REVIEWS
“I’m not sure I’ve ever appreciated how lovely the saxophone can sound until hearing this. Warmth, character and joy abound.”
Michael Beek, BBC Music Magazine,
5* Review of The Saxophone Craze
★★★★★
“Irresistible… soulful… dextrous… impressive... with clarity and immediacy, this resourceful and well-planned recital is always instructive and never less than enjoyable.”
Gramophone Music Magazine
“Brilliant playing... fabulously seductive saxophone.”
Planet Hugill,
4* Review of The Saxophone Craze
“Radford and Fripp play with real elegance... virtuosity, vitality and vigour.”
Music Web International
“Just gorgeous.”
Sam Hughes, Scala Radio
DEBUT ALBUM
“I’m not sure I’ve ever appreciated how lovely the saxophone can sound until hearing this. Warmth, character and joy abound.”
Michael Beek, BBC Music Magazine,
5* Review of The Saxophone Craze
★★★★★
THE SAXOPHONE CRAZE
Homage to Rudy Wiedoeft | Champs Hill Records
The conception of this album began during the Covid-19 pandemic when the world suddenly came to a standstill. An album exploring the music of the Roaring Twenties felt particularly timely, as we all yearned for a renaissance of this incredible period 100 years on.
A central figure of this programme is saxophonist Rudy Wiedoeft – a hugely virtuosic and prolific musician known as ‘The Kreisler of the Saxophone’. He was responsible for the Saxophone Craze, a cultural phenomenon that would secure the future of the saxophone. The rise in popularity of the saxophone inspired many major composers of the period to write for this ‘new and novel’ instrument. Although his impact as a musician in the 1920s and 30s was astronomical, his music is sadly mostly forgotten.
Our programme brings together several original Wiedoeft compositions, pairing them with works that were either originally written for saxophone, or that included the saxophone in their original orchestrations. In this sense, all the music featured on this album has helped shape the instrument into what it has become today. It is my hope that this album will pay homage to an important icon from the Roaring Twenties, whilst celebrating the diverse nature of the saxophone across genres.
https://www.champshillrecords.co.uk
