ABOUT THE ARTISTS Francesco Protasi, Saxophone
As a Philly based saxophonist, composer/arranger, singer, and actor, Francesco Protasi is no stranger to performances of any kind, and his versatility has given him the fortunate opportunity to collaborate with professional musicians and theaters in the scene. Francesco is currently in his final year at the Wells School of Music at West Chester University, studying Saxophone Performance with a concentration in Jazz Studies under the instruction of Jonathan Ragonese. He has also spent four years
PROGRAM NOTES Lift-Off This chart is inspired by Pittsburgh-based band called Starship Mantis, particularly, their song entitled “Roger Jones.” Starship Mantis was a short-lived band that played in a multitude of styles like funk, electronica, rock, R&B, jazz, hip hop, and combined them into one sound. “Lift-Off ” employs a similar groove and bass line as the Starship Mantis song, but introduces a more hard-bop quality with its quasi-blues form and vocabulary.
It’s Snowing “It’s Snowing” is a ballad that employs chromatic and whole-step harmonic motion over a repeating melody. The melody and harmony dance with each other in this sense. It also commonly shifts between four and five bar phrases to prolong harmonic tension. We decided it is only best for this mellow tune’s melody to be led by flugelhorn and piano.
…and I want it to. It always feels good to write a contrafact, a new melody over an existing progression. “…and I want it to.” takes the progression of “It Could Happen to You” and introduces a much more active melody emanating from the bop language. It is energized and exciting, but relaxed and tuneful.
Impressions on 5 Photographs The inception of this piece dates back nearly a year and a half. When editing and compiling these pictures, it seemed only natural to pair them with music. From the perspective of the camera, they reminded me of places and spaces that might seem lonesome or nostalgic. Either way, they evoked my feeling and compelled me to start writing. The piece took on a different form before the finished product you see before you. I originally had the intention to implement a string section. However, after a reading, I thought it was best to forgo that vision because my way of writing the piece made it nearly impossible to hear them. This change forced me to reconsider the construction of the music, and progress slowed dramatically. It was when Nathan Hansen formed the new music ensemble, Kitchen Sink, that I saw a new angle to look at the piece from. I then started nearly from scratch, and the final iteration was coming to be. The piece is inspired by multiple eras of concert and improvisatory music. I hope you enjoy the finished product!