British saxophonist Jess Gillam lit up the Ordway Concert Hall this week, in the first saxophone recital presented by the Schubert Club’s “International Artist Series.”
Performing with pianist Thomas Weaver, Gillam played with effervescent sparkle, shining a light on the versatility of the saxophone. While it’s most often associated with jazz and other popular music forms, Gillam made the case for the saxophone’s place in the classical music realm, and celebrated the instrument in an expansive program that gave a taste of just what the saxophone can do.
The 26-year-old classically-trained musician and BBC radio broadcaster started playing the sax when she was 7 in a carnival band, and toured around the UK making music in the streets. Her early years blended playing music and dancing at the same time, an impulse she carries with her today with her free-flowing, physical style. Her royal blue pantsuit and glittery shoes only added to the party feeling.
The concert included a number of works composed for other instruments before saxophones were invented in 1840. John Dowland’s “Flow My Tears,” a piece written for lute in 1600, became a gentle, whispering opener to the concert, as an example.
Georg Philipp Telemann, meanwhile, wrote Sonata in F Minor for bassoon and continuo in the 18th century, with an option to play the solo part two octaves higher on the recorder. Gillam played the part on soprano sax, accompanied by Weaver in Simon Parkin’s arrangement. The music showcased Gillam’s lovely tone as well as her sprightly articulation.
She played transposed oboe works from the 20th century on the soprano saxophone as well. Francis Poulenc’s Oboe Sonata, arranged by John Harle, was complex and dramatic, with unusual twists that highlighted the saxophone’s squeaky nature in all its idiosyncratic glory. Gillam and Weaver played a wonderful back and forth in the music, trading off melodies seamlessly. The work’s third movement, “Déploration,” is its smoothest, and Gillam brought a powerful emotion to the movement.
Benjamin Britten’s “Temporal Variations,” meanwhile, which Gillam arranged herself, also celebrated the weirdness of the saxophone’s at times harsh sound. In frantic, pulsing sections, Gillam kept up a frenetic energy and caused gasps in the audience with the work’s haunting last sustained note.
Gillam divided the concert into two parts, focusing on classical repertoire for the first half, and playing her soprano saxophone. After intermission, she alternated soprano and alto sax, and paid tribute to the “greats” of saxophone music, including her own mentors as well as musicians who inspired her.
“Pequena Cazardas,” by Pedro Iturralde and arranged by Gillam with John Harle, was one of the evening’s most exciting. When she really got going, Gillam donned a confident smirk — aware of how much she had the audience in her grasp. Gillam isn’t just a terrific musician, but she’s also got magnetic stage presence that has real star quality.
“Petite Fleur” by Sidney Bechet was another hit, swelling with luxurious warmth. Meanwhile, Stan Getz’ “The Peacocks,” and Philip Woods Sonata for Alto Saxophone filtered in a film noir feeling.
Gillam and Weaver finished their set performing “Rant,” a piece written for Gillam by her teacher and mentor John Harle. The work draws on colloquial music styles from Northern England, where Gillam is from. With its danceable rhythms, the work was a swirling triumph, after which the audience demanded, and got, an encore.
The concert marked the last offering in Schubert Club’s International Artist Series this season, but there are still more performances in Schubert’s other programs, like free “Courtroom Concerts” at the Landmark Center, its Music in the Parks series, and more.
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