Oliver Lake: Alto Madness at Roulette

Composer and saxophonist Oliver Lake, co-founder of the iconic World Saxophone Quartet—the saxes-only ensemble that spun through a mix of styles, from gospel to free jazz in the late seventies and eighties’ loft-jazz scene—revives that spirit with the alto sax quartet, Alto Madness. With Lake as performer and composer, the ensemble features titan saxophonists Bruce Williams, Darius Jones, and Michaël Attias, completed by drum master Pheeroan akLaff.

In this rare appearance—the third since the ensemble formed in 2014—Alto Madness will premiere Oliver Lake’s composition: Tone Poem 4 J.A.H...

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Composer and saxophonist Oliver Lake, co-founder of the iconic World Saxophone Quartet—the saxes-only ensemble that spun through a mix of styles, from gospel to free jazz in the late seventies and eighties’ loft-jazz scene—revives that spirit with the alto sax quartet, Alto Madness. With Lake as performer and composer, the ensemble features titan saxophonists Bruce Williams, Darius Jones, and Michaël Attias, completed by drum master Pheeroan akLaff.

In this rare appearance—the third since the ensemble formed in 2014—Alto Madness will premiere Oliver Lake’s composition: Tone Poem 4 J.A.H. Re-arranged in 2019 for this ensemble, this piece was originally written in 2007 for the World Saxophone Quartet and is dedicated to one of its co-founders, jazz composer and saxophonist Julius Hemphill (1938–1995).

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