69F

Instrumentation: Tenor Saxophone and Pre-Recorded Sound

Duration: 6.5 minutes

Date of Composition: 2009

About:

69F was composed for saxophonist Geoffrey Deibel. Geoff and I share an interest in Hip Hop culture and rap music. I wanted to find a subtle way to incorporate this mutual appreciation into the piece. While the meditative, other-worldly sound of 69F remains unrelated to Hip Hop aesthetics in general, the pre-recorded part is comprised of a single, heavily-processed sample taken from a record by one of my favorite rap groups. The sample appears at the very outset as well as at the middle and end of the piece. Each iteration sounds completely different, but is generated from the same material.

The title 69F is a reference with personal and Hip Hop connotations. For three years (and during the composition of this piece), I lived near the 69th Street - Fisk Avenue stop on the 7 train in Woodside, Queens. The borough of Queens has long played an important role in the birth and development of Hip Hop and this geographical allusion seemed appropriate.