Dale Wolford's Blog

CMEA Bay Section Winter Conference

dalesax@comcast.net — 2012-01-15T10:31:40-08:00

CMEA Bay Section Winter Conference

Dahl Concerto

dalesax@comcast.net — 2011-03-11T11:10:23-08:00

Once again, I’m slow to update this blog! But I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed performing the Ingolf Dahl Saxophone Concerto with the SJSU Wind Ensemble under the direction off Dr. Edward Harris last night at SJSU. It seems I perform this monumental work about once a decade and each time is more fun than the last. It continues to grow on me as for the great work it is in the musical repertoire.

Dr. Harris’ program notes included a “fun” quote from Igor Stravinsky in a discussion Dahl had as he began to write the concerto, “ I don’t know, to me a saxophone always sounds like a pink slimy worm.” Thankfully Dahl didn’t listen to his teacher and the piece was premiered on May 17, 1949 (my birthday!)

The premiere performance was a much longer work than the pared down version we did last night at SJSU after Dahl revised it in 1954. You can read a history of the revisions in Paul Cohen’s insightful analysis.

For those of you interested, here is one of my favorite recordings:

Joseph Lulloff with the Michigan State University Wind Ensemble

Now I’m off to practice for the upcoming SF Ballet “Chroma” rehearsals/performances!

"Images" by David Biedenbender

dalesax@comcast.net — 2010-11-14T12:59:03-08:00

On October 19th I performed a wonderful new piece for alto saxophone and piano by David Biedenbender. The concert was part of Composers Inc 27th annual series. at Old First Church in San Francisco. I was fortunate to perform the piece with pianist Victoria DiMaggio Lington.

Images is a three movement work, each entitled Deep, Still and Wild. It has it all--fast technical excitement and an absolutely beautiful second movement.

Check out videos from the performance:

SJSU Alumni Sax Ensemble Concert - A Success!

dalesax@comcast.net — 2010-04-12T10:16:40-07:00

Recapping of the concert, including the memorable prose of Robert Klimowski about Bill Trimble (1938-2010)

Sad News- Bill Trimble

dalesax@comcast.net — 2010-02-28T11:14:40-08:00

I received word this week that Bill Trimble had passed away from a heart attack on Monday, February 22, 2010 at a Seattle area hospital. He had been ill for the past couple of years and was an amazing fighter as he went through the trials and tribulations of his fight. I spoke with his wife, Fabia yesterday and she said he had kept up his membership in the Musicians Union until last month--evidence that he was determined to keep playing and creating.

He was a pioneer in the saxophone world. Starting the first saxophone performance major on the West coast at San Jose State University, actively getting composers to write for the instrument and influencing two generations of saxophonists through his teaching. He retired from San Jose State in 2005 to a wonderful home on the Kitsap Peninsula across the Puget Sound from Seattle. I was fortunate to get to visit him there and see how happy he was with his family and new home.

He was a huge influence on my musical life--I began studies with him when I was in high school, followed by studies at San Jose State and California State University, Hayward. We have collaborated in saxophone quartets, performed in various groups like the Cabrillo Festival and San Jose Symphony together and most recently he formed the Premiere Saxophone Quartet before he retired.

The SJSU Sax Ensemble was planning to honor Bill and his legacy at SJSU in a Sax Ensemble Alumni Concert on April 10, 2010. We will now honor Bill at this concert by memorializing his musicianship, leadership and influence as a teacher and musician at the concert. If you have any stories you would like to share or as an alumni would like to participate in the concert, please email me.

He was an important part of my life and I will miss him greatly.

R.I.P. Bill!

Bill’s bio

Recent YouTube videos by Bill:

PSQ - Urban Requiem

dalesax@comcast.net — 2010-02-14T08:58:02-08:00

The PSQ has been rehearsing with the University of Pacific Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Eric Hammer perparing for our upcoming performance of Michael Colgrass’ “Urban Requiem.”

It’s an amazing piece which is at once spell-binding, moving and fun at the same time.

