Program Notes
Smoke and Mirrors (2024) sonically conjures misdirection, mystery, and the obscuring of truth through two opposing but complementary themes, one curling and mischievous, the other measured and yearning. The tenor saxophone and piano collaborate, converse, jeer, sympathize, and dream, ending where they began but with new perspective gained from navigating this exercise in smoke and mirrors. Huge thanks to Joshua Thomas and the Smart Repertoire Project for commissioning this work.
Additional Information
This work was commissioned by a consortium of saxophonists organized by Joshua Thomas and the Assembly Quartet (Adam Estes, Jeffrey Heisler, Ian Jeffress, Matthew Younglove) as a part of the Smart Repertoire Project.
Consortium members include: Joseph Abad, Erik Aguirre, Crystal Alexander, Logan Banister, Brina Bourliea, Michael Bovenzi, Luke Bowman, Caleb Brown, Jayson Brown, Carolyn J. Bryan, Dr. Paul Cohen, Ryan Contreras, Jacob Cronan, Joe D’Aleo, Stephen Davis, Nate Downey, Aaron M. Durst, Dannel Espinoza, Adam Estes, Cathy Ettle, Joey Friedman, Alexander Granados, Derek Granger, Davis Hale, Andy Hall, Andrew Harrison, Barbara Hawkinson, Martin L. Heger, Jr., Amanda Heim, Jeffrey Heisler, Tyler Hewett, Andrew Hosler. Li-Chun Hsiao, Joshua Huff, Andrew Hutchens, Cary Jacobs, Michael N. Jacobson, Ian Jeffress, Sheldon Johnson, Dekylan Jones, Marcus Jones Jr., Jeremy Justeson, Garret Klauss, Garrett Krawczyk, Jason Kush, Ryan C. Lemoine, Paul Lessard, Terry Levins, Gail B. Levinsky, Gregory E. Lewis, Jeffrey Loeffert, Samuel Lorber, Stacy Maugans, Adam McCord, Walter McCray, Colton McManus, Nathan Mertens, Braiden Messerschmidt, A. Daniel Miller, Jayley Mink, Yiannis Miralis, Gage Moore, Gonzalo Murillo, Christian Neace, Sean Ohmann, Julian Orem, Miles Osland (Professor of Saxophone, University of Kentucky), Stephen Padgett, James Pecsok, Jessica Peña, Cote Peña, Bret Pimentel, Thomas Plotzke III, Kaitlyn Robbins, Karen Roll Gardener, James Romain, Nicki Roman, Elizabeth Rosinbum, Perry Roth, John Sampen, Alex Sellers, Inbo Shim, Jacob Smith, Zeke Spirko, David Stambler and the Margot Music Fund, Noah Stephenson, Gabriel Szcinski, Brett Thole, Joshua Thomas, Brian Utley, Drew Whiting, Jeffrey Wiles, and Matthew Younglove.
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