Album Notes

Duo Montagnard (Joseph Murphy, saxophone, and Matthew Slotkin, guitar) was formed in 2002 and has performed over 160 concerts in more than 30 states, Canada, Slovenia, Greece, Denmark, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Festival performances include the Chautauqua Institution, the Hartwick College Summer Music Festival, Scandinavian Saxophone Festival, the UNC-Wilmington New Music for Guitar and Saxophone Festival, and the Alexandria Guitar Festival. Programs include compositions by Robert Beaser, Chick Corea, Jacques Ibert, David Kechley, Astor Piazzolla, Maurice Ravel, Terry Riley, Roberto Sierra, Toru Takemitsu, Ralph Towner, and Heitor Villa-Lobos. Recent commissions include pieces by John Anthony Lennon, Jonathan Elliott, John Orfe, James Crowley, George Daravelis, Andrew Walters, and Charles Stolte.

Messengers is a recording of all new works for saxophone and guitar commissioned by Duo Montagnard: "Messengers" by John Anthony Lennon, "Les Trois Soeurs" by Charles Stolte, "Storyteller's Anthem" by Shane Endsley, "Before Clock Ceased Their Chiming" by Andrew Walters, "Tableaux Vivants" by James Crowley, and "Nicht Akzeptiert" and "Sonatina" by George Daravelis.