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Programme

James Pugh and Daniel Schnyder were among the first composers to write for Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble (New York). That was in 2000. Since then, their music has become so much part of GABE’s core repertoire that it would be unusual for us to give a concert without the names Pugh and/or Schnyder in the programme. Jim is a formidable trombonist and at home in any genre: jazz, ‘classical’, commercial, pop … you name it! His empathy with brass, as a composer, is not so surprising. However, Danny Schnyder’s insight into our field as a saxophonist is unusual. Like Jim, Danny is at home in any genre, but he writes for brass as though he has played a horn all his life.

Two very different composers, but they share some common ground. First, their writing has no boundaries: the music is what it is, and it is there for the performer to interpret. Secondly, they each have the capacity to compose in any number of styles, which requires the performer to be both versatile and flexible. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, Jim and Danny both have a complete understanding of the art of composition, i.e. every note has a place and there is a place for every note. For me, these qualities place the names James Pugh and Daniel Schnyder among the very best of composers whose music, perhaps like that of Carter, Arnold, Schuller and Maxwell-Davis, will stand the test of time to become household names beyond the realms of our brass world.

And Flights of Angels... was the first piece Jim wrote for GABE. Premiered at the New York Brass Conference in 2001, it is one of the most popular pieces in our repertoire, both for our audiences and for us. Jim says of this work: ‘Angels are depicted in myriad ways in the Bible, in myth and in literature. At times beneficent, at times playful, at times mischievous and even at times evil’. The composer superlatively captures these elements, from the divine opening trumpet solo through to mischievous, interventionist cross-rhythms in the middle section, to the unresolved chords of the final section where silvery suspensions unsettlingly evolve from luscious chord clusters exploring every possible sonority to an unpredictable ending.

Trio for trumpet, horn and trombone was, like Jim’s Triad, originally written for the New York-based Areopagitica Trio. A demanding piece for all three players, it uses both C trumpet and flugel to give extra texture and colour. The flugel really adds depth and helps the sonority in the last movement—especially at the end where the three unison instruments suggest Middle-Eastern harmonies. An aside: many thanks to Ray Vega for coming to my rescue with the loan of a decent flugelhorn for this recording!

Jim composed Aviariations for brass quartet for some performances we had in France in 2002. Premiered at the Epsival Festival in Limoges, Aviariations came about in an unusual way, for the title, which the composer humorously calls ‘bird-wordplay’, came before the music. Possibly even more humorous was my detailed, but not entirely successful, explanation in French of ‘bird-wordplay’ to the French audiences! The composer comments that ‘Aviariations has no sets of variations and the music doesn’t necessarily relate to the names of the movements! Nonetheless, I hope you will find in the titles and the music, a bit of fun’.

Four Short Stories is vintage Schnyder; wacky, off-the-wall and out there—with titles to match! A half step closed glissando on the horn precedes chattering trumpets in ‘Follow Me’, giving the impression of a relentless, organized cacophony of sound from which the metallic precision of the muted bass trombone emerges, moving the octet to a quasi jazz-like rhythmic unison. But the first Short Story is suddenly over! Silence is interrupted by the lone voice of the horn which leads segue into ‘The opposite is true’—a wacky ‘craziness’ of rhythmic precision, appearing to move forward and yet somehow remaining belligerently static as though the CD is stuck in a loop. The ensemble collects itself on a series of 16ths, whereupon the second Short Story has been told as Marcus enters with the tuba cadenza. ‘Matrix’—perhaps one-, perhaps multi-dimensional. Whatever the array, the result is a swimmy, lazy haze of slidy trombone in a fog of exquisitely mellowing minimalism. Such extraordinary writing. A trumpet wakes us from the almost hypnotic melisma heralding ‘The Monkfish’. A combination of trumpets in different mutes together with the walking bass: for me, an impression of dance music from days gone by, with a definite nod to Thelonius Monk.

4x2x1 was written in 1996 for David Taylor, bass trombonist with GABE. An extraordinarily thoughtful and innovative musician, David has a unique approach to the bass trombone—something James Pugh skilfully explores in 4x2x1. The piece is in a neo-rondo form, with a series of vignettes connected by variations on the opening motif. Flanked by two trombone quartets, the solo bass trombone is featured most prominently in the first and last vignettes with other solo voices appearing throughout the rest of the work.

The Iron Tetrapod Danny wrote for the trip GABE made to France in 2002. As in so much of his music, the composer crosses the boundaries of both jazz and ‘classical’ genres in this rhythmically complex piece. The trumpets and horn mostly work together with the trombone going off tangentially in organised ‘Schnyderesque’ counterpoint.

Triad (1995), for horn, trumpet and trombone, was commissioned by the Areopagitica Trio in New York. It is a programmatic work, about which the composer comments: ‘Triad was written at a time when I was dealing with personal issues surrounding my own status as an adoptee. The title refers to the ‘adoption triad’ of birth mother, adoptive mother and child; each instrument plays one of the roles—horn, trumpet and trombone respectively. The piece begins pre-birth and explores some of the dynamics of these difficult and highly interwoven relationships. Ultimately, a point of harmony is reached between the principals but the child must still find its own way.’

Daniel Schnyder’s Three American Dances was premiered by GABE in December 2000 at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, New York. As the title suggests, the work is in three movements, each celebrating the diversity of the American cultures. As with much of Danny’s writing, the movements are hardly ever predictable. Indeed, the first movement, ‘African Feel’, often reminds me of looking into the back of an intricate clock where you see many different cogs of varying sizes, all seemingly working autonomously; and yet you know they are moving as part of a whole. Danny treats ‘African Feel’ similarly. Each instrument appears to be working independently, meandering its way through a variety of textures and colours. The ensemble is regularly interrupted by a solo line on the bass trombone giving the impression that the rhythm is momentarily thrown off-track, until it is brought back to familiar ground via interjections of declamatory trumpets. ‘Jazz Feel’ is a showcase for the unique sound and playing of Mark Gould. Using the standard Big Band voicing of open lead trumpet, accompanied by a trumpet in cup and another in harmon, Danny transports us back to the sound of the forties. The last movement, ‘Cuban Feel’ is a street carnival with all the associated colour, festivity and spirit.

Jim, Danny and I, together with members and guests of GABE, had a lot of fun making this CD. We all hope you enjoy the listening as much as we enjoyed the playing!

Graham Ashton, September 2003

It is a rare thing to have a world-class ensemble available to read, perform and record one’s music. When I first met Graham, I had no idea of the amount of energy he could summon in the interest of making great music and having a great time doing so. The Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble appeared as if by magic (out of Graham’s head and his past lives), and is the only one of its kind on the New York scene. It is truly a joy to play with, a joy to listen to, and a joy to write for.

James Pugh

My brass music is very much influenced and inspired by the great brass artists I have had the pleasure to work with. When I first met the New York trumpet player, Lew Soloff, he declared my music unplayable … and then went ahead and played it anyway! The same was true for the Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble. I first heard this group in 1995 at the Barossa Music Festival in Australia when they played my Brass Quintet beautifully. I almost destroyed the piece before this performance. I really think that the world of brass music is totally under-explored and I hope that, by providing a fun and challenging playground for brass players, my five cents here will help great instrumentalists become even better.

Daniel Schnyder