Half Moon at Checkerboard Mesa by Phillip Kent Bimstein (b. 1947)

The alternative classical music of environmentalist mayor and former

MTV rocker Phillip Kent Bimstein has been performed at Carnegie Hall, LincolnCenter, the KennedyCenter, Aspen Music Festival, American Dance Festival, and the Bang on a Can Festival. Bimstein has received grants and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet The Composer, Continental Harmony, and Austria's Prix Ars Electronica. His CD, Garland Hirschi's Cows, released by Starkland in 1997, garnered rave reviews around the world. Bimstein has been featured on National Public Radio's “All ThingsConsidered,” and in Parade and Outside magazines. Lately, Bimstein has been singing and writing songs for his acoustic quartet, blue haiku.

On a summer night several years ago, not far from my home in Southern Utah, an unsuspecting group of frogs sang by a slickrock waterhole up a narrow side canyon in ZionNational Park. Little did they know their voices would soon be heard on concert stages all across the world and on the Internet. And they certainly never expected to share the bill with chirping crickets, howling coyotes, and a classical musician.

But I was hiding nearby and had stealthily placed a microphone and a digital recorder at the edge of the waterhole. I also recorded the sounds of coyotes, crickets, rocks, thunder, and the rushing waters of the Virgin River. After transferring these natural sounds into my computer, I shaped and arranged them on my synthesizer keyboard. Finally, I orchestrated the sounds into a piece of music for tape, and wrote an accompanying score for a live musician to interact with the natural sounds. - Phillip Kent Bimstein

Bimstein composed Half Moon at Checkerboard Mesaas a part of his three-year Meet The Composer residency, which celebrates the landscapes of Southern Utah. It was originally written for Sierra Winds’ oboist Stephen Caplan, who premiered the work in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1997. Bimstein arranged Half Moon at Checkerboard Mesa for clarinet for Michael Dean in 1998. Dean has recorded Half Moon at Checkerboard Mesa on his Red Mesa Trio CD – available at The work has also been arranged for other solo instruments such as horn, trombone, bassoon, flute, and violin.

The sheet music and CD accompaniment for Half Moon at Checkerboard Mesaare available from the composer at

Program Notes

Suiteby Alec Wilder (1907-1980)

Alec Wilder wrote a great deal of music of remarkable originality in many forms: instrumental solos, chamber music, works for orchestral and wind ensemble, musical comedies, film music, ballets, operas, and hundreds of popular songs. His music is a unique blend of American musical traditions - including American popular song, jazz, and basic "classical" forms and techniques. As such it fiercely resists all labeling. Often his music wasn't jazzy enough for the “jazzers;” frequently it wasn’t “highbrow,” “classical” or “avant-garde” enough for the classical establishment. His music was never out of vogue because, in effect, it was never in vogue. The non-stereotypical nature of his music virtually precluded any widespread acceptance.

However, Wilder did endear himself to a relatively small, but loyal, group of diverse performers. Wilder’s admirers included jazz musicians, classical musicians and popular singers. Frank Sinatra was an early fan of Wilder's music and an avid supporter. He even persuaded Columbia Records in 1945 to record some of Wilder's solo wind works with string orchestra (with Sinatra himself conducting). The two men became life-long friends and Sinatra recorded many of Wilder's popular songs.

Other noted musicians associated with Wilder include Erich Leinsdorf, Frederick Fennell, Gunther Schuller, John Barrows, Marian McPartland, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Doc Severinson, Clark Terry, Mabel Mercer, Peggy Lee, and Tony Bennett.

What so many of us respect in Alec Wilder was his absolute independence as an artist. For years Alec wrote music of taste

and quality with that personal melodic touch that was all his

own, undaunted by musical fashion or fads. In short…he was

an American “original.” - Gunther Schuller

Wilder’s Suite was originally written for unaccompanied flute in 1975.

This tour features the final two movements of the twelve movement suite.

