedately somber. The George M. Cohan number “Over There” finds soloists Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Erbe and Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Garcia and the Soldiers’ Chorus in good voice. (We hear the chorus again in moving renditions of “God Bless America” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.”)

And so it goes. The material is appropriate both for celebrating the American soldier and showcasing the talents of the Army Field Band. If any of these things appeal to you, the album makes an attractive proposition.

Producer Dan Merceruio and engineer Leslie Ann Jones recorded the music at Skywalker Sound, Marin County, California in October and November 2018. The album contains two discs: one a regular CD containing the songs in two-channel stereo and the other a Blu-ray containing the songs in two-channel stereo, 5.1 surround sound, and 5.1.4 channel Dolby Atmos. I listened and am reporting on the stereo CD.

Excellent clarity. Excellent depth of field. Excellent transient response. Yeah, mostly an excellent sounding album. There’s a lot of brass involved, so you can expect if your system favors the high midrange or treble at all it might seem a bit bright or forward. Mostly, however, the sound is realistic, miked at a moderate enough distance for lifelike reproduction. I’ve been on the main Skywalker soundstage several times, so I have some idea what things sound like in that big room, and this recording is about what I remember.

JJP

To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click below: