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FIREPLAYING WITH MUSIC BY FRANK TICHELI AND JIM CULLUM

FEATURING THE JIM CULLUM JAZZ BAND Jerry Junkin

A PROF. JOHNSON 24-BIT RECORDING NOTES BY THE COMPOSER

POSTCARD was commissioned by conductor H. Robert Reynolds in memory of his mother, Ethel Virginia Curry. He requested that I compose not an elegy commemorating his mother’s death, but a short, feisty celebration of her life. In response, I composed my brief “postcard” in the summer of 1991 as a musical reflection of her character—vivacious, whimsical, succinct. The piece is filled with little musical games that pay tribute to the Reynolds family. Its main theme is a melodic palindrome, honoring a long-standing tradition in the Reynolds family of giving their children palindromic names such as Hannah and Harrah. The middle section is based on five notes derived from the dedicatee’s name, Ethel. This five-note motive is developed considerably, first appearing in an aggressive, angular context, and then evolving into a fast, lyrical melody. In the end, Postcard is, simply put, a gregarious tribute to a dear friend, honoring the life of his equally gregarious mother. ******** SAN ANTONIO DANCES was composed in June of 2010 as a personal tribute to a special city, whose captivating blend of Texan and Hispanic cultural influences enriched my life during my three years as a young music professor at Trinity University. It has been 20 years since I lived in San Antonio, but the city still tugs at my heartstrings and lives in this music. The first movement depicts the seductively serene Alamo Gardens and its beautiful live oak trees that provide welcome shade from the hot Texas sun. A relaxed tango mood and lazily winding lines give way to a brief but powerful climax depicting the Alamo itself. The second movement’s lighthearted and joyous music celebrates San Antonio’s famous Riverwalk. Inspired by the streets and canals of Venice, Italy, architect Robert Hugman proposed the idea of converting the San Antonio river- front into a beautiful urban park back in the 1920s. It took decades to complete, but the Riverwalk eventually became a reality—a two-mile stretch of stunningly landscaped waterfront lined with hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and shops. Picture a group of friends seated at an outdoor patio of one of the Riverwalk’s many Tex-Mex restaurants, enjoying the scenery, the food, the company. In time, the evening settles in, the air cools, the mood brightens, the crowd picks up, and music is heard from every direction. Before you know it, the whole place is one giant fiesta that could go on forever. ******** SYMPHONY NO. 2 was composed for James E. Croft upon his retirement as Director of Bands at Florida State University in 2003. It was commissioned by a consortium of Dr. Croft’s doctoral students, conducting students and friends as a gesture of thanks for all he has given to the profession. The symphony’s three movements allude to various kinds of celestial light: shooting stars, the moon, and the sun, respectively. While composing the first movement, “Shooting Stars”, I was imagining ways to depict quick flashes of light and color. “White-note” clusters are sprinkled everywhere, suggesting streaks of bright light. High above, the Eb clarinet shouts out the main theme, while underneath, the low brasses punch out a series of staccatissimo chords, intensifying the dance-like energy. Fleeting events of many kinds are cut and pasted at unexpected moments. The piece burns quickly, and ends explosively, scarcely leaving a trail. The second movement, “Dreams Under a New Moon”, depicts a kind of journey of the soul as represented by a series of dreams. A bluesy clarinet melody begins, answered by a chant-like theme in the muted trumpet and piccolo. Many dream episodes follow, ranging from the mysterious, to the dark, to the peaceful and healing. A sense of hope begins to assert itself as rising lines are passed from one instrument to another. Modulation after modulation occurs as the music lifts and searches for resolution. Near the end, the main theme returns in counterpoint with the chant, building to a majestic climax, then falling to a peaceful coda. The finale, “Apollo Unleashed”, is on the one hand, a musical depiction of Apollo, the powerful ancient god of the sun. Bright sonorities, fast tempos and galloping rhythms combine to give a sense of urgency that one often expects from a symphonic finale. On the other hand, the urgency is tempered and enriched by another, more sublime force: Bach’s Chorale BWV 433 (Wer Gott vertraut, hat wohl gebaut). This chorale—a favorite of the dedicatee, and one he himself arranged for chorus and band—serves as a kind of spiritual anchor, giving a soul to the gregarious foreground events. In the first half of the movement, the chorale’s first and second phrases are stated nobly underneath faster paced music, while the final phrase is saved for the climactic ending, sounding against a flurry of 16th-notes.

