During the first lockdown and a few years after my It was great to hear from Julian a couple of months MACKEY ASPHALT COCKTAIL first multi-track album, I had the idea for a new into the first national lockdown here in the UK, who WHITACRE OCTOBER more-ambitious project using the same method. introduced me to John Mackey’s riotous Asphalt TICHELI BLUE SHADES Over the last decade I’ve become increasingly more Cocktail. Having heard Julian’s brilliant recording involved in the American band world, and have of Steve Reich and Marc Mellits a few years back, grown more familiar with the repertoire: if you were I knew this project would be kick ass. I added the in a band at school you may already have performed full arsenal, often in duplicate of percussion to these three pieces, or others by the composers. the multi-tracked from my home studio. Working in isolation, although only just a few miles I have known Joby for a number of years and I was thrilled to collaborate with him on this duo project apart, this was a great way to undertake a new duo – we each recorded our parts at home, which I project in 2020. I hope you enjoy our vivid selection of 1 Asphalt Cocktail John Mackey, arr. Matt Evans and [5.31] then combined and layered to produce the finished re-imagined American band music. 2 October Eric Whitacre, arr. Julian Bliss [7.31] recordings. It has been a huge amount of fun to Joby Burgess create, as well as a fascinating challenge for me 3 Blue Shades Frank Ticheli, arr. Julian Bliss [9.44] to learn more about the production side of music. I really hope you enjoy our versions of three fantastic Total timings: [22.49] works! Julian Bliss

JULIAN BLISS CLARINETS JOBY BURGESS PERCUSSION

www.signumrecords.com - 3 - Asphalt Cocktail Blue Shades JULIAN BLISS by talented clarinettist Julian Bliss and his excellent John Mackey Frank Ticheli Septet ..Bliss’s quick-fire starts weaving Julian Bliss is one of the world’s finest clarinettists, free-flowing improvisational lines around the tune “Asphalt Cocktail is a five-minute opener, “In 1992 I composed a concerto for traditional excelling as a concerto soloist, chamber musician, from the very outset ..jaw-dropping, side-stepping designed to shout, from the opening measure, jazz band and orchestra, Playing With Fire, for jazz artist, masterclass leader and tireless musical vibes solo .. the whole ensemble is on fire” “We’re here.” With biting trombones, blaring the Jim Cullum Jazz Band and the San Antonio explorer. He has inspired a generation of young (Gramophone). The Septet has performed to packed trumpets, and percussion dominated by cross- Symphony ... I experienced tremendous joy during players as creator of his Conn-Selmer range of houses across the US and in European festivals, rhythms and back beats, it aims to capture the the creation of Playing With Fire, and my love affordable clarinets under the Leblanc brand and at Ronnie Scott’s (London) and Live from Dizzy’s grit and aggression that I associate with the for early jazz is expressed in every bar of the introduced a substantial new audience to his Club Coca Cola (Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York). time I lived in New York. Picture the scariest NYC concerto. However, after completing it I knew instrument. Julian started playing the clarinet taxi ride you can imagine, with the cab skidding that the traditional jazz influences dominated aged four, going on to study in the United States Excellent reviews, record of the week spots and around turns as trucks bear down from all sides. the work, leaving little room for my own musical at the University of Indiana and in under media attention flow from his recording output. Serve on the rocks.” voice to come through. I felt a strong need to , turning professional aged just twelve. Recent albums with Signum Records include compose another work, one that would combine Brahms Clarinet Sonatas with pianist James In recital and he has played at October my love of early jazz with my own musical style. Baillieu; Mozart and Weber Quintets with the most of the world’s leading festivals and series, Eric Whitacre Four years, and several compositions later, I Carducci String Quartet; Schubert’s Shepherd including Gstaad, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, finally took the opportunity to realize that need on the Rock with Ailish Tynan (soprano) and Verbier, (London) and Lincoln Center “October is my favourite month. There is by composing Blue Shades. As its title suggests, Christopher Glynn (piano); Steve Reich’s New (New York). As a soloist, he has appeared with a something about the crisp autumn air and the the work alludes to the Blues, and a jazz feeling York Counterpoint; Mozart and Nielsen’s Clarinet wide range of international orchestras, including subtle change in light that always makes me a is prevalent - however, it is in not literally a Concertos with the Royal Northern Sinfonia. the São Paulo Symphony, Chamber Orchestra little sentimental, and as I started to sketch I felt Blues piece. There is not a single 12-bar blues of Paris, Auckland Philharmonia, the London With the launch of Bliss Music in 2020, Julian’s that same quiet beauty in the writing. The simple, progression to be found, and except for a few Philharmonic and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras. arrangements of a selection of pieces for clarinet pastoral melodies and subsequent harmonies are isolated sections, the eighth-note is not swung. In 2010 he established the Julian Bliss Septet, and piano have been made available as sheet inspired by the great English Romantics (Vaughn The work however is heavily influenced by the creating programmes inspired by the King of music. These include Rachmaninoff’s Cello Williams, Elgar) as I felt that this style was Blues: Blue notes (flattened 3rds, 5ths and 7ths) Swing, Benny Goodman – Hooray for Hollywood! Sonata Op. 19, the third movement of which has also perfectly suited to capture the natural and are used constantly; Blues harmonies, rhythms, – and a show built around the extraordinary been set as a grade 6 piece on the new London pastoral soul of the season.” and melodic idioms pervade the work; and many musical output of George Gershwin. A recording of College of Music clarinet syllabus. “shades of blue” are depicted, from bright blue, the Gershwin programme I Got Rhythm released in to dark, to dirty, to hot blue.” 2021 received rave reviews: “impressive recording julianbliss.com

