Soul Doctrine Zack Browning With the Sonata Islands Quartet innova 009 This album documents a remarkable and rewarding collaboration with the Italian flutist and composer, Emilio Galante. In 2015 Emilio contacted me about my composition Flute Soldier (recorded on this album) and we immediately connected musically. Several concerts and the commissioning of two works later, Emilio organized the recordings of the five works on this album. Grazie molto Emilio! The Composer Zack Browning (b. 1953) is a composer whose music is described as Òway-cool in attitude-speed-demon musicÓ (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) and Òpropulsive, giddy, rockingÓ a rush of cyclic riffs and fractured metersÓ (The New York Times). The Irish Times proclaimed he is Òbringing together the procedures of high musical art with the taste of popular cultureÓ. His solo album Banjaxed (2000) on Capstone Records features music for voice, instruments, and computer sounds that has been described as Òthe aural equivalent of the pinball machine. Imagine sassy, brilliant bumpers with each slam of the ball sending a glitter of lights and mechanical twitters through your chest.Ó (American Record Guide). His solo albums Secret Pulse (2010) and Venus Notorious (2012) have also received critical acclaim and are available on Innova Recordings. Browning is an Associate Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois and director of the Salvatore Martirano Memorial Composition Award. (www.zackbrowning.com) The Sonata Islands Quartet The chamber ensemble Sonata Islands (www.sonataislands.com) was established to perform both classically-orientated new music and jazz/rock-based new music. Recordings include Sciare di Fuoco (1999), part of the BMG-Ricordi Album series; Sonata Islands goes Rio (2012) Rock in Opposition masterpieces; Sonata Islands meet Mahler (2013); Nippon Eldorado (2015), a homage to Japanese avant rock; and Zeuhl Jazz (2018), inspired by the jazz-rock group Magma. Sonata Islands has organized festivals in Italy in Milan since 2002 and in Trento since 2006. Emilio Galante is a professor of flute at the F.A. Bonporti Conservatory of Trento, Italy and founder and artistic director of Sonata Islands. He was born in Bologna, Italy, where he studied composition and flute and received a degree in Philosophy. He also has a Masterclass Diploma from the Musical Academy in Munich, Germany. His music has been performed at festivals in New York, Tokyo, Paris and Milan and several of his pieces have been published by Falls House Press and Sonzogno. Galante is co-author along with Gianni Lazzari of the book The Flute, published by EDT in 2003. Andrea Dindo is a pianist, conductor, and professor at the F.A. Bonporti Conservatory of Trento, Italy. He has studied with Aldo Ciccolini and Andrzej Jasinski at the Mozarteum of Salzburg and with Alexis Weissenberg at the Engelberg Masterclass. Dindo has been awarded in the Paris Chamber Music Competition and has performed in the worldÕs major venues. Pepito Ros is a classical/jazz saxophonist, composer and researcher, who graduated from the G.B. Martini Conservatoire in Bologna and subsequently from the Paris European Conservatoire. Ros has performed in major festivals throughout Europe and America. He is the first prize winner of the 2003 Piazzolla Music Award. Ros is a Selmer and D'Addario artist and has recently developed the Ros Method, a holistic approach to music. Ros is a professor of saxophone at the Conservatory of Bolzano, Italy. Walter Zanetti has received degrees from the Conservatory of Bologna and the Ecole Normale de Musique A. Cortot in Paris. ZanettiÕs album Cantos Yoruba de Cuba is dedicated to Afro-Cuban music for solo guitar inspired by the Sacred Rhythms of Cuban Santería, the concert-installation Boîte à Musique, and his collaboration with composer/violinist Eyvind Kang. His latest album of lute works by Johann Sebastian Bach was recorded after a study of baroque performance practice with Norwegian lutenist and theorbist Rolf Lisveland. Zanetti is professor of guitar at the G. B. Martini Conservatory of Bologna, Italy. The Compositions Soul Doctrine (2016) was commissioned by Emilio Galante and Sonata Islands. The composition derives its musical material from the conflict between