MUSIC REVIEWS : Quartet Makes Impact in West Coast Debut

Tackling brave new territory in the conservative-leaning realm of classical music tradition takes a unique blend of conviction, refined talent and a bit of damn-the-torpedoes ambition. Those qualities are amply in evidence with the New Century Saxophone Quartet, not to mention a finely honed musicality deserving wider acceptance.

While only half a house showed up at Ambassador Auditorium Monday night for the North Carolina-based quartet’s West Coast debut, those in attendance proved a conspicuously appreciative gathering. Polish and vitality distinguish the group--soprano saxophonist Michael Stephenson, altoist James Boatman (also the group’s arranger), tenor Stephen Pollock and baritone Brad Hubbard.

Outside of jazz and theater music, saxophones have always had a rough time gaining respect in the classical world. As shown again in Pasadena, the bias is unfortunate, because this is a hybrid instrument of great luster and versatility.

Opening with the formality of Jean Baptiste Singelee’s First Quartet (1857), the ensemble immediately displayed its winning voice, a warm, reedy and creamily unified collective sound. Three short Shostakovich pieces, of marginal interest, established further connection with classical orthodoxy, but the most refreshing music came from living composers.

Sherwood Shaffer’s handsome Sinfonia for Saxophone Quartet had the group contrapuntally weaving and intersecting voices, while Elliot del Borgo’s Quartet featured both rampaging triplets and dark-toned introspection. Morton Gould’s Pavane (from his American Symphonette No. 2) contained some of the evening’s most overt jazz references but in a coy, quirky style.

Better-integrated jazz ideas came with the concert’s highlight and closer, Russell Peck’s “Drastic Measures.” It begins, actually, with lilting, tender measures and gets brasher by the bar.

Inherently, the New Century Saxophone Quartet is a crusading unit, spreading the gospel about this maligned instrument’s serious aspirations. They made believers here.