Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Heterodyne Duo will present a program of selected pieces that are highly varied in their compositional styles when the duo performs at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, in Cole Concert Hall on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.
The duo features Dr. Nathan Nabb, SFA professor of saxophone, and Dr. Brad Meyer, director of percussion studies at SFA. They will perform "West, or Evening Song in Autumn" by Masakazu Natsuda, "The Metaphysics of Notation" by Mark Applebaum and "Walk the Walk" by Michael Daugherty.
Some of the pieces draw influence from jazz and funk, while others are influenced by non-Western music and include extended timbral possibilities for both saxophone and percussion, according to Nabb.
The Natsuda work is "a beautiful, meditative soundscape for soprano saxophone, multi-percussion and drone," Nabb said.
"The timbral changes, pitch-bends and micro-tones in the soprano saxophone draw strong allusions to the Japanese shakuhachi flute, while the percussion parts evoke the taiko drumming traditions," he said.
The score for Applebaum's piece is done entirely in graphic notation, which means that the performers react and improvise to the images found within the score, Nabb explained.
"Perhaps what makes this piece unique, even within that realm, is that the score scrolls and is projected so that both performer and audience see the visuals," Nabb said. "As the title suggests, it is a philosophical work that is concerned with chance and notation and how different notational types yield varying results."
The Daugherty piece is a fun and exciting work for baritone and multi-percussion. It is heavily influenced by popular music, including funk and rock and roll, and derives its main thematic material from the popular tune "My Girl."
Tickets for the concert are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit http://www.finearts.sfasu.edu/.