TORONTO — Musicians love to hear from fans who collect all of their CDs, so imagine Charles Daellenbach's face when someone tells him they own the entire Canadian Brass catalogue.

"You say 'Wow! How many?' They'll have only 34," said the jovial tuba player, slapping his knee with amusement. That's only about half of the quintet's whopping 63-CD repertoire. "OK, they don't have EVERY one, but 34 is amazing," the tuba player said, beaming. "Our fans have been very faithful."

Since forming in Toronto in 1970, the quintet has enjoyed worldwide success, selling millions of CDs and touring to packed houses. Ironically, there is only one Canadian in the current incarnation of the group, which has seen various members come and go over the years.

The group has recently launched its own label, Opening Day, an initiative spearheaded by Stuart Laughton, a St. Catharines, Ont., trumpeter who returned to the band in 2003 after a 32-year absence pursuing other interests.

Part of the group's charm is its easy-to-digest sound, which includes classical pieces like Mozart and Bach but also more pop sounds via Gerswhin, jazz and Dixieland. Sprinkle some quirky humour and a heavy dose of audience interaction - which at times has included magic tricks - and Canadian Brass have a little something for nearly every taste and age.

The most current release, Magic Horn, even has them doing a Motown song, With You I'm Born Again, made famous by Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright.

Canadian Brass launched at a time when brass quintets were virtually non-existent. That's changed, said Daellenbach, a founding member.

"We're in an era of brass. We either created it or happened to be there in a moment in history when it needed to happen. Either way we like to take credit for it," he said.

"In this era of electronic instruments, brass holds up very well. Even as an acoustic instrument it can stand right in with electronics. That means it can be universally applied."

Canadian consulate officials around the world frequently enlist the group to perform for distinguished guests.

"We're somewhere between a string quartet and a rock band. Being in that middle is really good. We fill a certain social function," said Daellenbach.

Brass's music is also part of school curriculums across the country. In addition, they have a set of instructional DVDs and have done music videos, the most recent for Bramwell Tovey's State Street Stomp, which will begin airing next month on Bravo.

"The excitement that we see around what we do, there are literally hundreds of thousands of kids growing up on Canadian Brass methods and materials to becoming brass quintets," said Daellenbach.

"These kids go to music schools and end up in bands."

Charles Lazarus, for instance, was in diapers the year Brass formed.

Thirty-five years later, he's among two new recruits.

He and Bernhard Scully joined in January after the departure of Josef Burgstaller and Jeff Nelsen.

"I grew up, like many people, listening to them, learning the music off their CDs," said Lazarus, who came prepared to last week's rehearsals with his IPod fully loaded with Brass repertoire.

Lazarus is no stranger to Canadian ensembles. The North Carolina native, who studied at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York, spent six years working in Montreal with the Montreal Symphony and IMAX film scores.

"I guess I'm an honorary Canadian now," he says. "There's some fun to be had with it."

Canadian Brass are currently performing in the U.S. before embarking on a tour of Asia in March. The group is planing a Canadian tour in late spring.