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.