EXCURSIONS
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 Brillance – at the XI World Saxophone Congress in Valencia, Spain.
| ARTISTS | |
|---|---|
| Clifford Leaman | Saxophone |
| Derek Parsons | Piano |
| TRACKS | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | Tableaux de Provence (Paule Maurice) | |
| I. Farandoulo di Chatouno | 2:26 | |
| II. Cansoun per ma mio | 1:50 | |
| III. La Boumiano | 1:13 | |
| IV. Dis Alyscamps l'amo souspire | 5:20 | |
| V. Lou Cabridan | 3:41 | |
| 6 | Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14 (Sergei Rachmaninoff, trans. Clifford Leaman) | 6:09 |
| 7 | Rumba (Maurice Whitney) | 2:52 |
| 8–10 | Three Romances, Op. 94 (Robert Schumann, ed. Fred Hemke) | |
| I. not fast | 3:25 | |
| II. simple, heartfelt | 3:47 | |
| III. not fast | 4:08 | |
| 11–13 | Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano (Bernhard Heiden) | |
| I. Allegro | 6:23 | |
| II. Vivace | 3:26 | |
| III. Adagio - presto | 6:08 | |
| 14–19 | Six Studies in English Folksong (Ralph Vaughan Williams, trans. Clifford Leaman) | |
| I. Adagio | 1:46 | |
| II. Andante | 1:09 | |
| III. Larghetto | 1:27 | |
| IV. Lento | 1:17 | |
| V. Andante tranquillo | 1:14 | |
| VI. Allegro | 0:49 | |
| 20 | Le Carnaval de Venise (Jules Demersseman, ed. Fred Hemke) | 5:21 |
| Total Playing Time | 63:51 | |
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 "Illuminations"Go to "Brilliance"
