TITLE
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PRISM Quartet
Timothy McAllister, soprano saxophone
Zachary Shemon, alto saxophone
Matthew Levy, tenor saxophone
Taimur Sullivan, baritone saxophone
Track Listing:
TITLE (2022) by Adam Silverman
1. Quiet (16)
2. Thorn (250)
3. Ultra (238)
4. Rogue (145)
5. Yearn (62)
6. Helix (32)
Adam Silverman
Liner Notes by Bruce Hodges
What do words have to do with our perception? How do they lead us (or not) down certain paths? These are only a few of the questions that Adam Silverman discreetly poses in TITLE (2022), inspired by random puzzles from Wordle, the wildly popular online game. Like the word “sonata,” Silverman’s title stubbornly refuses to betray any allegiance to a program or underlying concept. But the titles of each of the six movements — culled from the thousands of five-letter solutions since the game’s public debut in 2021 — give clues to their disparate moods. And as if to increase the enigmas (or encourage speculation), each title includes a number, indicating the order in which the puzzle answer appeared.
The series opens with “Quiet (16),” a contemplative moto perpetuo with a flow so gentle that the players’ key clicks become part of the texture. Its three minutes bubble with introspection, while showing off the glistening timbres of the instruments. As the final phrase disappears into the ether, it paves the way for the rugged landscape of “Thorn (250),” the longest movement, and also in constant motion. A motif of four notes heralds pumping rhythms and brief melodic fragments, before the players unite in a final phrase, rocketing upward like a lightning bolt.
After a heraldic opening, the jazzy “Ultra (238)” finds its groove in patterns of glassy falling thirds, before it evaporates in scarcely two minutes. “Rogue (145)” bears out its title with insouciant lines punctuated by pauses, and while the ensemble pings back and forth, a “rogue” solo takes flight, before two decisive chords bring the merriment to an end.
The penultimate section, “Yearn (62),” brings a completely different vibe to the party. Its slow-moving phrases glow with nostalgia, solitude, and peace. And for the concluding “Helix (32),” rapid-fire rhythms dart like fireflies, with the foursome in swirling, chugging lines that seem to echo each other. The spirals continue until the final few seconds, when upward arpeggios conclude the reedy array.
But the unifying force is Silverman’s unwavering focus on the sound of the ensemble, and his distillations create an atmosphere that alternates between intensity, delicacy, and bold outbursts.
Credits:
Executive Producer; Editing/Mixing/Mastering: Matthew Levy
Take Selection: Adam Silverman and Matthew Levy
Produced by PRISM Quartet (Timothy McAllister, Zachary Shemon, Matthew Levy, Taimur Sullivan) and Adam Silverman
Recorded at Elm Street Studios, Conshohocken, PA
Lead Session Engineer: John O. Senior
Assistant Engineer: Nancy Kimmons,
Artwork/Design: Jon Rohrer, OfficeOfDevelopment.com
Acknowledgments:
This project has been made possible with generous support from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and the Wells School of Music.
UPC: (coming soon)
Record Label / Catalogue Number:
XAS 123
Release Date:
January 10, 2025