******** REST is a concert band adaptation of my choral work, There Will Be Rest. In making this new version, I preserved almost everything from the original: harmony, dynamics, even the original registration. I also endeavored to preserve carefully the fragile beauty and quiet dignity suggested by Sara Teasdale’s poem. However, with the removal of the text, I felt free to enhance certain aspects of the music, most strikingly with the addition of a sustained climax on the main theme. This extended climax allows the band version to transcend the expressive boundaries of a straight note-for-note setting of the original. Thus, both versions are intimately tied and yet independent of one another, each possessing its own strengths and unique qualities. The original work for chorus was commissioned by the Pacific Chorale, John Alexander, music director, and is dedicated to the memory of Cole Carsan St. Clair, the son of my friends, conductor Carl St. Clair and his wife, Susan. The concert band work was commissioned by conductor Russel Mikkelson and family in memory of his father, Elling Mikkelson. ******** PLAYING WITH FIRE was originally composed in 1992 as a concerto for the Jim Cullum Jazz Band and the San Antonio Symphony, who gave the work its premiere performance on April 9, 1992 at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio. The present version was commissioned in 2008 by the Texas A&M Wind Ensemble, Timothy Rhea conductor. The concerto is in three movements. The first, “A la Bauduc,” is a musical tribute to the late great drummer, Ray Bauduc, whose playing was so colorfully rhythmic, it sounded almost as if his drums were dancing. A gentle, soulful blues melody provides the foundation for the second movement, “Shades of Blue”. Many “shades” are painted, from the warm, lyrical introduction in the ensemble to the dark blue F minor tones of Jim Cullum’s solo cornet improvisations. The finale, “Polyphonies and Riffs”, begins with an up-tempo tune that quickly evolves into a hot, relentless blues. After the solo clarinet’s long, hypnotic solo improvisation on the blues, the ensemble joins in, playing riff after riff, building in intensity to a tremendous climax. Playing with Fire is dedicated to the memory of our fathers, Frank Ticheli Sr., and Jim Cullum Sr. Composer Frank Ticheli’s music has been described as being “optimistic and thoughtful” (Los Angeles Times), “lean and muscular” (New York Times), “brilliantly effective” (Miami Herald) and “powerful, deeply felt crafted with impressive flair and an ear for striking instrumental colors” (South o s s Florida Sun-Sentinel). Since 1991, Ticheli o r

G has been a Professor of Composition at the e i l

r University of Southern California’s a h Thornton School of Music. From 1991 to C : o t 1998, Ticheli was Composer in Residence o h

