Saturday, March 05, 2005
My favorite things

Alex Ross has been making up lists recently. So here's a list of mine: Ten of my favorite recorded jazz saxophone solos that come immediately to mind.

1. Michael Brecker, "Every Day (I Thank You)" -- Pat Metheny, 80/81
2. Michael Brecker, "Sumo" -- Steps Ahead, Live in Tokyo 1986
3. Michael Brecker, "Quartet No. 1" -- Chick Corea, Three Quartets
4. Ornette Coleman, "Peace" -- The Shape of Jazz to Come
5. Steve Coleman, "Multiplicity Of Approaches (The African Way of Knowing)" -- Steve Coleman and the Five Elements, curves of life
6. John Coltrane, "Afro Blue" -- Coltrane Live at Birdland
7. John Coltrane, "I Want To Talk About You" -- Coltrane Live at Birdland
8. Eric Dolphy, "Out To Lunch" -- Out To Lunch
9. Kenny Garrett, "Human Nature" -- Miles Davis, Live Around the World
10. Dick Oatts, "Make Me Smile" -- Mel Lewis & The Jazz Orchestra, Featuring the Music of Bob Brookmeyer
    posted by Brian Sacawa 8:45 AM

    Thursday, March 03, 2005
    O'Say can you see?

    The New York Times heralds Ronan Tynan as "a tenor as Irish as Baseball and God Bless America." Every time I see that quote adorning an ad for Tynan's new CD it completely cracks me up. To me, it sounds more like a small tongue-in-cheek jab at the Yankee Stadium fixture than praise. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but last time I checked baseball was America's national pastime, invented by Abner Doubleday (also an American, I might add). And God Bless America was penned by Irving Berlin.
    posted by Brian Sacawa 2:36 PM

    Wednesday, March 02, 2005
    Stolen music

    Saxophonists like to borrow things. Especially music from other instruments. Case in point: two of the works on my recent Miller Theater recital were co-opted from woodwind colleagues--Michael Gordon's The Low Quartet although originally for double bass, trombone, bari sax, and bass clarinet, had versions for four bassoons and four bass clarinets before I made the bari sax version; and Philip Glass' Piece in the Shape of a Square is acutally for two flutes, not two alto saxophones.

    These are just two recent examples, but saxophonists engage in this transcription process fiercely--sometimes, well hopefully most of the time, winning the composer's approval. This is why the saxophone has in its repertoire two Berio Sequenzas (VIIb and IXb), Scelsi's Tre Pezzi, David Lang's Press Release, and the short and sweet A Tune from Childhood by Bright Sheng, just to name a few.

    I often wonder why--yes, why, composers?--must we steal your wonderful music from other instruments?
    posted by Brian Sacawa 2:02 PM

    Monday, February 28, 2005
    Yo, yo what's up wit da clapping?

    Did anybody see Yo-Yo Ma's performance of the Sarabande from Bach's 6th suite at the Academy Awards last night? The piece was supposed to serve as a requiem of sorts for the folks that passed away this past year. But the audience's clapping for the deceased, who had their pictures flashed on the giant screens as Mr. Ma played, was both annoying and distracting. What's up with these Hollywood-types? Don't they know how to act?
    posted by Brian Sacawa 4:16 PM


    Praised by The New York Times as "an inventive musician . . . fresh and surprising," saxophonist Brian Sacawa has firmly established himself as an important contemporary voice for his instrument. He is active as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician throughout the United States and is the co-founder of the new music duo Non-Zero with percussionist Timothy Feeney.

    He has given premieres of over thirty works by both established and emerging composers, including Michael Gordon, Bright Sheng, Andrew Mead, Oliver Schneller, Ken Ueno, Beata Moon, Hillary Zipper, and Scott McAllister, among many others. Named the Baltimore CITYPAPER’s Critic’s Choice for Classical Music in 2002, he is the recipient of awards for solo performance from both national and international competitions.

    Sacawa's versatile career has led to appearances with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the New World Symphony, Harvard Group for New Music, New Music Brandeis, Bargemusic, and at meetings of the ISU Contemporary Music Festival, World Saxophone Congress, North American Saxophone Alliance, and New England Saxophone Symposium.

    Brian holds degrees from the University of Michigan, the Peabody Conservatory, and the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, where he studied with Donald Sinta, Gary Louie, and Lynn Klock. He has recorded for the Equililbrium, Naxos, and BiBimBop recording labels.

    See Brian's other blog
    Sounds Like Now