John Mackey is one of today's most popular and sought- after composers of contemporary classical music, with an emphasis on wind band and orchestral music. His music runs the gamut of human emotion, from the sublime to the ridiculous. One minute he offers the sound of ripping metal, then suddenly gives you a melody that's achingly beautiful. John always writes with a purpose, be it jostling you through the wildest Manhattan cab ride ever, or painting that ethereal hour just before sunset. Brilliant performances by THE DALLAS WINDS have been captured in superb audiophile sound by Reference Recordings' award- winning engineering team: Keith O. Johnson and Sean Martin. Special guest artist on ASPHALT COCKTAIL is Principal Trumpet of the New York Philharmonic, Christopher Martin.