Pivotal Arc (2020)
Nathalie Bonin – violin soloist / violoniste soliste
Molinari String Quartet / Quatuor Molinari
Olga Ranzenhofer – violin I / 1er violon
Antoine Bareil – violin II / 2e violon
Frédéric Lambert – viola / alto
Pierre-Alain Bouvrette – cello / violoncelle
JC Sanford – conductor / chef d’orchestre
Michael Davidson – vibraphone / vibraphone
Mark Helias – bass / basse
Satoshi Takeishi – drums, percussion / batterie, percussions
Quinsin Nachoff – tenor saxophone / saxophone ténor
Jean-Pierre Zanella – piccolo, flute, clarinet, soprano sax / piccolo, flûte, clarinette, saxophone soprano
Yvan Belleau – clarinet, tenor sax / clarinette, saxophone ténor
Brent Besner – bass clarinet / clarinette basse
Jocelyn Couture – trumpet 1 / 1ère trompette
Bill Mahar – trumpet 2 / 2e trompette
David Grott – trombone / trombone
Bob Ellis – bass trombone / trombone basse
Pivotal Arc (Whirlwind Recordings, 2020) comprises three long-form works: a Violin Concerto, a String Quartet, and the large ensemble piece Pivotal Arc.
The Violin Concerto was written for Grammy-winning violinist Nathalie Bonin, a long-standing collaborator, and draws on tango, Balkan, folk, and jazz within a contemporary compositional framework across its three movements. The String Quartet, performed by the Molinari String Quartet, treats each movement as a miniature concerto for one member of the ensemble, exploring quarter tones and pitch-axis techniques alongside jazz-influenced phrasing. The title piece is an extended reflection on climate change, featuring bassist Mark Helias, percussionist Satoshi Takeishi, vibraphonist Michael Davidson, and Nachoff on tenor saxophone, with a wind and string ensemble conducted by JC Sanford.
“This melding of classical influences and jazz verities is unexpectedly accessible, consistently lively, fiercely intelligent and often flat-out exhilarating.”
—Michael Roberts, JAZZIZ
“It’s demanding contemporary music that succeeds at the trick of pulling you in — and makes you glad to be there.”
—Michael Ullman, The Arts Fuse
“There’s something strikingly inventive and vivid about Nachoff’s music.”
—Friedrich Kunzmann, All About Jazz ★★★★
Buy the album on Bandcamp →
Buy the String Quartet score on Bandcamp →
Liner Notes by Peter Hum
This project was made possible through the generous support of The Canada Council for the Arts
The photograph used in this video is part of ‘Touch Base, arctic solargraphy’ a global collaboration between visual artist Udo Prinsen and approximately 25 scientists working at field research locations on, around and above the Arctic Circle. They helped capture the mystique of the environment with pinhole cameras on long-exposures.
Qikiqtaruk (Herschel Island, Yukon, Canada)
In collaboration with Dr. George Tanski
Le photographe utilise dans ce video font partie de ‘Touch Base, arctic solargraphy’ une collaboration mondiale entre l’artiste visuel Udo Prinsen et environ 25 scientifiques travaillant sur le terrain, sur le cercle arctique et autour et au-dessus de cercle arctique. Ils ont aidé à capturer la mystique de l’environnement avec des appareils photo à sténopé lors de longues expositions.
Qikiqtaruk (île Herschel, Yukon, Canada)
En collaboration avec le Dr George Tanski