The high points of the evening were two renditions of music that eventually became Prism (Memo 6b), a piece for saxophone quartet. It was performed by ~Nois, a Chicago-based ensemble. A bit earlier in the evening, ~Nois member Hunter Bockes performed Memo 6, the original version, which was written for solo alto saxophone.

Rands noted that a solo saxophone can only sound one note at a time, and Memo 6 allows the audience to imagine the harmonies. By adding three notes to create Prism, he could determine those harmonies. It was fascinating to hear this play out live, although it might have been better if Prism had followed Memo 6 directly in the program. ~Nois played it masterfully, capturing the wide variations in dynamics and aural color.

Louis Harris, March 11, 2024