DESCRIPTION:
"It Was Whispered" - composed, arranged & conducted by Earl MacDonald

Soloists: Satoshi Takeishi (drums), Marc Phaneuf (alto sax), JC Sanford (trombone), Dave Smith (trumpet)

Woodwinds: Marc Phaneuf, Ben Kono, Dan Willis, Rob Middleton, Alden Banta
Trumpets: Dan Urness, John Eckert, Steve Smyth, Dave Smith
Trombones: Tim Sessions, Pete McGuinness, JC Sanford, Jennifer Wharton
Rhythm: Sabatian Noelle (guitar), Deanna Witkowski (piano), Dave Ambrosio (bass), Satoshi Takeishi (drums)

Performed at: Christ & St. Stephen's Church, 120 W. 69th St., New York, NY

June 27, 2014

To a degree, this piece was inspired by Ornette Coleman. I am fond of the short, folksy, poetic melodies he writes, and wanted to capture this aesthetic within the context of a fully-developed large ensemble piece. My challenge/balancing act was evoking the essence of "free jazz" while retaining enough compositional control to avoid the chaos of mass, collective, free improvisation.