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Half Moon at Checkerboard Mesa by Phillip Kent Bimstein (b. 1947)
The alternative classical music of environmentalist mayor and former
MTV rocker Phillip Kent Bimstein has been performed at Carnegie Hall,
Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Aspen Music Festival, American
Dance Festival, and the Bang on a Can Festival. Bimstein has received
grants and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet The
Composer, Continental Harmony, and Austria's Prix Ars Electronica. His
CD, Garland Hirschi's Cows, released by Starkland in 1997, garnered rave
reviews around the world. Bimstein has been featured on National Public
Radio's “All Things Considered,” and in Parade and Outside magazines.
Lately, Bimstein has been singing and writing songs for his acoustic quartet,
blue haiku.
On a summer night several years ago, not far from my home in Southern
Utah, an unsuspecting group of frogs sang by a slickrock waterhole up a
narrow side canyon in Zion National Park. Little did they know their
voices would soon be heard on concert stages all across the world and
on the Internet. And they certainly never expected to share the bill with
chirping crickets, howling coyotes, and a classical musician.
But I was hiding nearby and had stealthily placed a microphone and a
digital recorder at the edge of the waterhole. I also recorded the sounds
of coyotes, crickets, rocks, thunder, and the rushing waters of the Virgin
River. After transferring these natural sounds into my computer, I
shaped and arranged them on my synthesizer keyboard. Finally, I
orchestrated the sounds into a piece of music for tape, and wrote an
accompanying score for a live musician to interact with the natural
sounds. - Phillip Kent Bimstein
Bimstein composed Half Moon at Checkerboard Mesa as a part of his
three-year Meet The Composer residency, which celebrates the landscapes
of Southern Utah. It was originally written for Sierra Winds’ oboist
Stephen Caplan, who premiered the work in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1997.
Bimstein arranged Half Moon at Checkerboard Mesa for clarinet for
Michael Dean in 1998. Dean has recorded Half Moon at Checkerboard
Mesa on his Red Mesa Trio CD – available at www.vcisinc.com. The work
has also been arranged for other solo instruments such as horn, trombone,
bassoon, flute, and violin.
Program Notes
Suite by Alec Wilder (1907-1980)
Alec Wilder wrote a great deal of music of remarkable originality in many
forms: instrumental solos, chamber music, works for orchestral and wind
ensemble, musical comedies, film music, ballets, operas, and hundreds of
popular songs. His music is a unique blend of American musical traditions including American popular song, jazz, and basic "classical" forms and
techniques. As such it fiercely resists all labeling. Often his music wasn't
jazzy enough for the “jazzers;” frequently it wasn’t “highbrow,” “classical”
or “avant-garde” enough for the classical establishment. His music was
never out of vogue because, in effect, it was never in vogue. The nonstereotypical nature of his music virtually precluded any widespread
acceptance.
However, Wilder did endear himself to a relatively small, but loyal, group
of diverse performers. Wilder’s admirers included jazz musicians, classical
musicians and popular singers. Frank Sinatra was an early fan of Wilder's
music and an avid supporter. He even persuaded Columbia Records in 1945
to record some of Wilder's solo wind works with string orchestra (with
Sinatra himself conducting). The two men became life-long friends and
Sinatra recorded many of Wilder's popular songs.
Other noted musicians associated with Wilder include Erich Leinsdorf,
Frederick Fennell, Gunther Schuller, John Barrows, Marian McPartland,
Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Doc Severinson, Clark Terry, Mabel Mercer,
Peggy Lee, and Tony Bennett.
What so many of us respect in Alec Wilder was his absolute
independence as an artist. For years Alec wrote music of taste
and quality with that personal melodic touch that was all his
own, undaunted by musical fashion or fads. In short…he was
an American “original.” - Gunther Schuller
Wilder’s Suite was originally written for unaccompanied flute in 1975.
This tour features the final two movements of the twelve movement suite.
The work is available from Luyben Music at www.luybenmusic.com.
The sheet music and CD accompaniment for Half Moon at Checkerboard
Mesa are available from the composer at www.bimstein.com.
