Quinsin Nachoff

Jazz suites have been composed to celebrate revolution and freedom; depict space exploration and portray numerous geographical locations from whole countries to city parks. So why not write one interpreting the dynamics of flow and fracture illuminated by physics theory? That’s exactly what tenor saxophonist Quinsin Nachoff has done here using University of Toronto professor Stephen Morris’ research into emergent patterns as his base and collaborating with three filmmakers for a distinctive multi media presentation. Patterns from Nature is its audio portion, but the effectiveness of the music by the Torontonian turned New Yorker and its interpretation by soloists, pianist Matt Mitchell, bassist Carlo De Rosa, percussionist Satoshi Takeishi, clarinetist François Houle, trombonist Ryan Keberle and Nanchoff himself means the music can be appreciated on its own.

Coupled with a performance of Winding Tessellations, Nachoff’s three-part saxophone concerto, and aided by contributions throughout from the Molinari String Quartet plus a five member orchestral ensemble, the complete program substantiates the saxophonist’s talent as composer and improviser.

One of the complements here is that the musicians – including most in the formal ensemble  –  are as cognizant of freeform extemporization as formal education. Which means that even precise interjections into the compositional flow by the likes of French hornist John Clark, bassoonist Sara Schoenbeck and members of the string section come with a profound understanding of multiple musical forms.

For instance on “Cracks”, Houle’s peeping clarion cries curl and whirl as they extend variations in counterpoint with De Rosa’s string stops and clenched swells as fluid harmonies from the strings vibrate around them. Eventually all work up to a rolling crescendo when horn vamps and kettle-drum-like smacks are added. Percussion reverberations are more prominent on “Flow” as Takeishi’s gong pealing and idiophone shakes and pings cut through the strings’ buzzing undulations at the same time as one violinist’s lyrical string stretching adds needed emotion. More singularly, during “Convergence” the bouncy mid section of the saxophone concerto, as Nachoff’s pressurized reed and overblowing emphasize each note of the scale as he vibrates pitches up and down, he’s seconded by bassoon and French horn low-pitched splutters.

A complete audio and visual wrap around may produce another Patterns from Nature involvement, but there are plenty of moods and colors that can be appreciated from this CD experience alone. For more info visit

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing:  Patterns From Nature:1.  I. Branches 2. II. Flow 3. III. Cracks 4. IV. Ripples/Winding Tessellations  I. Winding Paths II. Convergence III. Tessellations

Personnel: Ryan Keberle (trombone); François Houle (clarinet); Quinsin Nachoff (tenor saxophone); Matt Mitchell (piano); Carlo De Rosa (bass); Satoshi Takeishi (percussion) + Molinari String Quartet: Olga Ranzenhofer, Antoine Barell (violins); Frédéric Lambert (viola); Pierre-Alain Bourertte (cello) + Ensemble: Tony Kadleck (trumpet); John Clark (French horn); Roberta Michel (flute); Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon); Aaron Edgcomb (percussion) JC Sanford (conductor)