Fourth Review: Washington Saxophone Quartet

   For this review, I wanted to highlight the Washington Saxophone Quartet, a group that has been together for over 35 years. They play mostly older classical music, but they are still very active. WSaxQ plays multiple concerts every few months, and will perform about a dozen concerts around the United States every year. The ensemble is composed of 4 saxophone players. Each player plays a specific instrument.

   Reg Jackson plays soprano saxophone,
the highest pitch sax.
It is the smallest of the four saxes.

   Jim Steele plays the alto saxophone, 

the second highest pitch sax. 

The alto is slightly larger than the soprano.

   Rich Kleinfeldt plays the tenor saxophone,

the second lowest pitch sax. 

It is larger than both the soprano sax and alto sax.

   Rick Parrell plays the baritone saxophone,

the lowest pitch sax. It is the largest saxophone.

   I asked Rich Kleinfeldt to describe the sound of the quartet, and he said, "The instruments evoke the refined sounds of a string quartet, the rich harmonies of an organ prelude, and the excitement of a jazz sax section." People who hear them perform for the first time are usually surprised at the sounds and textures that just 4 saxophones are able to produce.

   WSaxQ has released 5 albums and toured all over the world, including two trips to China. They are one of the most widely hear saxophone quartets in the country. Additionally, you can hear their recordings on NPR's broadcast of "All Things Considered."

Click on this video to watch an interview with WSaxQ.

To find out more information about the Washington Saxophone Quartet, you can visit www.wsaxq.com.