-The Ugly Duckling
Saxophone Concerto
by Sonia Jacobsen |
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“The
Ugly Duckling” was initially intended as music for a ballet based on
the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same title. The story is
about a swan born into a duck family. Being an outsider, he is expelled
from the duck society, and travels out into the world. He goes through
a series of obstacles and challenges trying to survive the harsh world,
until he finds out that he is not just an ugly duckling, but in fact a
very fine swan. As with most H.C. Andersen fairy tales, the story has
many levels of meaning which makes them entertaining for both children
and adults. Sonia Jacobsen’s aesthetic ideal is to do something similar
in her music. She strives towards writing music that can be listened to
on many different levels, from surface listening to in-depth analysis,
regardless of the musical education of the listener. The imagery of a
duck pen at war, a wounded duck limping away, the emotional ups and
downs etc. are largely depicted musically, sometimes in a descriptive,
almost Disney-esque way. |
-Ragman
by Jim Hall |
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From the
opening tremolo and
percussive beats of Ragman you can imagine early morning stirrings of
life in an alley. The plaintive wail of the saxophone announces the
ragman's arrival, and the guitar tells the Ragman's story as he goes
about collecting and selling paper and rags. Jim says that when he was
a child he thought the man was yelling "paper X," and you can almost
hear it yourself in the Eastern European flavoring of the melody. Then
the saxophone takes over as the Ragman tells his own story. You can see
him dancing atop his horse-drawn cart, at other times hondling with the
old ladies, and in the end you can picture him going back down the
alley as night falls.
-Written
by Devra Hall
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-My Funny
Valentine
arranged by Erlend
Skomsvoll |
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ERLEND
SKOMSVOLL is known by Norwegians as an arranger/composer as much
as a piano player. Throughout the years he he has developed a
rhythmically and melodically very distinct style, which has made him
today's hottest arranger when Norwegian pop and jazz artists go
symphonic.
At the Molde International Jazz Festival in July 2000, Skomsvoll
arranged and conducted a successful concert of Chick Corea's music with
big band "Trondheim Jazz Orchestra", featuring Chick Corea himself as
soloist. Corea had given Skomsvoll a free hand with the music, and was
so surprised and delighted by the result that he later went on a
2001-tour of Norway with Skomsvoll and the band.
Skomsvoll managed to match his own success when he carried out a
similar project with Pat Metheny in Molde the following summer.
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-Anyone Got One?
by Sonia Jacobsen |
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Bio of Sonia Jacobsen |
-Vango Tan Gogh
by David Cutler |
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Bio of David Cutler
This offbeat,
post-modern adventure is a far cry from traditional tango, but it does
attempt to capture the passion found in this intense Argentinean dance
style, while touching upon elements of jazz, country and western, heavy
metal, and classical.
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-Butcherbird
by Sonia Jacobsen |
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The
recurring motif is an exact transcription of the Australian bird 'pied
butcherbird', which has the peculiar habit of drying the meat of it's
catch in the wind before eating it - therefore the name. The song of
the pied butcherbird is easily mistaken with a human being whistling.
The mood of the piece hints to the macabre and devilish aspect of a
fable'ish character whistling while preparing his catch for
consumption...
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-Jigsaw
by David Cutler
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"I MUST
communicate directly with my audience, but I will not dummy
down my music. I will not compromise the integrity of what I hear."
-D.C.
This piece is like a puzzle to put together, with the body of the work
in 13 (4+2+4+1 ½+1 ½), another section in 5, and another
with the ration of 5:3. In addition to jazz, rock, and blues
influences, it makes brief references to Middle Eastern music and CNN
news trailers. |
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