8 May 2006
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Currently going through the sax concerto takes. More complicated than before. This time it’s a case of building two edits then superimposing them. Constructing a sax trajectory from the overload of great material Josh left us with is not easy, matching the intensity – not to mention linear logic – from part of one take with part of another is as creative a process as writing the piece in the first place. Josh’s ability to keep creating, take after take, is nothing short of astonishing.
It’s fascinating comparing Josh to Michael Brecker. Mike is (as Josh also described him to me) a kind of ‘tour-de-force’ player, ultimate and almost overwhelming. Josh, on the other hand, communicates through his playing in a really personal one-to-one kind of way. Very intimate and immediate. Both make a powerful contribution to the piece and mark it with their unique personalities. Just recently I tuned in to the broadcast of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performance of the concerto, with Lachlan Davidson on sax and David Jones on drums. So different, yet just as strong. I had wondered when writing the piece whether it was too much ‘tailor-made’ for Michael Brecker. Through these subsequent performances and now the recording I’m beginning to believe it’s a flexible enough vehicle for any sax improviser with the chops and – more importantly – the ability to understand the structure of this concerto. |
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