Album Notes

Brian Horner, Saxophone
Elizabeth Wolynec, Piano

The Mannes Saxophone Quartet
Javier Oviedo, Eric Osman, Christina Monaco, Keith Kreindler
with Kyle Adams, Piano

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“The sound [Johnson] creates is something entirely new: the richness and lyricism of the Romantics, rendered on an entirely different instrument, with a unique timbre and 'voice.'… The Scherzo's minor key, a rhythm that moves in unpredictable stops and starts, and a melodic line that is constantly darting up and down the scale, never quite coming to rest, all combine to create a sense of mystery and intrigue… 'Solitude'… is more contemplative... the rich harmonies and slow, thoughtful pace give the sense of being admitted to a man's private thoughts and reminiscences… I found myself involuntarily humming its melody... enough complexity to keep the mind constantly engaged, but with enough unity to be grasped and remembered as a single whole... The Scherzo from the Quintet for Saxophones & Piano... is a fast-moving piece with a driving rhythm that keeps building to a powerful crescendo… I was astonished by the sense of explosive energy this piece was able to create.”
--"The Mini-Dark Age and the Second Renaisssance" by Robert Tracinski, TIA Daily, Aug. 3, 2006

"The compositions express a full range of emotions: the saxophones evoking tender, warm, playful, and noble feelings, while the piano is lyrical, powerful, and struggling. The music was full of life, reflecting the glow of the city it was performed in."
-- "Full of Life" by Anna Franco, Music and Vision Daily--June 1, 2006

“Solitude is my clear favorite. From my very first listening of this piece, I have been captivated by it.”
--"Things of Beauty" by Sherri Tracinski, TIA Daily--May 16, 2006