P of the Pacific Symphony, Carl St. Clair, music director. Ticheli’s orchestral works have received considerable recognition in the U.S. and Europe. Orchestral performances have come from the Philadelphia Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Dallas Symphony, American Composers Orchestra, the radio orchestras of Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Saarbruecken, and Austria, and the orchestras of Austin, Bridgeport, Charlotte, Colorado, Haddonfield, Harrisburg, Hong Kong, Jacksonville, Lansing, Long Island, Louisville, Lubbock, Memphis, Nashville, Omaha, Phoenix, Portland, Richmond, San Antonio, San Jose, Wichita Falls, and many others. Ticheli is well known for his works for concert band, many of which have become standards in the repertoire. In addition to composing, he has appeared as guest conductor of his music at Carnegie Hall and in cities throughout the world, including Schladming (Austria), Beijing and Shanghai, London and Manchester, Singapore, Rome, Sydney, and numerous cities in Japan. Frank Ticheli is the recipient of a 2012 “Arts and Letters Award” from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, his third award received from that prestigious organization. His Symphony No. 2 was named winner of the 2006 NBA/William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest. Other awards include the Walter Beeler Memorial Prize and First Prize awards in the Texas Sesquicentennial Orchestral Composition Competition, Britten-on-the-Bay Choral Composition Contest, and Virginia CBDNA Symposium for New Band Music. Frank Ticheli received his doctoral and masters degrees in composition from The University of Michigan. His works are published by Manhattan Beach, Southern, Hinshaw, and Encore Music, and are recorded on the labels of Albany, Chandos, Clarion, Klavier, Koch International, Mark Recordings and now, RR. A LA BAUDUC Jim Cullum's and Frank Ticheli's "A la Bauduc" is dedicated to Ray Bauduc's playing with Bob Haggart on "Big Noise From Winnetka". The sticks-on- strings techinque originated with drummer Ray Bauduc and bassist Bob Haggart while they were members of the Bob Crosby Orchestra. During a performance in Chicago, Bauduc was tuning his floor tom-tom to "G" when Haggart played the same note on his bass. Bauduc played some rhythmic patterns on the floor tom, then tapped his sticks on the "G" string of Haggart's bass. An impromptu performance resulted, which was a big hit with the audience. Bauduc and Haggart refined the improvisation and recorded it as "Big Noise From Winnetka" for Decca on Oct. 14, 1938. "Big Noise" has been played thousands of times since then by innumerable bassists and drummers. I expect Don Mopsick learned it from Bob Haggart, who played with the Jim Cullum Jazz Band on several occasions. (So did drummer Bauduc, though I learned the sticks-on-strings tecnhique from Nick Fatool, when I saw him play "Big Noise" with bassist Jack Lesberg in 1975.) YouTube has clips of Bauduc and Haggart, and Fatool and Haggart so you can see and hear "Big Noise" with just bass and drums. By the way, several years ago Don and I played "Big Noise" on a RIVERWALK JAZZ broadcast, live from the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee. At the time, Eddie Torres was the regular drummer with the Jim Cullum Band. Eddie played a full drum set, I played a snare and cymbal and we traded phrases with each other and with Don. Then, I played with drumsticks on the bass strings while Eddie kept time and played some accents on the drum set. I wish we had a video of THAT! —Hal Smith JIM CULLUM JAZZ BAND Organized in 1962, the Jim Cullum Jazz Band is renowned worldwide for playing the classic jazz associated with King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and Bix Beiderbecke (among others) plus music by great American composers such as Hoagy Carmichael, George Gershwin and Irving Berlin. The band has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap Farm, Austin City Limits, at festivals and con- certs across the U.S. and Latin America, and on a wildly successful tour of Russia. The musicians are full-time professionals, with extensive backgrounds in tradi- tional jazz, swing and other vintage musical styles. Since 1987, RIVERWALK JAZZ radio broadcasts have featured the Jim Cullum Jazz Band with distin- guished musical guests. The Pacific Vista Production is heard worldwide on Public Radio International. The Jim Cullum Jazz Band is the only classic jazz group in America which performs five nights a week on a regular basis. JERRY F. J UNKIN is Artistic Director and Conductor of the Dallas Wind Symphony, as well as Director of Bands and the Vincent R. and Jane D. DiNino Chair in Music at the University of Texas at Austin, where he also holds the title of University Distinguished Teaching Professor. In 2003 he was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Hong Kong Wind Philharmonia. In addition to responsibilities as Professor of Music and Conductor and Music Director of the UT Wind Ensemble, he serves as Head of the Conducting Division and teaches courses in conducting and wind band literature. Jerry Junkin’s performances have won the praise of such notable musicians as John Corigliano, David Del Tredici, Gunther Schuller, Karel Husa, William Kraft, Jacob Druckman and Michael Colgrass, among others. In 2005 he led the world premiere performance of Corigliano’s Circus Maximus: Symphony No. 3, in Austin and Carnegie Hall, and made the first recording. The New York Times named Bells for Stokowski with the University of Texas Wind Ensemble (on Reference Recordings), one of the best classical CDs of 2004. Piccolo: Juli Purcell Powers Flute: Cindy Paxton (Principal), Jennifer McElroy (Principal on Playing With Fire), Kathy Johnson Oboe: Steve Pettey (Principal), Cinde Pettey E-flat Clarinet: Garry Evans B-flat Clarinet: Deborah Ungaro Fabian (Concertmaster), Sharon Knox Deuby (Associate Principal), Mary Druhan, Alex Yeselson, Ricky Reeves, Jeanie Murrow, Rich Colodney, Bonnie Dieckmann, Garry Evans Contra-alto Clarinet: Robin Owens Bass Clarinet: Mickey Owens Bassoon: Marty Spake (Principal), Kelbert Taylor Alto Saxophone: Donald Fabian (Principal), David Lovrien Tenor Saxophone: Roy E. Allen, Jr. Baritone Saxophone: John F. Sweeden Horn: David Lesser (Principal), Susan Frazier (Co-Principal), Brian Brown, Timothy Stevens, Chris Dulin Trumpet: Brian Shaw (Co-Principal), Tim Andersen (Co-Principal), James Sims, Steven Fitts, Luis Martinez, Shaun Abraham, Gary Dobbins Trombone: Jim Clark (Principal), Bob Burnham, Barney McColllum Euphonium: Brian Davis (Principal), Jeremy McBride Tuba: Alex Cauthen (Principal), Jason C. Wallace String Bass: Kyp Green Timpani: Dale Powers (Principal) Percussion: Roland Muzquiz (Principal), Christopher Deane, Steve Kimple, Barry Knezek, Steve McDonald, Larry Doran

