Oddball by Brian Friedland

As a saxophonist I’m sure that I’m not alone in thinking that there’s something really special about playing in the quartet setting.  We experience it to a certain extent playing as one of a group of five saxes in a big band.  But playing just with other saxes without a rhythm section is like nothing else.  You can hear everyone’s sound so clearly and the nuances are not missed.  It’s like a living breathing organism we bring to life as a group.

The mission of the Composers Saxophone Quartet is to make the best of this special instrumentation.  We perform original compositions and/or arrangements by our favorite composers as well as by members of the ensemble.

For jazz musicians it’s a different challenge to write something that will support an improvising soloist without a standard rhythm section and the composers who have written for us have approached this in a variety of ways.  All the saxophonists in the quartet are also excellent improvisers and most of the pieces we play incorporate improvisation, showcasing the band’s ability to really swing without the need of a rhythm section.

picture by Mark Redmond (Mandorla Music)

Composers Sax 4-tet Videos:

Parfrey’s Glen by Randy Pingrey

Hebdomad by Danny Fratina

Bird’s Lament by Moondog arranged by Rick Stone

Morning Song by Randy Pingrey

Repetition by Rick Stone

 Chic-kata by Tom Hojnacki

Tygart Valley by Kathy Olson

Everything’s Fine by Rick Stone

Reverie by Kathy Olson

My Waltz by Kathy Olson

Audio recordings from past performances:

Deed I Do- Rose & Hirsch, Arranged by Kathy Olson

School Stone Rock- Rick Stone

Ham and Cheese- Kathy Olson

Toon, Variations, and Fugue – Tom Hojnacki

Short Piece- Randy Pingrey

Premonition- Randy Pingrey