Neither Proud Nor Ashamed: New Music for Saxophone
Neither Proud Nor Ashamed: New Music for Saxophone
Rock Island, IL
When Randall Hall puts a sax to his lips, engages fingers and lungs, and fires up the laptop, it seems like he is driving helter-skelter towards the Classical music of the 22nd century. (After all, why wait?)
The six composers featured on his new CD, “Neither Proud, Nor Ashamed”, all write like there’s no tomorrow. You can feel the acceleration as the G-forces kick in and Hall takes the corners like a virtuoso. Composer heavyweights Luciano Berio and Christian Lauba join newcomers to the speedway, Kevin Ernste, Jonathan Kirk, Nicolas Scherzinger and Hall himself.
The music uses all the sounds ordinary sax music leaves out. It pushes the limits of what a vibrating reed (and ears) can do; it digs deep into the pre-verbal part of our minds awakening some forgotten archaic memory; it evokes the sound of the unconscious, or the creation of the world, or the meltdown of the atom. Who knows? Pride and shame not included.
GRAMOPHONE
Certainly saxophonist Randall Hall knows saxophones -- and probably his audience -- better than any composer coming in from the outside [...] I'm glad I heard it.
by Ken Smith
SAXOPHONE JOURNAL
Randall Hall is truly the master of the saxophone. This CD is a must for anyone who wishes to become familiar with the contemporary saxophone with all the extended techniques mastered. Randall Hall's technique is excellent and his interpretive skills are superb. His ability to slip in and out these techniques is admirable. He demonstrates the aesthetic use of these modern techniques and shows how nicely they work. They are not pretty but they are quite moving. The opening selection is Hard by Christian Lauba for solo tenor saxophone…This piece is a tour de force in itself and Randall Hall gives us a superb performance. The next selection is an equally stunning piece for alto saxophone and tape and was composed by Randall Hall as well. The saxophone states a recurring theme with an accompaniment that has stepped out of a dream. Then the piece proceeds to a question and answer section but still keeping the dreamscape surroundings. It is a fascinating listening experience. Each selection on this CD stretches one's imagination as well as expands the saxophone's repertoire. Randall Hall is an excellent soloist and saxophonist. He is an incredible technician and an artist on the saxophonist