German Brass is a large group that plays arrangements, generally made by members of the ensemble, of a wide variety of music. The ensemble has survived the waxing and waning in popularity of brass ensembles over its nearly five decades of existence. German Brass was founded in 1974 by trumpeter Enrique Crespo, who later left the group after disagreements with other members. The group expanded to its present size of ten musicians (there is also one alternate) in 1985 when it was invited to perform in the Bach 300 recordings celebrating the 300th birthday of J.S. Bach. German Brass released the album Trip to America in 2019, featuring music by Gershwin, Bernstein, Barber, Copland, and Cole Porter. The group returned in 2022 with the double holiday album, It's Christmas Time.