InNOVAtions – Nova Saxophone Quartet

This is the second recording by the Nova Quartet with new personnel and Rick Lawn as the only constant, moving from soprano to alto. This may be the best recording available of Phil Woods first quartet especially since it includes the optional improvised extension to the first movement. The recording was first issued by the Musical Heritage with limited distribution. Rights have been reassigned to Nova and Rick Lawn so this music can once again be made available.We hope to eventually make the original manuscript version of Greg Knapp’s demanding arrangement of Debussy’s “Rapsodie,” originally composed for solo alto saxophone and orchestra. Some share the opinion that this original commission was never a great piece. Others may agree that this version for quartet is actually superior in making full use of the quartet to cover all solo and orchestral passages. This amazing work can be purchased in score and parts from this site.

innovations-cover

Personnel: Douglas Skinner, soprano; Richard Lawn, alto; Gregory Wilson, tenor; James Warth, baritone

Tracks

1. Douglas Walter:

Saxophone Quartet No.1

I. Quintalism walter1-clip

II. Transition walter2-clip

III. Finale walter3-clip

2. Eddie Sauter:

Saxophone Quartet No. 1 (“Q.T.”) sauter-clip

3. Seymour Barab:

Quartet for Saxophones

I. Allegro moderato barab1-clip

II. Non-expressivo barab2-clip

III. Presto barab3-clip

4. Claude Debussy (trans. & arr. G.W. Knapp):

Rapsodie for Saxophone and Orchestra debussyintroend

5. Phil Woods:

Three Improvisations for Saxophone Quartet

I. woods1-clip

II. woods2-clip

II. woods3-clip

We’ve decided to cut our overhead and save us both money by making this available right from this website. You can order the entire recording as downloadable MP3 files.

Buy for $10