The Jim Cullum Jazz Band Cornet: Jim Cullum Piano: John Sheridan Trombone: Michael Pittsley Clarinet/Saxophone: Allan Vache Guitar/Banjo: Howard Elkins Bass: Donald Mopsick Drums: Hal Smith Artistic Director and Conductor: Jerry F. Junkin Founder/Executive Director: Kim Campbell Director of Development: Eva James Toia Director of Education and Concert Operations: Gigi Sherrell Norwood Director of External Affairs: John Mahood Director of Marketing and Communications: April Davis Director of Ticketing Services: Sharron Morgan Personnel Manager: Donald Fabian Librarian: Chrystal Stevens Equipment Manager: Roland Muzquiz Technical Director: Michael E. McNicholas Stage Hand: Ramon Muzquiz Hep Cat: Mr. Widget

The Dallas Wind Symphony is forever grateful to Carol A. Winkelmann whose generous gift in honor of her mother, Ann F. Winkelmann—a lifelong music lover, jazz aficionado and friend of the DWS—served as the catalyst for this recording. We wish to recognize the gifts of Eloise Cullum, Ross and Lois Finkelman, Barbara and Michael Nugent, Natalie Potter, and McKee Smith whose support made this recording possible. This project was funded in part through a grant from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc. and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. We deeply appreciate the efforts of Keith Johnson, Tam Henderson, Donald McKinney, Sean Martin, and Marcia Martin, the brilliant team from Reference Recordings behind this project. Bravo and Brava to Jerry Junkin and our talented musicians who brought everything to life. We wish to acknowledge Les Studdard, Lamar Livingston and Rob Crane of the Meyerson Symphony Center for making our lives a little easier. A special thank you to Tim Linley and Roland Muzquiz at Richardson High School for their ongoing dedication and support. Last and not least, thanks to Jim Cullum and the boys in his band for their artistry and enthusiasm.The Dallas Wind Symphony is funded in part by the City of Dallas-Office of Cultural Affairs, the Texas Commission on the Arts, TACA, and The 500, Inc. Please visit our website at dws.org. Recorded: August 13-14, 2011, Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, Texas

Producers: Donald McKinney, J. Tamblyn Henderson, Jr.

Co-Producer: Marcia Gordon Martin

Recording Engineer: Keith O. Johnson

Recorded by: Sean Royce Martin

Executive Producers: Kim J. Campbell, Marcia Martin, Tam Henderson

Editing: Tam Henderson, Sean Royce Martin

Mastering Engineer: Keith O. Johnson

Design: Bill Roarty, Tam Henderson RECENT RELEASES BY THE DALLAS WIND SYMPHONY ON RR:

HORNS FOR THE HOLIDAYS CROWN IMPERIAL RR-126HDCD with Mary Preston, organ RR-112HDCD

LINCOLNSHIRE POSY STRICTLY SOUSA Music by Percy Grainger RR-94HDCD RR-117HDCD COMPLETE CATALOGUE & SECURE ORDERING: REFERENCERECORDINGS.COM 1 POSTCARD

SAN ANTONIO DANCES 2 Alamo Gardens 3 Tex-Mex on the Riverwalk

SYMPHONY NO. 2 4 Shooting Stars 5 Dreams Under a New Moon 6 Apollo Unleashed

7 REST

PLAYING WITH FIRE (By Frank Ticheli and Jim Cullum, orch. by Ticheli) 8 A la Bauduc 9 Shades of Blue 10 Polyphonies and Riffs

JERRY JUNKIN DALLAS WIND SYMPHONY THE JIM CULLUM JAZZ BAND

ALL SCORES PUBLISHED BY MANHATTAN BEACH MUSIC EXCEPT PLAYING WITH FIRE, PUBLISHED BY F. T ICHELI