As most readers will
know, the saxophone’s association with the emergence of jazz in the
early years of the last century tainted its reputation for decades as a
vehicle for
serious
music. Judging from this and many other releases of contemporary,
often jazz-inflected, compositions, old prejudices are just about gone.
In fact, the composition and recording of saxophone works is almost a
growth sector in a classical music industry far too focused on
recycling. Here, for those attuned to it, is relatively new music—all of
the composers are living—much of it drawing upon the vitality of the
improvisational genre, all of it accessible without being simplistic or
pastiche.
Saxophone aficionados will likely know the 1970 Sonata by veteran
composer Robert Muczynski. His Concerto for Alto Saxophone garnered a
Pulitzer Prize nomination, and this is a piece in the same mold:
well-structured, sensitive to the capabilities of the instrument, and
full of engaging invention. If the Andante maestoso is more melancholy
here than majestic, it does evoke a kind of
film noir
urban jazziness. The Allegro energetico is just that, to the
point where James has to stretch a bit to keep up. Otherwise, the title
work, by Philip Glass, is the most likely to be familiar. I love its
classic minimalism, with slowly evolving motoric figures underpinning a
fairly diatonic melody line. James floats the line well, if coolly, with
great vibrato control, but her decision to overdub both parts is a
misstep. She is a sensitive collaborator and might have discovered more
in the work if she had played it with another soloist. What’s more, the
overdubbed parts do not always sync perfectly with the nicely done
accompaniment.
The other three less-familiar works are enjoyable. I particularly like Rodney Roger’s ebullient
Lessons of the Sky
. The version for oboe and piano has been recorded by Michele
Fiala on MSR, but this one for soprano saxophone is equally agreeable,
with the sax perhaps more characterful in the jazzy sections and the
oboe a bit more poignant in the wistful central section. In both cases,
the playful interplay between soloist and piano in this Ravelian work is
a delight. Jazz saxophonist Colin MacDonald’s
Here Again
for soprano saxophone and cello is nicely lyrical, with striking
emotional depth but an oddly ambiguous ending for a wedding anniversary
gift. James plays it softly and sensitively, but gives up some tonal
solidity in the process, especially noticeable in contrast to cellist
Kathryn Price’s rich sound. The Christopher Painter Sonata, a James
commission, is brusque and the most listener challenging of the works,
but retains a jazzy appeal. Graham Fitkin’s
Glass
brings the CD to a nicely Satie-esque conclusion.
Lara James is an estimable, if not sensational, proponent of all
these works. A well-known performer and teacher in her native Wales, she
possesses a solid technique and sensitivity to the jazz idiom that
allows her to create a sense of improvisation, most notably in the
Painter. Her warm, somewhat reedy tone is well suited to most of the
works, though she does not have the seamless legato or seemingly endless
breath control of, say, Eugene Rousseau or Nobuya Sugawa. Her
intonation is mostly secure, but not perfect. The recordings are good,
with a generous balance for the excellent collaborators, though the
overdubbed sax duet in
Façades
does not seem to be in the same acoustic as the orchestra.
However, this and other reservations are minor in the face of the body
of significant and enjoyable music that James has provided here. That in
itself is enough for a warm recommendation. (FANFARE: Ronald E. Grames)
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