2007 marks the centennial for Alec Wilder (1907-1980). Information on
Centennial Concerts is available at www.alecwildercentennial.com.
Tango-Etudes by Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Andy and Me by Robert Fruehwald (b. 1957)
Astor Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and a master bandoneón
player. His music revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style
termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music.
He is widely considered the most important tango composer of the latter
half of the twentieth century. He is known in his native land as “El Gran
Ástor” (“The Great Astor”).
Composer and flautist Robert Fruehwald’s recent compositions include
instrumental works for large ensemble, chamber groups, and solo
performers. He has also recently written music for children and for dance.
His music has been performed at National Flute Association Conventions
and on the St. Louis Symphony Discovery Series. The Missouri Music
Teachers Association named him “Composer of the Year” in 1997. Dr.
Fruehwald is Professor of Music Theory and Composition at Southeast
Missouri State University.
Tango-Etudes were originally written for flute or violin. They were
transcribed for clarinet (or saxophone) by Claude Delangle and Piazzolla
himself. This tour features the fourth etude of the set of six. The work is
available from Luyben Music at www.luybenmusic.com.
Solo by Don Ellis (1934-1978)
Don Ellis was a jazz trumpeter, drummer, bandleader, touring performer,
recording artist, composer, and arranger. Ellis played with a variety of
prestigious big bands and jazz groups, including those of Charlie Barnet,
Maynard Ferguson, Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, and Stan Kenton. He
also led big bands, jazz orchestras, trios, quartets, and other small combos
of his own.
Ellis is perhaps best known for his unusual and complex meters, amplified
trumpet, electronic distortion, and quarter-tone melodic structures. He often
used 9/4, 5/8, 7/8, 9/8, and 19/4 time signatures. He played a quarter-tone
trumpet with four valves, which gave subtlety and microtonal effects to his
music. Ellis received several Grammy nominations and his "Theme from
The French Connection" won the Grammy for "Best Instrumental
Arrangement" in 1972.
Solo is a transcription by Don Erjavec of an improvised solo by Don Ellis
from his CD, The Don Ellis Quintet, New Ideas.
Solo is just what it implies – a trumpet solo. This also was done in only
one take – with nothing consciously planned before the recording. It
seems like the most logical thing conceivable in jazz with its emphasis
on self expression for a single performer to stand up and play without
having to adjust to any other musicians, yet it is rarely done. - Don Ellis
The music for Solo can be found in the Jazz Educators Journal (Fall 1991).
Andy and Me is a whimsical look at the relationship between Mike
and the newest addition to his family, Andy. The sounds on the CD
accompaniment represent (and feature) Andy in a kind of conversation
with the clarinet music played by Mike. - Robert Fruehwald
Andy and Me was commissioned by clarinetist Michael Dean. He
premiered the work at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape
Girardeau, Missouri in December of 2006. The sheet music and CD
accompaniment for Andy and Me are available from the composer at
[email protected].
September by Jeffrey Hoover (b. 1959)
Jeffrey Hoover’s work – ranging from compositions for soloist to
symphony orchestra – has been recognized through national and
international awards, grants, fellowships, and over twenty commissions.
Also a visual artist, he is known for creating unique interdisciplinary works
where he combines his paintings with his compositions. Recognized for
distinguished achievement as a composer, he is a member of the ACME
roster of Mu Phi Epsilon. Dr. Hoover is Associate Dean of Arts and
Communications at Illinois Central College, East Peoria, Illinois.
September has always been a month of change and transition - a time
when nature embraces both summer and fall, and life unfolds in new
ways for individuals and our society. The music of September is set in
two related and contrasting sections; music of thoughtful reflection, and
music of engaging the present. The sound and music of September
posses an autumnal quality, while spanning the psychological and
emotional gap between the sound of memories and the music of now.
- Jeffrey Hoover
September was commissioned by clarinetist Michael Dean. This tour
features the premiere of the work. The sheet music and CD accompaniment
for September are available from the composer at [email protected].