October-Flowers-Cover_web_drop

Ken Vandermark

October Flowers for Joe McPhee

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Fall release

It's not a stretch to say that saxophonist and clarinetist Ken Vandermark's path into creative music was paved by Joe McPhee. In particular, McPhee's landmark 1976 LP Tenor - recorded casually in a Swiss chalet and featuring four new compositions that effortlessly combined experimentation and lyricism - was Vandermark's ear-opener. The two musicians would go on to begin a fruitful working relationship in 1996, a partnership that continues today, and now Vandermark has paid homage to his friend and mentor with a suite of compositions and improvisations. These solo works, performed on an array of horns (clarinet, bass clarinet, baritone and of course tenor saxophone), are as melodious and unapologetically beautiful as anything in Vandermark's oeuvre, interweaving tremendous swells of emotion and ingenious linear inventions. Vandermark played the six pieces in the suite in front of an invited audience at Corbett vs. Dempsey, the gallery's natural acoustic drawing out every nuance of his playing. He augmented the suite, each part of which is named for a flower with significance to McPhee or Vandermark, with several powerful free improvisations, all titled after "filler flowers," making the entire program a bouquet for Mr. McPhee. Exquisitely documented by Alex Inglizian, with cover art by Arch Connelly and liner notes by Vandermark.

  1. Azaleas/tenor [5:05]
  2. Baby’s Breath/Bb clarinet [1:44]
  3. Gardenias/bass clarinet [5:32]
  4. Dusty Miller/tenor [3:09]
  5. Ruscus/baritone [2:02]
  6. Dandelions/Bb clarinet [5:13]
  7. Violets/baritone [4:32]
  8. Sunflowers/tenor 5:50]
  9. Queen Anne’s Lace/bass clarinet [1:57]
  10. Marigolds/Bb clarinet [6:04]
  11. Eucalyptus/tenor [3:23]

Ken Vandermark, tenor and baritone saxophone; Bb and bass clarinet

All music by Ken Vandermark (Twenty First Mobile Music Publishing/ASCAP, AUME/Published by Cien Fuegos)

1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 composed and improvised

2, 4, 5, 9, 11 improvised

Recorded by Alex Inglizian at Corbett vs. Dempsey, Chicago on March 17, 2025. Mixed and mastered by Alex Inglizian, John Corbett, Jim Dempsey, and Ken Vandermark at Experimental Sound Studio on July 17, 2025. Cover art by Arch Connelly. CD design by Michael Dyer/Remake. CD produced by John Corbett and Jim Dempsey for Corbett vs. Dempsey.

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