Sounds Like Now
A blog by saxophonist Brian Sacawa
Archive for Recordings
November 27, 2009 at 12:46 pm · Filed under Blog: Fall 09, Performances, Recordings
I get a lot of requests for this, so I thought it was about time I made it available. For my non-saxophonista readers, Klonos by Piet Swerts burst into the American saxophone consciousness in the late 1990s after being a compulsory work at the Adolphe Sax International Saxophone Competition in Dinant, Belgium. It endures today as a test piece for aspiring saxophonists wishing to display their technical prowess.
During my time as a graduate student at the University of Michigan (2002-2005) I played the piece. A lot. It was pretty much my go-to technical piece for any kind of audition situation. The track below was recorded live in concert in Britton Recital Hall at the University of Michigan on October 10, 2003. Wenli Zhou is the pianist.
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Click here to download the recording.
August 11, 2009 at 2:48 pm · Filed under Blog: Summer 09, Recordings, Reviews
Sounds Heard: Dirty Projectors’ Bitte Orca
NewMusicBox, August 10, 2009
I have to admit that I had not heard of the Dirty Projectors until my friend Sarah, who owns the Metro Gallery bar/performance venue/art space in Baltimore, booked them to perform at Rufustival, the Gallery’s 2-year anniversary concert extravaganza. Since then, I’ve been listening to their latest CD non-stop.
July 21, 2009 at 10:10 pm · Filed under Blog: Summer 09, New Music, Recordings, Reviews
Sounds Heard: Flexible Music
NewMusicBox, July 20, 2009.
My review of the new Flexible Music CD.
April 2, 2009 at 10:06 pm · Filed under Blog: Spring 09, Recordings, Reviews
American Voices got a nice little write-up in today’s Baltimore Sun. (In the print edition, no less. Did you know they still had such a thing?) Anyhow, we’re grateful to Tim Smith, Baltimore’s venerable classical music critic, for including the not-quite-so-recently-released CD in with a batch of products a little hotter off the presses. Here’s what he had to say:
I just caught up with a no-longer-new CD by Brian Sacawa, the saxophonist behind the stimulating Mobtown Modern ensemble at the Contemporary Museum. The disc makes quite a statement about his virtuosity and curiosity in repertoire by the likes of Philip Glass, Christopher Theofanidis and Erik Spangler. Sacawa approaches the wide diversity of styles with equal panache, right down to the heavy breaths and grunts called for in Keeril Makan’s Voice Within Voice.
July 30, 2008 at 2:35 pm · Filed under Baltimore, Blog: Summer 08, Mix Tape, New Music, Recordings
Mobtown Modern, your purveyors of fine new music in Baltimore, is making mix tapes for each of our 6 concerts for the 2008-2009 season, serving up more tracks that you need to check out. In advance of each show, we’ll distribute a new mix with songs associated with the show’s theme. We’ve got the first one up. Click here to get it.
Mobtown Mix Tape, Vol. 1: Back to School Trax
- Boogie Down Productions, “You Must Learn”
- Mos Def, “Mathematics”
- J-Live, “True School Anthem”
- Gil Scott-Heron, “Sex Education – Ghetto Style”
- DangerDoom, “Old School (feat. Talib Kweli)”
- Mötley Crüe, “Smokin’ in the Boys Room”
- Quasimoto, “Microphone Mathematics”
- MATHSoundsystem: Maryland Academy/BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, “Team 6 Song”
- Gorillaz, “Kids With Guns”
- Defari, “Spell My Name”
- Dead Prez, “‘They’ Schools”
- Milkshake, “School”
March 29, 2008 at 6:23 pm · Filed under Blog: Spring 08, Recordings, Reviews, Saxophone
Hurd Audio reviews American Voices.
March 11, 2008 at 3:47 pm · Filed under Blog: Winter 07, Recordings, Reviews, Saxophone
American Voices got a nice write-up in the current issue of the Saxophone Journal. Here are a couple choice quotes:
“In performing Piece in the Shape of a Square Brian Sacawa exhibits a strong vibrant sound on saxophone with phrasing and intensity that makes the piece come alive.”
And . . .
All the pieces on this American Voices CD are, at the very least, extremely provocative. Brian Sacawa’s interpretive skills are laudable, and in fact, admirable. American Voices is new music for the saxophone performed by someone who is a master of his instrument.”
January 15, 2008 at 12:30 am · Filed under Blog: Winter 07, New Music, Radio, Recordings
I’m not sure how this one flew under my radar for so long, but back in September The Album (Erik Spangler’s pastlife laptops and attic instruments, to be exact) was featured on WNYC’s New Sounds with host John Schaefer. You can listen to the entire show on demand by clicking here. Our bit starts at 15:09.
January 3, 2008 at 3:23 pm · Filed under Blog: Winter 07, Recordings, Reviews
Well, 2008 is off to a grand start as The Album continues to garner some good press. Though my appeal for a recount is still being processed by the Academy, the CD review in the December issue of Gramophone Magazine, which occupies the better part of an entire page, more than makes up for the Academy’s oversight.
November 16, 2007 at 1:47 am · Filed under Art, Blog: Fall 07, New Music, Recordings
Good Vibrato, the occasional blog of Ronen Givony’s forward-thinking Wordless Music Series, pairs paintings with all manner of music, including my recording of Piece in the Shape of a Square by Philip Glass. Check it out here.
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