Regarding the Moon (Single)

'Regarding the Moon' is a new composition by Greek bassist Petros Klampanis, commissioned and performed by Andrew Hadro, baritone saxophonist in New York City. Hadro began working on the concept in the early days of the pandemic as a way to give work to composers during the global  performance outage. It is written for double string quartet (four violin, two viola, two cello), bass, piano, drums and features the baritone saxophone. It utilizes the extreme upper register of the baritone saxophone, a range and timbre rarely used by composers.

The title is both a reference to the extreme upper reaches of saxophone range and  a nod to composer Claude Debussy’s 'Clair de Lune'. The piece is so technically difficult that Hadro spent months re-learning the altissimo range of the baritone saxophone, while the recording took nearly 18 months to complete on two continents with sessions months apart.  

According to Petros, 'Andrew asked me to write a tune that features the high register of the baritone, a sound which I find especially beautiful and surely not what someone expects to hear from a bari. I tried to integrate the roles of the different ensembles, within the whole group (strings on the one hand and a jazz quartet on the other) and create a musical story that allows the leading instrument to shine but not overshadow the colours of the group.'

This piece is the first in a series of compositions commissioned to feature the baritone saxophone with strings as part of Andrew Hadro's ongoing project, 'For Us, The Living'. Subsequent works will debut in 2022.

'Regarding the Moon' released on the ΠΚ Music label on December 24th, 2021. Available wherever music is sold or streamed.

DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE EDITOR’S PICK - JANUARY 2022

’The piece serves as a loving ballad, and a bit of a nod to Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” delivered with stunning precision and grace. …So, is it jazz? New music? Who cares. It’s a work of extraordinary beauty.”

—Frank Alkyer
DownBeat Magazine

Credits

Brooklyn, NY, USA
Andrew Hadro - Baritone Saxophone
Petros Klampanis - Composer, Producer, Bass
Martha Kato - Piano
Rogerio Boccato - Drums
Michael Perez-Cisneros - Sound Engineer at Big Orange Sheep

Athens, Greece
Dionisis Vervitsiotis, Migen Selmani, Haralambos Karasavidis, Pericles Timplalexis - Violin
Enkela Kokolani, Krystalia Gaitanou - Viola
Marina Kolovou, Fabiola Ojeda - Cello
Concertmeister: Stathis Soulis
Sound Engineer: George Kariotis at Sierra Studio, Athens
Mix/mastering: George Kariotis, Petros Klampanis