the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation. Part I is a free interpretation of a searching soul. Part II applies feng shui to the birth date of Martin Luther (November 10, 1483) and to the start date of The Council of Trent (December 13, 1545) to produce 18 durations for six themes. They are LutherÕs ÒEin feste burg ist unser GottÓ(Reformation Theme); PalestrinaÕs ÒMissa Pape MarcelliÓ (Counter-Reformation Theme); the plain chant ÒAlma RedemptorisÓ (Virgin Mary Theme); Jethro TullÕs ÓCross-Eyed MaryÓ (Mary Magdalene Theme); ÒGodÕs MusicÓ based on pure major triads; and ÒDevilÕs TuneÓ based on the number six. Part III offers a physical and spiritual union of the opposing forces. Silent Crackdown (2016) was commissioned by Pin-Hua Chen and I-An Chen and is a collection of musical ideas commemorating the Ò228 IncidentÓ and the subsequent 38 years of martial law in Taiwan from 1949 to 1987. The first part is inspired by the music played at Taiwanese funerals to awaken the dead and then lead the dead from the underworld to rebirth. Part two juxtaposes six themes related to 228 following a structure derived by applying feng shui to the date of the protest (February 28, 1947). The six themes are ÒMartial LawÓ; ÒRebirthÓ; ÒUnderworldÓ; ÒJourney of the SoulÓ; Buddhist ÒDoing the SevensÓ chant with the song of the “Green Tara Mantra” which is used to help the transition from the underworld to rebirth; and music inspired by the jazz tune “Evidence”. Part three provides variations on “Green Tara Mantra”. Flute Soldier (2006) is part of a series of works that explore the application of magic squares to musical structure. The 4x4 ÒDurer SquareÓ which appears in Albrecht DurerÕs 1514 etching ÒMelancholiaÓ provides the framework for a highly energized interpretation of the square. Unafraid (2013) was inspired by the bravery of women in history named Esther who fought against the persecution of Jews. Part I is based on ÒOur Town Is BurningÓ, the unofficial anthem for Jewish resistance during World War II. The fragmented structure of Part II comes from feng shui being applied to October 14, 1943, when Esther Raab led a revolt at Sobibor freeing 300 prisoners. Part II includes variations on ÒZog Nit KeynmolÓ (Never Say), a Yiddish song associated with Holocaust survivors; ÒTears Will Assist MeÓ from HandelÕs oratorio Esther, based on Esther of the Bible; ÒHome Is Where The Hatred IsÓ recorded by Esther Phillips who overcame drug addiction; and Bob MarleyÕs ÒGet Up, Stand UpÓ. Part III uses ÒZog Nit KeynmolÓ whose first line states "Never say that you have reached the final road." Rock Furious (2017) was commissioned by Emilio Galante (flute) and Walter Zanetti (guitar). The music is inspired and guided by the application of feng shui and astrology to the birth dates of Emilio (who shares his birth date with R&B artist Usher and whose controlling planet is Venus) and to the birth date of Walter (who shares his birth date with Elvis Presley and whose controlling planet is Jupiter). Through this process six themes are generated including ÒEmilioÕs EtudesÓ, ÒWalterÕs WaltzÓ, ÒUsher UndergroundÓ, ÒElvis EncounterÓ, ÒVenus VoodooÓ, and ÒSecrets of SaturnÓ. All compositions recorded and mixed at Metro Recording Studio, Lake Garda, Italy by Marco Sirio Pivetti in October 2017-March 2018. Album Mastering by Roberto Zanisi, Milan, Italy in May 2018. Booklet design: Michelle Haug Score preparation: David Bohn Photo Credits: Zack Browning and Emilio Galante (Martha Browning), Sonata Islands Quartet (Maurizio Sparesato), and Zack Browning (Carol Baker) This album is partially funded by Sonata Islands and by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Innova Director: Philip Blackburn Operations Manager: Chris Campbell Publicist: Tim Igel Innova is supported by an endowment from the McKnight Foundation. www.innova.mu ZACK BROWNING Soul Doctrine 1) Soul Doctrine (2016) 9:25 Emilio Galante, flute Walter Zanetti, electric guitar Andrea Dindo, piano 2) Silent Crackdown (2016) 10:00 Pepito Ros, alto saxophone Andrea Dindo, piano 3) Flute Soldier (2006) 8:29 Emilio Galante, flute Andrea Dindo, piano 4) Unafraid (2013) 12:51 Emilio Galante, flute Pepito Ros, alto saxophone Andrea Dindo, piano 5) Rock Furious (2017) 10:27 Emilio Galante, flute Walter Zanetti, electric guitar Total Time: 51:15