“McAllister was the tirelessly virtuosic soloist, playing with rhythmic drive and confident swagger…”
“Timothy McAllister gave intense, intelligent performances…mournful [and] exuberant…”
“Dense, brash and exuberant, these two stellar works by John Adams are love letters to the confidence of the 1950s and a time when some of the greatest feats of virtuosity were often performed in smoky jazz clubs. David Robertson leads an incisive performance; the saxophonist Timothy McAllister sizzles”
“Adams has created a compelling demonstration of the instrument’s unique orchestral potential. McAllister was superb, his technical command of the score impeccable, yet with a tone of molten amber, his saxophone bubbling like a hookah pipe with intoxication, his playing gave the piece its originality”
“…McAllister’s flexibility of sound, judicious use of vibrato, ease of altissimo, and tonal techniques make it possible to listen without distraction.”
“Inspired by the work of jazz sax legend John Coltrane, for the American Premiere this weekend, Mr. McAllister played all three movements with superb virtuosity and artistic sensitivity…this is the music Philip Marlowe would hear as he sat in a late-night jazz club where the air was thick with smoke and regret. Mr. McAllister’s performance was moving and compelling.”
“McAllister’s evocative renditions and virtuoso artistry throughout the CD [SCENA] enables the music, as well as the saxophone, to transcend the potential pitfalls inherent in an ambitious project of this nature and allow the listener to be embraced by the musical challenges presented for both performer and listener…an excellent CD in both performance and composition of music.”
