#4654, Music for Saxes
Listen to sax-based music from Philadelphia’s PRISM Quartet by Jacob TV, work from Canadian-American Colin Stetson, and from New York sax quartet Battle Trance, led by Travis Laplante.
Battle Trance—a New York sax quartet that plays “in the seams between contemporary classical and avant-garde jazz”—uses circular breathing to create hypnotic waves of sound and layered tenor saxophone multiphonics, or chords (Bandcamp liner notes). And on their latest, Green of Winter, layered melodies weave and loop around, taking turns pulsing, painting sound textures, and finally stating their purpose with fanfare. Listen to the middle movement of the album-length work.
Then, there’s music from Montreal-based duo of sax player Colin Stetson and the violinist Sarah Neufeld. Stetson’s technique of circular breathing (much like digeridoo players) combined with multiple microphones placed all over a studio- including on Stetson’s throat and on the instruments themselves - achieves an original palette of sounds.
Hear music by Dutch avant-pop composer Jacob TV – real name Jacob ter Velduis for Philadelphia’s PRISM Quartet. Listen to a work for saxophone quartet and sampled voices, "Jesus Is Coming," featuring the taped sounds of a very angry evangelist in Times Square and a small Salvation Army choir. Also, listen to portions of "The Fifth Century," a work written by the English composer Gavin Bryars for the choir, The Crossing, and the PRISM Sax Quartet. And more. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4654, Music for Saxes (first aired 8/26/22)
ARTIST: Colin Stetson
WORK: Judges [1:02]
RECORDING: New History Warfare, Vol. 2: Judges
SOURCE: Constellation Records 075
INFO: cstrecords.com
ARTIST: Revolutionary Snake Ensemble
WORK: Parade (of Numbers) [6:32]
RECORDING: Live on Soundcheck, March 2013
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available.
INFO: newsounds.org/story/revolutionary-snake-ensemble-2013
ARTIST: PRISM Quartet
WORK: Jacob TV: Jesus is Coming [9:21]
RECORDING: Pitch Black
SOURCE: Innova #693
INFO: www.innova.mu
ARTIST: Battle Trance
WORK: Laplante: Green of Winter II [13:03]
RECORDING: Green of Winter
SOURCE: New Amsterdam Records
INFO: battletrance.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: The Crossing and PRISM Quartet
WORK: Gavin Bryars: The Fifth Century, V [3:18]
RECORDING: Gavin Bryars: The Fifth Century
SOURCE: ECM Records
INFO: ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld
WORK: With the Dark Hug of Time [6:34]
RECORDING: Never Were the Way She Was
SOURCE: Constellation Records 113
INFO: cstrecords.com
ARTIST: Bendik Giske
WORK: Adjust [3:354]
RECORDING: Surrender
SOURCE: Smalltown Supersound
INFO: bendikgiske.bandcamp.com
