Coalescent Quartet Release An Album That Will Change How You Look at The Saxophone
- R.A.G.
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
An amazing new release from Coalescent Quartet features pieces that have a classical chamber music soundscape and are broken up into a few different sections with different composers.
The Wall Between Us (Is Where We Met) is an album brought together by saxophonists Nathan Bogert, Michael Shults, Nick Zoulek, and Drew Whiting, who decided to come together and bring their unique approaches to the instrument for this release and more.
The first track, originally composed by Zac Browning, is called "Unrelenting Universe", featuring an amazing arrangement for the four-piece saxophone ensemble, and the way it is performed is absolutely outstanding because you hear the dynamics of the instrument throughout the course of this initial single.
This makes for an amazing introduction to the record because it does show some of the fields that you hear throughout the release itself.
The next string of pieces is seven works composed by Evan Williams, and each one has amazing moods that are delivered along with smooth performances with amazing range and understanding of aesthetics.
These are pieces of music that make you think, and your mind doesn't need to drift off as you listen to them.
I feel like that's what music like this can be used for. To let your mind drift off and go where it may, while the music sets these amazing moods, utilizing the textures of the saxophone in different ways to bring something dynamically enticing.
After that set of songs, there is a piece composed by Chen Yi called "Can't Keep us Two Apart", and this piece in particular has this great jazz undertone to it, although it does feel very cinematic, and the way it builds is brilliant.
You have a string of pieces composed by Martin Bresnick, which are a series of four works called Mending Time.
These are also particularly beautiful and give a completely different approach and feel to the performances and how they bounce.
There's something about these pieces that has a little more liveliness to them, and instead of letting your mind drift off, you tag along with where the music is actually taking you this time around.
I love the vibrant undertone for some of these pieces and how the saxophone performances really come to life and bring an added color.
Among the Mending Time series, there is the title track, "The Wall Between Us (Is Where We Met)", and the piece has a wonderful arrangement and approach as there is a saxophone serving more as a rhythm instrument at times while others are overlaying, delivering melodies that feel emotionally bound.
I found this piece to be my absolute favorite from the bunch, and it really grabbed hold of me and a certain way.
The closing piece on the release is one composed by Emma O'Halloran called "Night Music", which is absolutely genius.
This gives even more liveliness to the performances and tonalities that you're listening to.
The instruments feel like they're running, and as the piece unfolds, you get a series of moods this time around, with each element leading into the next seamlessly.
This entire release was gorgeous and opened my eyes to the kinds of tonalities that saxophones can even deliver.
I had always thought of the saxophone in a very particular sense. I suppose I had only had more experience with the saxophone in terms of pop music so this release blew me away.
This was a complete experience that was really enlightening and beautiful. I've never heard a series of saxophones come to life the way they did on this record.
Most certainly take a listen to this one as soon as you can.