"`Urban Requiem,' according to Michael Colgrass, `might be described as an urban tale, inspired by a diversity of random impressions. I thought of our urban areas, where the saxophone was spawned, and of the tragedies and struggles that occur in this environment daily. But I was also inspired by the energy and power of our cities and the humor inherent in their conflicts. I feel that the saxophone is particularly well suited to express the variety of emotions required for this idea, because it can be not only highly personal and poignant in character, but also powerful and commanding...In my mind, I heard four saxophones singing in a vocal quartet, a music that was liturgical in nature but with a bluesy overtone, a kind of "after hours" requiem.'

To find out more about the piece, check out:

http://www.michaelcolgrass.com/

Recordings:
University of Miami
Great Lakes Saxophone Quartet

SJSU Alumni Sax Ensemble Concert

dalesax@comcast.net — 2010-02-14T08:44:11-08:00

I’m in the midst of setting up an alumni concert for all past San Jose State University Sax Ensemble members. It will be April 10th at 7:30pm. We want to celebrate the great players and teachers who have gone through the SJSU saxophone program over the last 40 years.

Bill Trimble retired 5 years ago and I was fortunate to take over the program. We have been growing, with some excellent players, a large saxophone ensemble, and a very positive atmosphere that reminds me of my own days at SJSU in the 1970’s.

The plan is to rehearse the day of the program, as well as having additional rehearsals on March 23 and April 6 from 7-9pm. There will be opportunities for alumni to participate as a player, composer, arranger, conductor or just to attend the concert and hang out afterward. I plan to include pieces from the past that many alumni have arranged or composed, including the infamous “Shot Down of La Grange” by Brad Barnett (complete with special effects,) and many others.

In addition, we will honor professor emeritus Bill Trimble with a special tribute. I invited Bill to come, but due to health issues, he will be unable to attend. I hope to celebrate his “presence” through some special presentation at the concert.

I have set up a Facebook Event to help communication in advance of the concert. In addition, if you have photos or stories from your time at SJSU that we could share, post them on Facebook.

Please send me an email at dale.wolford-at- sjsu.edu (replace the -at- with the @ symbol!) if you’ll be attending and we can start communicating with you about the event. Let me know if you want to play or do other things at the concert. In addition, please pass the word to anyone that is an alumni and might want to attend.

I look forward to hearing from you!

SFB, PSQ and SJSU

dalesax@comcast.net — 2009-05-13T09:48:57-07:00

Excuse the abbreviations, but these are all places that have been keeping me busy performing and teaching this spring. It’s been a very busy and exciting time. I just finished performing Yuri Possikov’s “Fusion” ballet with the SF Ballet in San Francisco for the last time for a while. (Hopefully they’ll bring it back!) I figure between all the performances we’ve done since spring of 2008 in SF, the Chicago, NYC and L.A. tours that I’ve performed “Hard Fairy” by Graham Fitkin before around 20,000 people. It was quite exciting.

Here’s a shot of one of our bows on stage with the two pianists I performed the piece with:
Fusion Curtain Call - Dale Wolford, Michael McGraw and Natal'ya Feygina

The PSQ just completed performing two concerts at University of the Pacific in Stockton and San Jose State University. The highlight was Steve Reich’s “New York Counterpoint” with 12 saxophones--a great piece!

Things are winding down at SJSU. It’s been a great year, with the strongest group of students I’ve had. There were 4 wonderful recitals this spring, with seniors Jon Jow, Erez Levi and Rebecca Fielder. Graduate student Jonathan Bautista Lagunte performed a a challenging and musical recital of works by John Anthony Lennon, Victor Morosco’s “Blue Caprice,” the Dubois “Concerto,” and Carl Anton Wirth’s “Jepthah,” with yours truly on the soprano sax part. We’ll be capping the year off with our annual “Sax Sail” on SF Bay next Friday with the entire sax ensemble--should be fun!

Upcoming Concerts in April 2009

dalesax@comcast.net — 2009-03-16T10:18:31-07:00

Here’s some concerts I’ll be performing in April. Hope you can make it!

