That One Place Around the Corner

The Moanin’ Frogs, a collection of six of my favorite saxophone players, asked me to write them a piece at a time when I was experiencing all sorts of major changes in my life — in my family, in my job, in my physical place. I’d spent a lot of time working through these changes by writing brooding, introspective music, and was prepared to write more. But when Andy from the Frogs talked to me about the piece, he mentioned that they hoped for a piece with a “Supersax on steroids” vibe. I wasn’t about to disappoint this particular group of players, so just like that, it was time to write something big, upbeat, and funky.

Getting to that place meant thinking about my surroundings differently; it meant finding in the things with which I was struggling hope, optimism, and maybe even fun. The title, That One Place Around the Corner, was a first step. It’s a casual phrase with no direct reference, except my gut feeling that whoever is saying it is envisioning a place they can’t see, but that they’re excited to be heading toward. This is a piece about going somewhere outside your field of vision — around the corner — and going there with a spirit of joy.