“the main attraction of this enjoyable St. Louis Symphony album, conducted by David Robertson, is Adams’ Saxophone Concerto, composed for the virtuosic Timothy McAllister, who plays it here. Stacked with swing-era allusions, moody 4am interludes and cartwheeling acrobatics, it is unpretentious fun from start to finish”
“John Adams said he wouldn’t wish [that alto saxophone solo] on anyone, but Timothy McAllister dispatching it with wonderful grace on this world premiere evening.”
“brilliant solos were in abundance, especially by Timothy McAllister…”
“Soloist Timothy McAllister proved brilliantly up to the enormous demands — vast spreads of pitches, disjunct lines that wanted to be as lyrical as possible and some dazzling scurries.”
“(John) Adams goes for more than stylizations with [City Noir’s] wily jazz spine. Keeping a sweaty, smoky after-hours jam percolating were Timothy McAllister’s volcanic sax…”
Works by Finney, Debussy, Prokofiev, Mead, Hindemith, Lauba