April 4, 2009
Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestra
Dale will be soloist with the Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestra in Kancheli's - Night Prayers for Solo Soprano Saxophone and String Orchestra
First Congregational Church
Santa Cruz, CA - 8pm
Further details - http://www.scmusic.org/index.html

April 16, 2009
Premiere Saxophone Quartet
Performing New York Counterpoint by Steve Reich as well as Carl Anton Wirth's "Diversions in Denim," Bach's "Chaconne" and a new work by SJSU student composer Jason McChrisitian.
University of the Pacific - Recital Hall
Stockton, CA - 7:30pm
Tickets are $7.00 general admission and $5.00 for seniors. Tickets are available at the door prior to the performance. Children 12 & under admitted free.
Directions and parking info - http://web.pacific.edu/x4289.xml

April 26, 2009
PSQ Spring Concert
Performing New York Counterpoint by Steve Reich as well as Carl Anton Wirth's "Diversions in Denim," Bach's "Chaconne" and a new work by SJSU student composer Jason McChrisitian.
San Jose State University
School of Music & Dance - Concert Hall
San Jose, CA - 7:30pm
Information: for tickets (408) 924-4673, or send email.
Directions and parking at http://www.music.sjsu.edu/admin/events/index

April 28-May 8, 2009
San Francisco Ballet
Dale again be performing in Yuri Possokhov's ballet, Fusion
San Francisco, CA
Further details - http://www.sfballet.org/performancestickets/2009season/program8.asp

Hope you can make it!

Best regards,
Dale Wolford
www.psquartet.com
www.dalewolford.com

Orange County Tour

dalesax@comcast.net — 2008-11-19T10:28:12-08:00

I just returned from the SF Ballet tour down south. It was great weather, great orchestra and a beautiful theater--the Orange County Performing Arts Theater (see pic below.)

The Orange County Performing Arts Theater

I also had the opportunity to visit Yamaha’s Los Angeles Atelier--their West Coast facility for research and development. Their outstanding woodwind technician, Jeff Peterson, helped me try out a new Yamaha Custom EX-G alto saxophone in their amazing performance space (see photo below.) I ended up bringing home this amazing saxophone--it truly has a “golden” tone!

Yamaha’s L.A. Atelier

Finally, I had the opportunity to enjoy the southland, riding along the beach with SF Ballet conductor, Martin West (in bicycle helmet below!) and riding my folding bike on Catalina Island--a truly beautiful place.

SF Ballet Conductor Martin West headed for the beach (he’s not handicapped!)

My Dahon folding bike perched above Avalon Bay on Catalina Island

SF Ballet Tours

dalesax@comcast.net — 2008-10-26T11:29:49-07:00

Things have been busy. I just returned from touring with the Ballet to NYC. We performed at the New York City Center with musicians from the American Ballet Theater orchestra. The musicians in the ballet orchestra are wonderful players and the other soprano sax player, Bruce Williamson is originally from the Bay Area. He gave me a very powerful recording of a new piece he wrote for sax quartet, string quarter and percussion. It's a 26 min work with a jazz/classical fusion called “Mirrors and Windows.”

Also, I got to hear one of the great jazz clarinetists, Eddie Daniels play at the Iridium on Broadway. Here he is playing during the gig:

Another fun thing (in a saxophone geeky kind of way) that I did was see the original Adolpe Sax horns at the Metropolitan Museum. It’s a great exhibit, worth checking out. Here’s a shot of the Sax horns:

On the non-musical side, I bought a folding bike and rode all around Manhattan, over the Brooklyn Bridge, down the Hudson River, and upstate on after riding a train along the Hudson to see the fall colors. A great way to see the city! You can check out my photos at this link.

That’s all for now. I’ll try to update with info about my Chicago tour back in September later in the week.

More SF Ballet

dalesax@comcast.net — 2008-07-04T15:03:08-07:00

Just heard that I’ll be touring with the San Francisco Ballet in Yuri Possikov’s “Fusion” this fall in New York City, Chicago and Orange County. Check out the schedule at on the Ballet’s website. I’m looking forward to it!

