BRILLANCE
The Ambassador Duo
The Ambassador Duo, formed in 1990, is comprised of saxophonist Clifford L. Leaman and pianist Derek J. Parsons. Both members hold the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in performance from the University of Michigan, where they met as graduate students in the mid-1980's. Since their debut at the 1990 Southwest Contemporary Music Festival and Conference in San Marcos, Texas, The Ambassador Duo has been active throughout the eastern and midwestern United States as performers and clinicians, appearing at numerous colleges, universities, and concert venues from Green Bay, WI to Atlanta, GA.They were invited to give the world permier of Mark Kilstoffe's Sonata for saxophone and piano — appearing on Brilliance — at the XI World Saxophone Congress in Valencia, Spain.
Also check out The Ambassador Duo's recent release, Excursions.
| ARTISTS | |
|---|---|
| Clifford Leaman | Saxophone |
| Derek Parsons | Piano |
| TRACKS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duo Concertante (BMI) (Leslie Bassett) | ||||
| 1 | Driving | 3:49 | ||
| 2 | Lyrical | 3:14 | ||
| 3 | Unhurried | 3:35 | ||
| 4 | Ascending | 1:32 | ||
| 5 | Dramatic | 3:05 | ||
| Distances Within Me (BMI) (John Anthony Lennon) | ||||
| 6 | ... | 11:13 | ||
| Lilith (BMI) (William Bolcom) | ||||
| 7 | The Female Demon | 2:59 | ||
| 8 | Succuba | 3:21 | ||
| 9 | Will-o'the-wisp | 1:35 | ||
| 10 | Child-Stealer | 2:57 | ||
| 11 | The Night Dance | 3:49 | ||
| Sonata for alto saxophone and piano (ASCAP) (Mark Kilstofte) | ||||
| 12 | Prelude | 3:09 | ||
| 13 | Recitative | 3:05 | ||
| 14 | Theme and Variations | 5:28 | ||
| 15 | Toccata | 3:30 | ||
| Brillance (ASCAP) (Ida Gotkovsky) | ||||
| 16 | Déclamé | 1:48 | ||
| 17 | Desinvolte | 1:40 | ||
| 18 | Dolcissimo | 2:24 | ||
| 19 | Final | 2:50 | ||
| Total Playing Time | 65:48 | |||
REVIEWS
Critics have hailed the Ambassador Duo as "intuitive, exciting, and enthralling." "Clifford Leaman is an artist of the first order [and] Derek Parsons is truly his musical match." – Paul Wagner, The Saxophone Journal
... they reveal themselves to be artists of technical brilliance and emotional commitment." "The range of colors is impressive..." – Jack Sullivan, American Record Guide
Go to "Excursions"Go to "Illuminations"
