NEC Jazz Composers' Workshop Orchestra

Carles Pereira | Pat

soloists:
Annalise Stalls, alto saxophone
Quinn McGillis, trombone
Santiago Galeano, piano

Annalise Stalls | Mirrored Limens

soloists:
Lyra Montoya, bass clarinet
Mark Tipton, trumpet
Zhenbang Wu, drums 

Program note

This is an exploration of interconnected collections of intervals. The hope is that their characters may eventually reach an agreement, and the resulting cohesiveness is perceptible within the framework of their collective consciousness. 
        As we travel through this threshold, my intention is to expand the framework of my sound vocabulary to include harmonies and melodies which were previously uncomfortable or even frightening, allowing less familiar sounds to be transformed and embraced.
        This piece is dedicated to Igor Stravinsky and Steve Lacy, who I have not met but hope to in the afterlife                                                           
– Annalise Stalls

Jie Cindy Yin | Indulgence

soloists:
Richard Stanmeyer, trumpet
Nadav Brenner, guitar

Program note

With this piece, Indulgence, I am being playful with myself, letting the motif guide me and unfold my intuition throughout. Meanwhile, I’m searching and building my impression as a composer, with sweet melodies and colorful harmonic strategies. My influences for this piece are Maria Schneider and Brian Dickinson’s large ensemble compositions.                                                                                           – Jie Cindy Yin

J. Edward Britton | St. Augustine

soloists:
Annalise Stalls, alto saxophone                                              
Nadav Brenner, guitar
 

Program note

Saint Augustine, Florida is one of my favorite cities. This song pays homage to the historic forts, beautiful scenery, and the lovely beaches of the oldest town in all fifty states. Can you hear the sunshine?                                                       
– J. Edward Britton

Lyra Montoya | Periodicity of the Kalpa

soloists:
Logan From, tenor saxophone                                
Koki Renwick, trumpet

Program note

A kalpa is a measurement of time that appears in Buddhism and Hinduism, and relates to the lifespan of a world. The duration of a kalpa is described as an unfathomably long time, and is often related to using analogies and parables to try to illustrate the incredible magnitude of a kalpa. But even these lengths of time that are incomprehensible to us will repeat, and a similarly uncountable number of kalpas have already passed, and equally many are yet to come.
        I related a musical element to the repetition of a kalpa, signified as octaves in beats three and four of every measure. These pass and continue to pass, and throughout the piece, a similar structure appears in each measure. The persistent events and repetition signify the passing of yet another kalpa, and that on a scale of magnitude far greater than that of a kalpa, patterns and development occur in the succession of each event. 
        This piece is a study for me in the use of persistent musical elements, as well as layering of voices and melodies as a method of musical development. This is also the first piece I've written for big band instrumentation, and I'm excited to present this work.                                                                                                             
– Lyra Montoya

Hunter McKay | New Eyes

soloist:
Mark Tipton, trumpet

Program note

Sometimes new eyes reveal that reality is not what it seems.                  
– Hunter McKay

Kira Daglio Fine | Say the Word

soloists:
Cooper Malinowski, trombone
Richard Stanmeyer, trumpet

Personnel

Jazz Composers’ Workshop Orchestra
 

Woodwinds
Annalise Stalls, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute
Kira Daglio Fine, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone
Vladyslav Dovhan, tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone
Hunter McKay, tenor saxophone, clarinet
Logan From, tenor saxophone, clarinet
Lyra Montoya, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet

Trumpets
Mark Tipton               
Richard Stanmeyer
Alexandra Richmond              
Koki Renwick

Trombones
Quinn McGillis               
Yimin Ji
Cooper Malanowski               
Chance Gombert

Rhythm
Santiago Galeano, piano               
Nadav Brenner, guitar
Ben Friedland, bass               
Zhenbang Wu, drums