The work is available from Luyben Music at

2007 marks the centennial for Alec Wilder (1907-1980). Information on Centennial Concerts is available at

Tango-Etudes by Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)

Astor Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and a master bandoneón player. His music revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. He is widely considered the most important tango composer of the latter half of the twentieth century. He is known in his native land as “El Gran Ástor” (“The Great Astor”).

Tango-Etudeswere originally written for flute or violin. They were transcribed for clarinet (or saxophone) by Claude Delangle and Piazzolla himself.This tour features the fourth etude of the set of six. The work is available from Luyben Music at

Solo by Don Ellis (1934-1978)

Don Ellis was a jazz trumpeter, drummer, bandleader, touring performer, recording artist, composer, and arranger. Ellis played with a variety of prestigious big bands and jazz groups, including those of Charlie Barnet, Maynard Ferguson, Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, and Stan Kenton. He also led big bands, jazz orchestras, trios, quartets, and other small combos of his own.

Ellis is perhaps best known for his unusual and complex meters, amplified trumpet, electronic distortion, and quarter-tone melodic structures. He often used 9/4, 5/8, 7/8, 9/8, and 19/4 time signatures. He played a quarter-tone trumpet with four valves, which gave subtlety and microtonal effects to his music. Ellis received several Grammy nominations and his "Theme from The French Connection" won the Grammy for "Best Instrumental Arrangement" in 1972.

Solo is a transcription by Don Erjavec of an improvised solo by Don Ellis from his CD, The Don Ellis Quintet, New Ideas.

Solo is just what it implies – a trumpet solo. This also was done in only one take – with nothing consciously planned before the recording. It seems like the most logical thing conceivable in jazz with its emphasis on self expression for a single performer to stand up and play without having to adjust to any other musicians, yet it is rarely done. - Don Ellis

The music for Solo can be found in the Jazz Educators Journal (Fall 1991).

Andy and Me by Robert Fruehwald (b. 1957)

Composer and flautist Robert Fruehwald’s recent compositions include instrumental works for large ensemble, chamber groups, and solo performers. He has also recently written music for children and for dance. His music has been performed at National Flute Association Conventions and on the St. Louis Symphony Discovery Series. The Missouri Music Teachers Association named him “Composer of the Year” in 1997. Dr. Fruehwald is Professor of Music Theory and Composition at SoutheastMissouriStateUniversity.

Andy and Me is a whimsical look at the relationship between Mike

and the newest addition to his family, Andy. The sounds on the CD accompaniment represent (and feature) Andy in a kind of conversation with the clarinet music played by Mike.- Robert Fruehwald

Andy and Me was commissioned by clarinetist Michael Dean. He premiered the work at SoutheastMissouriStateUniversity in Cape Girardeau, Missouri in December of 2006. The sheet music and CD accompaniment for Andy and Me are available from the composer at .

September by Jeffrey Hoover (b. 1959)

Jeffrey Hoover’s work –ranging from compositions for soloist to symphony orchestra – has been recognized through national and international awards, grants, fellowships, and over twenty commissions. Also a visual artist, he is known for creating unique interdisciplinary works where he combines his paintings with his compositions. Recognized for distinguished achievement as a composer, he is a member of the ACME roster of Mu Phi Epsilon. Dr. Hoover is Associate Dean of Arts and Communications at IllinoisCentralCollege, East Peoria, Illinois.

September has always beena month of change and transition -a time when nature embraces both summer and fall, and life unfolds in new ways for individuals and our society. The music of September is set in two related and contrasting sections; music of thoughtful reflection, and music of engaging the present. The sound and music of September posses an autumnal quality, while spanning the psychological and emotional gap between the sound of memories and the music of now.

- Jeffrey Hoover

September was commissioned by clarinetist Michael Dean. This tour features the premiere of the work. The sheet music and CD accompaniment for September are available from the composer at .