Guest Artists
Melissa Aldana, tenor
Chris Potter, tenor
Rudresh Mahanthappa, alto
Terell Stafford, trumpet
PRISM Quartet
Timothy McAllister, soprano
Zachary Shemon, alto
Matthew Levy, tenor
Taimur Sullivan, baritone
IMPORTANT: Please see Covid-19 Protocols below.
The intrepid PRISM Quartet celebrates the release of its new album, Heritage/Evolution, Volume 2 with a marathon concert at NYC’s DiMenna Center featuring sax giants Chris Potter and Rudresh Mahanthappaperforming compositions from the album by Potter and PRISM’s own Matthew Levy. But that’s not all. PRISM also launches the third phase of its Heritage/Evolution project with new commissions from Blue Note recording artist/tenorist extraordinaire Melissa Aldana and jazz trumpet virtuoso Terell Stafford who join the Quartet as soloists on their own works. September 15, 7 – 9:45 PM at the DiMenna Center’s Cary Hall located at 450 W 37th St in New York City.
The Music
The PRISM Quartet’s massive Heritage/Evolution commissioning project explores saxophone’s dual lineages in classical music and jazz with 12 major commissions (and two albums) and counting from many of the world’s greatest jazz saxophonists. The concert features the world premiere of Aldana’s new work, Reflections. In her words, “Reflections is about transformation, a personal meditation on the stages of growth I experienced, and saw the world experience, over the course of the pandemic. My isolation and stillness enabled me to observe, clearly and for the first time in many years, the progression of the seasons, changes in the color of leaves, how they would fall just to be reborn stronger and more beautiful. My personal journey has been similar, as I worked though feelings of sadness, confusion, frustration, serenity, happiness and slowly transformed into the person I am today. I also wanted to know how other artists were expressing their feelings about nature, love, sadness, nostalgia, life… So I revisited some of my favorite poems by Julio Cortazar and Pablo Neruda, poems that resonate deeply with me and provided inspiration for my composition.”
Stafford contributes his own work to the program, “Favor,” a jazz waltz newly arranged by Jack Saint Clair. JazzTimes describes the work as “like fine whiskey, mellow but with bite” and “just a touch of churchiness.” The program includes Improvisations by Chris Potter and Forbidden Drive Matthew Levy from PRISM’s newest album, Heritage/Evolution, Volume 2 (8/13/21 release on XAS), and music by Mahanthappa, Tim Ries, and Miguel Zenón from the group’s critically acclaimed 2015 album, Heritage/Evolution, Volume 1 (innova), which AllAboutJazz gave five stars and called “a phenomenal album filled with illusion, atmosphere and great music.”
About Heritage/Evolution
Launched in 2014 to celebrate PRISM Quartet’s 30th anniversary season, Heritage/Evolution is an ongoing project that partners PRISM with master saxophonists who defy convention. Since the saxophone’s invention by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1840, it has captured the imaginations of artists and audiences worldwide. Heritage/Evolution charts fresh musical territory, drawing on the saxophone’s cross-cultural heritage to blend jazz with everything from Western and South Indian classical music to Romani and Latin American folkloric music.
Covid-19 Protocols: Vaccinations and Masks
This concert is open only to fully vaccinated masked individuals. Anyone wishing to enter the building must show a proof of vaccination – such as a photocopy of a Covid-19 vaccination card or an Excelsior Pass – to the Front Desk receptionist. Musicians and staff members have been vaccinated.