Three Jazz Settings: I. Introduction and Allegro: (Danse Macabre)

This suite was inspired most notably by the saxophone quartets of Phil Woods and was written in a conscious attempt to wed certain stylistic elements of classical and jazz music. The players are not asked to improvise, but the piece does feature sections that sound spontaneous and freely created. The piece is difficult, but no more so than other quartets, like Glazunov and Desenclos, that are standard repertoire for this instrumentation. Talented high school and all college groups will find success working on this piece. The first movement, subtitled "Danse Macabre," is ominous, dark, sometimes "bluesy," and is propelled along by the use of intricate counterpoint and an improvised sounding solo section for the tenor saxophone.