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As We Are / Julian Velasco, Winston Choi
Cedille

As We Are / Julian Velasco, Winston Choi

$9.99
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Details

Composer
Steven Banks, Christopher Cerrone, Amanda Harberg, John Anthony Lennon, David Maslanka, Elijah Danie
Artist
Julian Velasco, Winston Choi
Format
CD
Label
Cedille
Released
Aug 19, 2022
Catalog #
CDR 213
UPC
735131921329

About

Saxophonist Julian Velasco headlines an inventive, virtuosic, and diverse album of contemporary classical works for soprano, alto, and tenor sax as winner of Cedille Records’ first Emerging Artist Competition, a juried event celebrating the independent classical label’s 30th anniversary of championing Windy City artists of world-class talent.

For his first-ever album as a featured soloist, Velasco has assembled a program he says reflects “the different musical aspects of my life at this moment” while paying tribute to “the unique and wonderful people with whom I have been lucky enough to surround myself.” The album opens with works for saxophone and piano, performed with collaborative pianist extraordinaire Winston Choi. These include the world-premiere recording of classical saxophonist and composer Steven Banks’ Come As You Are, with Velasco on tenor sax, a composition influenced by African American sacred music and structured like a four-movement sonata. Velasco picks up his alto sax for David Maslanka’s Tone Studies No. 5: Wie bist du, Seele, which adopts its melody from a J. S. Bach four-part chorale. John Anthony Lennon’s Distances Within Me explores the vocal qualities of the alto sax in a score drawing inspiration from early 20th-century avant-gardist Alban Berg’s Wozzeck and jazz fusion bands like pianist Chick Corea’s Return to Forever. Amanda Harberg’s Court Dances, heard here in the world-premiere recording of the soprano sax version, is a three-movement suite referencing French Renaissance and Baroque court dances. Works for saxophone and electronics include world premieres of the soprano sax versions of Elija Daniel Smith’s Animus and Christopher Cerrone’s Liminal Highway. Animus places the live-in-studio saxophonist “in conversation” with his own recordings. Liminal Highway calls for extended techniques such as flutter-tongue, slap-tongue, and key clicks, while enlisting a harmonica and empty beer bottles, also played by the saxophonist.

Tracklist 15 tracks

  1. 1 I. Lift My Eyes 05:39
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Lift My Eyes
    Duration
    05:39
    Composer
    Steven Banks
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Winston Choi
  2. 2 II. Times of the Storm 03:23
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Times of the Storm
    Duration
    03:23
    Composer
    Steven Banks
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Winston Choi
  3. 3 III. Strength of My Life 04:43
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Strength of My Life
    Duration
    04:43
    Composer
    Steven Banks
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Winston Choi
  4. 4 IV. Lift My Hands 04:14
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Lift My Hands
    Duration
    04:14
    Composer
    Steven Banks
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Winston Choi
  5. 5 Tone Studies: No. 5. Wie bist du, Seele 04:56
    Track
    5
    Title
    Tone Studies: No. 5. Wie bist du, Seele
    Duration
    04:56
    Composer
    David Maslanka
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Winston Choi
  6. 6 Distances within Me 11:21
    Track
    6
    Title
    Distances within Me
    Duration
    11:21
    Composer
    John Anthony Lennon
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Winston Choi
  7. 7 I. Courante 03:48
    Track
    7
    Title
    I. Courante
    Duration
    03:48
    Composer
    Amanda Harberg
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Winston Choi
  8. 8 II. Air de Cour 05:34
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Air de Cour
    Duration
    05:34
    Composer
    Amanda Harberg
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Winston Choi
  9. 9 III. Tambourin 04:18
    Track
    9
    Title
    III. Tambourin
    Duration
    04:18
    Composer
    Amanda Harberg
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Winston Choi
  10. 10 Animus (version for soprano saxophone and electronics) 07:37
    Track
    10
    Title
    Animus (version for soprano saxophone and electronics)
    Duration
    07:37
    Composer
    Elijah Daniel Smith
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Elijah Daniel Smith
  11. 11 I. When you fall asleep in transit 03:04
    Track
    11
    Title
    I. When you fall asleep in transit
    Duration
    03:04
    Composer
    Christopher Cerrone
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Christopher Cerrone
  12. 12 II. A dream you don't recall 03:57
    Track
    12
    Title
    II. A dream you don't recall
    Duration
    03:57
    Composer
    Christopher Cerrone
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Christopher Cerrone
  13. 13 III. Between consciousness and sleep 02:33
    Track
    13
    Title
    III. Between consciousness and sleep
    Duration
    02:33
    Composer
    Christopher Cerrone
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Christopher Cerrone
  14. 14 IV. Liminal 03:45
    Track
    14
    Title
    IV. Liminal
    Duration
    03:45
    Composer
    Christopher Cerrone
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Christopher Cerrone
  15. 15 V. Suddenly it is missing 03:16
    Track
    15
    Title
    V. Suddenly it is missing
    Duration
    03:16
    Composer
    Christopher Cerrone
    Performer
    Julian Velasco, Christopher Cerrone