Saxquartitis
June 23, 2024
As a teenager, visiting older saxophonist brother Curt in Omaha, circa 1980 or so, snooping around his record collection, this album cover inspired me to throw it on the turntable. The sounds of World Sax Quartet’s “Steppin” mystified but lured me into the sound of four saxophones in consort and stretching out…
…fast forward to 1987, I moved to Oakland to attend Mills College, I’m attending a barbecue at Anthony Braxton’s cottage, it’s me, the Iowa Greenhorn, and four gentlemen who were in a group called ROVA. I quickly discovered their inspired, radical take on the sax quartet.
So what was I to do, but to invite three sax-playing Mills classmates (Dan Plonsey, Mtafiti Imara, and Einion Dafydd) to join me in my practice room one Sunday morning in December 1987 to read that epic sketch “Splorb.” Thus the Splorb Action Players was born.
Many incarnations (including Jayn Pettingill as the other alto for my thesis concert) and name changes later (the Mills Brothers, the Smokehouse Quartet, and SPONJ), PLUS a geographical relocation to NYC/East Coast, Chris Jonas (1989) and Bostonian Steve Norton (1992) were in the fold and we were the Great Circle Saxophone Quartet.
I moved to the Sierra Foothills in 2002, Chris Jonas to Santa Fe, Dan Plonsey remained in his beloved El Cerrito, but we were still sharing our musical lives with one another, Cory Wright being one of the common denominators. What to do but recruit him for the latest incarnation of saxophone celebration. Code-named Goggle, we convened for a mini-tour of New Mexico in 2014, and have not looked back since.
All this is to say please join us this evening at 7 PM for the West Oakland Sound Series as we premiere all-new compositions and share the stage with Darren Johnston’s dynamic United Brassworkers Front.
Looking forward to showcasing new sounds and drawing upon our deep connections to make music for you all. Hoping you can join this celebration of brass/saxophonics!