On a performance by the River City Brass Band...
"Drew Fennell's performance of Erroll Garner's "Misty" was equally strong. Fennell played his flugelhorn with a silky tone and excellent pitch. He drew out the tune's long phrases with amazing breath control."

- Burkhardt Reiter, Writer for the Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA (2009)

On a performance by the River City Brass Band...
"He [Drew Fennell] not only penned a drop-dead beautiful chart for the Barbra Streisand classic, "People," he provided the beautiful flugelhorn solo to carry it over the edge of simply romantic. The band began its concert with [Drew Fennell's] arrangement of "Happy Birthday" to help celebrate the community music association's 75th anniversary this year. But this was not any typical rendition of the age-old tune. It stole a little here and a little there from composers of yesteryear, but it also had a whole lot of its own going on. It was without a doubt the finest arrangement I have ever heard of the most popular song in the world."

- Rick Justice, Writer for the Herald Tribune, Charleston, WV (2009)

"The twenty-two minute Concerto is an audience-friendly work that is composed in the style of a modern classical film score. Fennell's masterful orchestration (also available with piano reduction) is precise and balanced, offering a myriad of emotions and colors throughout the work. The solo part is very idiomatic and attainable for the advanced college player. This concerto is a beautiful musical testament that will be equally enjoyed by performers and audiences alike."

[Read the entire review here.]

- Brian Shook, reviewer for the ITG Journal/International Trumpet Guild (2009)

On a performance by the Butler Symphony Orchestra...
"Particularly delightful was a setting of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" written by the symphony's Composer of the Year, Drew Fennell. The work painted vivid musical pictures to underline the poem as it was read by radio personality Bob Cupp. The opening notes created an aura of wonder, building to the entrance of St. Nick, aptly portrayed by a jolly, full-bodied tuba solo. Throughout the work the music perfectly complemented and illustrated the old tale, imbuing it with new freshness."

- Leanne Heaton, Writer for the Butler Eagle, Butler, PA (2008)

On a performance by the River City Brass Band...
"In his usual multitasking manner, Drew Fennell is the star of the current series of River City Brass Band concerts. Not only his "Song of Autumn" one of the best pieces in the band's year-long string of premieres, but he again is adding one of the vocals that are getting to be a band trademark. ... His baritone voice is featured on the "Pittsburgh PA March" from 1925 and is perfect in presenting the delightfully corny lyrics for that piece. He is such a good performer, he even made forgetting a few of the lyrics into a workable bit of schtick. ...the second half is lifted by Fennell's work..."

- Bob Karlovits, Writer for the Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA (2008)

On a performance by the River City Brass Band...
"The concert also gets a great lift from cornetist Drew Fennell's "Arlington Anthem," a lovely hymn to those who have sacrificed for their country."

- Bob Karlovits, Writer for the Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA (2007)

On a performance by the River City Brass Band...
"Veteran flugelhornist Drew Fennell gave a thoughtful and engaging solo performance of Gerard Fahy's "Magh Seola." ... The ensemble artfully realized this timbral backdrop, supporting Fennell's musically satisfying vibrato and phrase ending decays."

- Burkhardt Reiter, Writer for the Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA (2007)

Visit the website of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review to view Drew's answers to a just-for-fun personality test. (Published 9/6/2007)

On a performance by the River City Brass Band...
"And I will also make special mention of cornet soloist Drew Fennell's playing of "People" (as in "People Who Need People" that Barbra Streisand made popular a few years back). You would not logically imagine that a bunch of brass instruments could make any song sound wonderfully romantic, but Fennell and the RCBB did. Oh, sigh; be still my beating (in rhythm) heart."

- Jan Findley, Writer for the Sun-Herald, Englewood, FL (2006)

On a performance by the River City Brass Band...
"It was hard to believe that brass was producing the smooth sounds of Barbra Streisand's "People." Cheers were heard amidst the applause after Drew Fennell made his cornet cry with the familiar melody while the band closed with a Hollywood Bowl-style finish."

- Marylin D. Carpenter, Writer for the Herald Tribune, Englewood, FL (2006)

On a performance by the River City Brass Band...
"...He [Bernard Black] was then joined by Drew Fennell and David Gedris, who wowed the crowed with a performance of Herbert L. Clarke's 'The Three Aces.'"

- Rick Justice, Writer for the Herald Tribune, Charleston, WV (2005)

On a performance by the River City Brass Band...
"And Drew Fennell's big band "Penn's Woods" arrangement that ended the program was a classic."

- Jane Vranish, Writer for the Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA (2005)

On a performance by the River City Brass Band...
"Drew Fennell gives the River City Brass Band's Thanksgiving dinner a main course that rescues it from condiments that are a little bland. ... The band's "Presidents Concert" series is built around Fennell's "The Oval Office," a new work that looks at the meaning and history of the presidency in words and music. ... As the centerpiece of the concert, it stands out clearly. ... Fennell, who also plays cornet in the band, has been developing his own sound over the past few years in arranging works and writing original pieces for the band. "The Oval Office" might be his most individual work and hints at talents that could be used in soundtracks. ... The music that supports a collection of quotations from 12 presidents is sophisticated in subtlety. It hints at known elements of history with its use of quotes from the fanfare opening from "Hail to the Chief" and outright references to the presidential anthem itself. ... But it never gets in the way of the words assembled and narrated by Lanny Frattare, the Pittsburgh Pirates announcer, who also is a presidential history enthusiast. The only time that comes close is in the D-Day prayer by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, where the music builds to power that rivals that of the words. ... "The Oval Office" gives the first half of the concert a pleasing heft..."

- Bob Karlovits, Writer for the Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA (2004)

On a performance by the River City Brass Band...
"But it's hard to overlook the composing and arranging work of Drew Fennell, a cornetist who is more meaningful to the band than just a man with great chops. ... Fennell's "Fanfare and Theme" ... is a heroic-sounding piece that displays the technical strengths of the ensemble and has the kind of melody that can settle into a listener's mind. ... and his stunning version of the finale of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 3 ... lifts the piece out of its symphonic nature and moves it into the realm of a lovely, instrumental ode. ... its striking beauty was moving."

- Bob Karlovits, Writer for the Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh, PA (2002)

On a performance by the River City Brass Band...
"Then, we received an encore to remember. ... A young man named Drew Fennell stepped to the front of the stage and, accompanied by his friends in the River City Brass Band, gave a performance of Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American" that defies description. By the time he had boomed out three notes, the audience was back on its feet and stayed there. If ever I have heard someone sing from his heart, it was Drew Fennell. Truly, I thought the roof was coming off the place!"

- Ken Welborn, Writer for The Record, Wilkes Country, Wilksboro, NC (2002)

On a performance by the River City Brass Band...
"Drew Fennell showed vast talent. ... Fennell is composer in residence and conducted his "Hometown Miniatures." ... You could actually visualize through the music what he had explained. ... Fennell also arranged a wonderful upbeat version of, "Georgia On My Mind" by Hoagy Carmichael. ... Fennell again showed his talent in the arrangement of "A Fine Fare-Thee-Well" and his singing abilities as a soloist and a member of the River City Barbershoppers. Fennell's rendition of "Proud To Be An American" brought chills and was just as memorable as Lee Greenwood's original."

- Kathy Greene, Writer for the Palladium-Item, Richmond, IN (2002)