Influenced by classical, jazz, and indigenous American music, Moondog’s is one of the most improbable lives of the twentieth century: a blind and homeless street musician became a legendary eccentric in New York City and rose to prominence as a major-label recording artist and internationally respected composer. He became an honorary member of the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall in the late 1940s. The Prestige jazz label released his unique, melodic compositions, and in the late 1960s, Viking-garbed Moondog became a pop music sensation on Columbia Records.
Portland’s all-women saxophone quartet, The Quadraphonnes‘ production of his Sax Pax for A Sax, is an ode to one of his most beloved instruments, showcases the range of the horn with a total of 11 saxophonists on stage. Moondog calls his saxophone project Sax Pax, underlining that in this case the saxophones are not to be linked with military bands for which the instruments originally had been intended, but are used exclusively for peaceful purposes.All the pieces are part of a series which Moondog calls ZAJAZ, “jazz” in two directions, like a Janus-head with two faces. There is one looking backwards into the past, represented by classical techniques of composing and the other face turned towards the future which is characterized by a new kind of combining old and new elements of music.
The Quadraphonnes have been a veritable force within the Pacific Northwest for almost 20 years. In addition to being featured performers at beloved local Jazz festivals, clubs, concert halls, and radio stations, the “Quads” have toured SoCal, released several albums, and produced the multi-media event, Tone-Color Melody. A recent collaboration with Portland’s local film score composer, Mark Orton, resulted in their debut performance on the soundtrack of Miramax’s production of The Holdovers. In addition to performances small and large, the Quads are also deeply rooted in music education and love to teach clinics and workshops. Mieke Bruggeman, Chelsea Luker, Michelle Medler and Mary-Sue Tobin compose, arrange, collaborate, educate, and scheme to make as many people as possible fall in love with everything saxophone.
“Not the first all-female sax quartet on earth, but perhaps the most entertaining and rewarding, playing everything from original jazz compositions to soul tunes, New Orleans second line to Phillip Glass compositions. Their music is danceable, joyous, serious, and all-around spectacular.” — About Face Magazine