Spring update

dalesax@comcast.net — 2008-05-30T16:09:50-07:00

It’s been a while since my last update! I’ve been busy performing with the Premiere Sax Quartet, SF Ballet and teaching at San Jose State.

The PSQ performed at the NASA (North American Saxophone Alliance) Biennial Convention at the University of South Carolina in August. We premiered Lucie Robert’s “Issos” for saxophone quartet and piano. I was only at the convention for 24 hours, as I had to hurry back to rehearse with the San Francisco Ballet for Yuri Possikov’s “Fusion,” part of their New Works Festival in late April and early May. It was an exciting time performing Graham Fitkin’s “Hard Fairy” for soprano saxophone and two pianos, along with his “Bed,” for two soprano saxes (with the wonderful Jim Dukey on the other sax part,) 2 violins, 2 cellos, string bass, marimba and piano. It looks like I’ll be going on tour to perform “Fusion” with the ballet in NYC at the New York City Center from October 10-18 this fall. In addition, the ballet will be part of the 2009 season again, as well. It’s Exciting!

The PSQ finished recording everything on our CD, Magheia. We hope to have it out by the fall. Check out more info on the quartet’s website.

Things are going well as SJSU. The saxophone studio continues to grow and get stronger. There were several excellent performances this semester, including graduate student Jonathan Bautista Lagunte’s recital in May. I also enjoyed observing and working with students and interns in the music education credential program as well as teaching an instrumental methods course for music education majors.

Come here me play a concerto, Sapphire by Catherine McMichael, with the Villages Band, a retirement community in San Jose on June 8 at 2:30pm. Check out my Concerts page for more info.

I’m looking foward to having time to practice, garden, sail and prepare for next year this summer. I promise to post more frequently in the coming months--thanks for visiting!

Dale

PSQ SJCO Review

dalesax@comcast.net — 2007-10-24T09:47:53-07:00

The Premiere Saxophone Quartet's performance last Sunday of Laura Karpman's new work for sax quartet and chamber orchestra with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra under the magnificent direction of Barbara Day Turner was a smashing success.

We're hoping to perform the piece again in the near future. We'll let you know when this happens!

Composer's INC Review

dalesax@comcast.net — 2007-10-24T09:25:25-07:00

Here's the review from the concert and a photo of the myself, the composer, Michael Djupstrom and Irene Del Gregorio, the wonderful pianist I performed the piece with.

http://www.sfcv.org/2007/10/23/fantasies-on-the-familiar/

Great new Sax/Piano piece!

dalesax@comcast.net — 2007-10-17T14:42:57-07:00

Last night I performed Michael Djustrom's "Walamia" at the Composer's Inc. concert in San Francisco with the wonderful pianist, Irene Gregorio. If you're a saxophonist with lots of chops (altissimo, technique and great rhythm required!) I can't recommend this great piece enough. It is very aleatoric and definitely has influences from John Anthony Lennon's "Distances Within Me" for alto saxophone and piano, if you're familiar with that piece.

The composer was at the performance and is a great person with a definite sense of what he wants. I predict great things for Michael Djupstrom!

Wikipedia article on Michael Djupstrom

MTNA interview with the composer discussing "Walamai"

PSQ Concerts in October

dalesax@comcast.net — 2007-10-17T14:41:23-07:00

The PSQ has been preparing for two great concerts this month. Details below.

The Premiere Saxophone Quartet will be premiering a new work for saxophone quartet and chamber orchestra by four-time Emmy winning composer Laura Karpman (www.laurakarpman.com) with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, directed by Barbara Day Turner on Sunday, October 21, 2007 at 7pm. This major new work features each of the members of the quartet in a movement influenced by an improvisation of a famous saxophonist--John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan. The piece promises to be a major addition to the saxophone repertoire.

Details for this concert can be found at: http://sjco.org/

The Premiere Saxophone Quartet will also being performing another new work for saxophone quartet and piano by Lucie Robert-Diessel at our San Jose State Concert on October 28th. You may be aware we "premiered" the beginning of this piece at our spring concert--now come hear the complete piece in this "premiere" of the ending! We'll be joined by Victoria DiMaggio Lington on the piano. In addition we'll be performing a recent work by Joseph Trapanese, "New York Rising," a new arrangement of Vaughn-Williams' "Six English Folksongs" by our own Aaron Lington, as well as Pierne's "Introduction et Variations sur une Ronde Populaire."

