Evening Star Records: Randy Sandke: The Subway Ballet


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		Randy Sandke: The Subway Ballet (ES-112)

		Sandke applies his metatonal harmonic approach in this provocative new big-band extended work, which depicts a subway ride through Manhattan. Featuring an all-star lineup of some of New York's most original improvisors, Sandke's piece traverses a wide range of moods and motifs befitting the city which inspired it. The CD also includes four very different previously unreleased tracks from 1988.

About This CD

From Notes by the Artist: The Subway Ballet was composed in 2003 and premiered that year at the Kaufman Auditorium of the 92nd St. Y in New York City. It was presented as a part of Dick Hyman's Jazz in July series at a concert devoted to new music. Although the Subway Ballet is scored for standard big band instrumentation, but without piano and with the addition of vibes and xylophone, it rarely takes on the feel of a traditional big band. From start to finish the Subway Ballet makes use of my metatonal harmonic approach. Much of the music has obvious key centers, yet almost all of the overlying harmonies are drawn from metatonal chords: i.e. those that lie beyond the scope of traditional harmony and cannot be represented by conventional chord symbols.

Total Time:: 62:19
Recorded:: Nov. 21, 2005, NYC (The Subway Ballet); 1988 (Red Hook Blues, Happy Birthday Berlin, How Did It Get So Late, Realization)
Personnel:: THE SUBWAY BALLET: Randy Sandke (trumpet and flugelhorn)
reeds: Chuck Wilson (alto sax, flute and piccolo), Ted Nash (alto sax and flute), Scott Robinson (tenor and soprano sax, clarinet), Walt Weiskopf (tenor sax, clarinet), Jack Stuckey (baritone sax and bass clarinet)
trumpets: Bob Millikan, Glenn Drewes, Steve Bernstein
trombones: Wycliffe Gordon, John Allred, Mike Christianson, Joe Barati
vibes, xylophone and percussion: Erik Charlston
bass: Greg Cohen
drums: John Riley
special guest: David Krakauer (solo clarinet on track 6)

MUSIC FROM 1988:
Red Hook Blues: Randy Sandke (trumpet and electric guitar); Gerry Niewood (alto sax); Jim McNeely (organ); John Goldsby (bass); Kenny Washington (drums)
Happy Birthday Berlin: Sandke (guitar and keyboards); John Hayward (drum machine)
How Did It Get So Late: same as Red Hook but Sandke on flugelhorn, Niewood on flute, McNeely on piano, and Washington out
Realization: Sandke (piccolo trumpet, guitar and keyboards); Hayward (drum machine)
Repertoire:: THE SUBWAY BALLET: Watch the Closing Doors; Dance of the Downtown Punks; Electriglide; Dance of the Wall Street Brokers; Steel Wheels; Dance of the Hassidic Diamond Merchants; Making Tracks; The Blind Beggar Encounters the Korean Peddler; Momentum; Dance of the Midtown Career Women; Straphanging; Pas de Deux; Express Stop; 125th Street

MUSIC FROM 1988: Red Hook Blues; Happy Birthday Berlin; How Did It Get So Late; Realization