- 4 - - 5 - JOBY BURGESS Joby can often be found at Abbey Road and Air Studios, and his playing can be heard on major One of Britain’s most diverse percussionists, Joby film and TV scores, notably leading the percussion works as a soloist, chamber and session musician. sections on Black Panther, Rocketman, Ad Astra, Best known for his virtuosic performances, daring The Darkest Hour, Paddington 2, Ant-Man, The collaborations, extensive education and seasoned Last Kingdom and Taboo. He was also featured on recording work, he regularly appears throughout the score to Alex Garland’s Ex Machina, recorded Europe, the USA and beyond. remotely from his home – Studio 65.

With thanks to Osti Music Inc (Asphalt Cocktail), Boosey and Hawkes (October) and Manhattan Beach Music (Blue Shades). Dedicated to the development of the percussion Joby enjoys close relationships with a variety repertoire, often in combination with electronics, of instrument makers and manufactures, his Recorded by the artists in their homes over the 2020 and 2021 UK lockdowns. Producer – Julian Bliss Joby spends much time commissioning and extensive collection of instruments is featured on Post Production and Mastering – Mike Hatch recording new music. Joby’s audio visual project Spitfire Audio’s sample librarySpitfire Percussion. Cover Image – © iStock Powerplant – a collaboration with live video and Photos of Julian Bliss and Joby Burgess – © Nick White sound design – where the worlds of minimalism Joby’s credits include work with a huge range Design and Artwork – Woven Design www.wovendesign.co.uk and electronica collide has been at the forefront of artists – Christophe Beck, Stewart Copeland, P 2021 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by Signum Records Ltd of his work since 2005. His current release Graham Fitkin, Peter Gabriel, Will Gregory © 2021 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and design is owned by Signum Records Ltd

Pioneers of Percussion is a solo project featuring (Goldfrapp), Joanna MacGregor, Dario Marianelli, Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of Signum Compact Discs constitutes an infringement of copyright and will render the infringer liable to an action new music by Nicole Lizée, Linda Buckley and Steve Reich, Max Richter, Sasha (DJ), Nitin by law. Licences for public performances or broadcasting may be obtained from Phonographic Performance Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd. Rebecca Dale alongside other 20th-century Sawhney and Nana Vasconcelos along with many masterpieces. of the world’s leading chamber ensembles. SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middlesex, UB6 7LQ, UK. +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 E-mail: [email protected] www.signumrecords.com Recent highlights have included arranging and jobyburgess.com recording Eric Whitacre’s Marimba Quartets, recording Gabriel Prokofiev’sBass Drum Concerto for a concerto release also featuring Branford Marsalis and the Virtual Marimba Choir, which brought together 227 percussionists from around the world during Spring 2020.

- 6 - - 7 - ALSO AVAILABLE on signumclassics

Eric Whitacre: Marimba Quartets Reich: New York Counterpoint | Mellits: Black Joby Burgess Julian Bliss SIGCD625 SIGCD822

Available through most record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000

- 20 -

SIGNUM CLASSICS

MACKEY ASPHALT COCKTAIL

WHITACRE OCTOBER MACKEY / WHITACRE TICHELI TICHELI BLUE SHADES

1 Asphalt Cocktail John Mackey, arr. Matt Evans and Julian Bliss [5.31]

2 October Eric Whitacre, arr. Julian Bliss [7.31]

3 Blue Shades Frank Ticheli, arr. Julian Bliss [9.44]

Total timings: [22.49] BLISS / BURGESS

JULIAN BLISS CLARINETS JOBY BURGESS PERCUSSION

LC15723 SIGCD677 Signum Records Ltd, Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middlesex UB6 7LQ, United Kingdom. SIGCD677 P 2021 Signum Records DDD www.signumrecords.com © 2021 Signum Records 24 bit digital recording 6 35212 06772 7