I was honored to receive a commission from the United States Air Force Band in Washington D.C. to compose a piece featuring my friend MSgt. Ricky Parrell. Three Happenings While Walking Down Main Street is essentially a concertino for Alto Saxophone and Concert Band. The piece is composed in three continuous sections, each embodying a kind of emotion that one might experience walking around a large city, whether it be New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., London, et al. The opening motive, first presented by the Saxophone soloist at the start of the piece, is developed throughout the three sections – or “scenes,” if you will – from the excitement of the town – to the quiet nightlife – to the cacophonous mayhem – all of which one might encounter in a large city.

Ricky is equally exceptional as a jazz saxophonist as he is a classical one. It’s this spirit in which I tried to compose music that constantly teeters the fine line of both classical and jazz idioms. I’ve included chord changes on a few measures, beginning at measure 133, to invite the soloist (if they wish), to improvise on the written runs. This work is a bit of a tour-de-force for the Saxophone soloist, as well as the band – and I hope it is received by the listener with the same excitement that I had while composing it.

Concert Band: Eb Alto Saxophone Soloist, 3 Flutes (3rd dbls Picc.), 2 Oboes, English Horn, 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon, Eb Clarinet, 3 Bb Clarinets, Bb Bass Clarinet, Eb Alto Saxophone, Bb Tenor Saxophone, Eb Baritone Saxophone, 4 F Horns, 3 Bb Trumpets, 3 Trombones, Bass Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba, String Bass, Harp, Piano, Timpani, Percussion 1 (Vibraphone, Xylophone, Bell Tree, Crotales), Percussion 2 (Glockenspiel, Marimba, Piatti), Percussion 3 (Suspended Cymbal, Sizzle Cymbal, Bell Tree, Vibraslap, Splash Cymbal, Tambourine, Gran Cassa), Percussion 4 (Triangle, Gran Cassa, Wood Block, Cowbell, Mark Tree, Slapstick, Slide Whistle, Vibraslap, Bell Tree)