Here's the details:
San José State University School of Music & Dance
Concert Hall
San Jose, CA
3:00 p.m.
$10 General, $5 Student

Parking and further info is available at: http://www.music.sjsu.edu/admin/events/index.html

I hope to see you at one (or both!) of these concerts!

Best regards,

Dale Wolford

Debussy "Rhapsody for Orchestra and Saxophone"

dalesax@comcast.net — 2007-10-01T09:25:32-07:00

I'm performing this beautiful piece with the San Jose State University Orchestra on Friday, October 5th. Debussy was commissioned to write this piece by a rich amateur saxophonist, Elise Hall, from Boston. Debussy didn't want to write the piece, but needed the money. Here are some program notes by Eric Bromberger:

About 1895 Debussy received an unusual commission for a new piece. An American patron of the arts, Mrs. Elisa Hall of Boston, played the saxophone-still a relatively new instrument at that time-and was trying to create a repertory for by commissioning new pieces. She commissioned a piece for saxophone and orchestra from Debussy and paid him for it; he promptly spent the money and forgot about the piece. Then, to his astonishment, Mrs. Hall showed up several years later in Paris, asking about her piece. Debussy's biographer Leon Vallas describes what happened: "For the sake of her health this lady [Mrs. Hall] had devoted herself to an instrument which had not yet achieved the popularity it has since acquired, thanks to the triumph of jazz. Wishing, regardless of cost, to build up a special repertoire for herself, she had given various French composers orders for important compositions. Debussy was very dilatory in the matter; he was almost incapable of composing to order, and, besides, he knew very little about the technique of this solo instrument. On 8th June [1903] he wrote to Messager: ‘The Americans are proverbially tenacious. The saxophone lady landed in Paris at 58 Rue Cardinet, eight or ten days ago, and is inquiring about her piece. Of course I assured her that, with the exception of Rameses II, it is the only subject that occupies my thoughts. All the same, I have had to set to work on it. So here I am, searching desperately for novel combinations to show off this aquatic instrument . . . I have been working as hard as in the good old days of Pelléas . . ." The actual composition of the piece for Mrs. Hall was spread over several years, and it took some time to complete: Debussy appears to have worked on it from 1901 until 1908. At that point, he sent his version for saxophone and piano to her; the piano part was orchestrated in 1919, the year after Debussy's death, by the French composer Jean Roger-Ducasse. In the ten-minute Rhapsody Debussy seems not so interested in virtuosity as in exploring the sound and character of what was for him a new instrument. Everyone is struck by the exotic sound of this music: one observer hears "Spanish or Moorish associations" in this music, others detect an oriental influence. The delicate, evocative beginning certainly sounds exotic, and its "oriental" atmosphere is heightened in the orchestral version by a subtle use of tambourine here. This opening section, in 2/4, is rather free rhythmically, in the manner of a rhapsody, but the music eases ahead as it moves into 6/8, and in the closing pages Debussy finds some unexpected strength in this new instrument he knew so little about.

New John Mackey Soprano Saxophone Concerto

dalesax@comcast.net — 2007-09-23T14:42:20-07:00

You may know of John Mackey, best know for his compositions for wind ensemble or orchestra, including his "Red Line Tango." He's just completed a new, major concerto for soprano saxophone and wind ensemble. This new work will be premiered on October 23, 2007 by the Dallas Wind Symphony, conducted by Jerry Junkin with Don Fabian, soloist, at the Meyerson Symphony Center, in Dallas, Texas.I've only looked over some of this 22 minute work (score available here) but it looks very exciting. Find out more on the composer's website. Let me know if you know of any other performances in the planning stages!

Welcome!

dalesax@comcast.net — 2007-06-11T20:18:33-07:00

Welcome to the newly updated DaleWolford.com site. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing ideas about music, saxophone, photography and any other things we're interested in.