Liner notes: They play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star? What's this group all about? Unless you have heard the Miami Saxophone Quartet, you may not know what to expect from their newest CD, 'Four of a Kind'. No, this is not a children's album (but young saxophonists will surely like it). Ed Calle and Gary Lindsay's composite arrangement of this simple song tells a lot about the group in just the opening track. Lush jazz harmonies, swinging counterpoint, and funky R&B grooves all have their place. Say's arranger Calle: quot;The arrangement of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star was inspired by an opportunity to showcase differences between equal-tempered and Pythogorean tuning as part of my keynote address presented at the national MAC3 mathematics conference entitled Music as a Branch of Mathematics. My original works for the MSQ are focused on a linear chamber jazz approach that features the expansive musicianship and virtuosity of the quartet. These three movements of 'Twinkle' are most special because they are in collaboration with my mentor, colleague, and friend, Gary Lindsay. To enjoy the opportunity to create music with spectacular colleagues in the MSQ is as humbling as it is inspiring. We hope you enjoy listening to the music as much as we enjoy creating, rehearsing, and performing it. Here's the scoop on the rest of the tracks, most of which feature the MSQ with a jazz rhythm section: Gary Lindsay's original composition Don't Look Back was written to feature Mike Brignola and the MSQ's favorite guest pianist, Jim Gasior. It is a piece with two personalities, a quot;popquot; swing melody for the quartet which later morphs into a straight eight groove displaying an abundance of inner lines of counterpoint. Lindsay's Lost (and Found) also displays two personalities. The opening alto backed by a classically styled piano accompaniment creates a searching mood, followed by an up-tempo swing groove with Calle leading on tenor. Keller's soprano tops an off-beat soli, wrapping it up with the entire ensemble hitting on all cylinders. Lindsay arranged Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Lady to feature baritone saxophonist Mike Brignola. Inspiration came from the late great Harry Carney and the Duke Ellington Orchestra, first heard by Lindsay in the early 60's at the Newport Jazz Festival, a concert that created an indelible image in sight and sound for the young arranger to be. Brignola has the sound to wail on this piece. Clarinet is used on the top of the ensemble to add some quot;Ellingtonian dissonance.quot; Prelude-Invention-Suspension is extended Lindsay composition written to feature Svet Stoyanov, one of today's preeminent classical and contemporary mallet performers. The composition is heavily influenced by the intertwining counterpoint of J. S. Bach. The opening prelude for solo marimba introduces the melodic and harmonic ideas to follow. The Invention features contrapuntal interplay between various combinations of saxophones, bass and marimba, while the Suspension utilizes suspended harmonies and features some improvisatory fireworks by Ed Calle. Composed by Ralph Burns for the Woody Herman Orchestra, the classic ballad Early Autumn was arranged by Lindsay for the quartet plus a guest Trumpet/Flugelhorn. Originally recorded on the group's quot;Midnight Rumbaquot; album with Arturo Sandoval on flugelhorn, this album's live version features Brian Lynch, another of today's top jazz trumpet performers. The soli incorporates an abundance of double-time, reminiscent of Woody'
