Saxophone

Duet for alto saxophone and guitar. Three succinct movements (11 minutes)
1. Pool Wandering
2. Two Worlds
3. Moon Water

Commissioned by Dr. Rhett Bender.

Premiered by Dr. Rhett Bender and Wenjun Qi – June 14, 2018 at the World Saxophone Congress in Zagreb, Croatia.

Excerpt of Score below: part 2, page 2

Duet for solo alto saxophone and 5-piece drum kit.

Premiered by Dr. Rhett Bender as Baritone Saxophone and Drum Kit,
Friday May 27, 2016 at the Music Recital Hall of Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR.

Solo Alto Saxophone.

Encore style piece.

Premiered by Dr. Rhett Bender, Friday May 27, 2016 at the Music Recital Hall of Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR.

Four Baritone Saxophones.

Premiered on my Masters Recital in 1999 at Jacob’s School of Music at Indiana University.

Demo recording:

Live Premiere:

19-piece big band.

Composed for the Big Band Arranging class at Jacob’s School of Music as part of my coursework for my Masters degree in Jazz Studies, with professors David N. Baker and Pat Harbison.

bari sax — vocals (1-4) — 2 trumpets — trombone — alto/soprano sax — tenor sax — guitar — bass — drums (+percussion)

This band, Flattus (1991-97), I co-founded with my brother in 1991 and it was active in Bloomington, IN playing many many parties, clubs, and festivals.  Out of the dozens of cover arrangements and original compositions, these 3 songs were the ones I composed for the band, and writing these introduced me to composition in general.  Only elitist thugs will tell you that there is a sharp distinction between “composition” and “songwriting.”  To quote David Lynch, “If you create, you are a friend of mine.”  As would be my method, the primary instrument I played in the band, baritone saxophone, was the basis for the how’s, why’s and what’s of each piece.



Flute

Five movements for duet: flute and Bb/bass clarinet.

1-According to its stories, the wheat began in darkness
8-Human eyes are not still enough to see the eyes of the wheat
12-Wheat comes from white, named for the color of the wheat’s edible bones
13-The wheat’s name for you is secret
16-Much is not passed down because the wheat’s way of praying is to try to forget

Commissioned by Central Michigan University’s Crescent Duo in collaboration with poet Jeffrey Bean.

Premiered at Central Michigan University in 2015.  Subsequent performances in the Midwest, including at the National Flute Convention 2017 in Minneapolis.

Featured on the album Poet as Muse released late 2017 on Centaur Records.

Published by Potenza Music or available directly from the composer.

Four-movements for flute ensemble (1-4 players) two C, alto and bass flute.

Root of Ether (bass flute solo)
Enantiodromia: Nekyia—Hyponoia (C flute duet)
Void of Day: The Way We Descend—Reflection of Narcissus—Below Nature (trio: two C flutes and alto flute)
Blood Vapour: Thymos—Phrenes—Chthonios (quartet: two C flutes, alto flute and bass flute)

Commissioned by Areon Flutes, inspired by depth psychologist James Hillman’s Dream and the Underworld.

Partial premiere at Switchboard Music Festival, San Francisco 2013. Full premiere at Texas Flute Symposium in 2013, with subsequent performances seasonally throughout the U.S., including at the National Flute Convention 2017 in Minneapolis.

Three movements featured on the CD Thrive released November 2016 on Innova Records.

Published by Potenza Music, buy the sheet music here: Root, Enantio, Void, Blood.

Live “Void of Day” at Switchboard Music Festival, premiere of first three parts:


Live at the World Premiere of the full suite in Texas 2013, part four, Blood Vapour: