Patrick Bartley, alto saxophone; Xavier Del Castillo, tenor saxophone; Chris Pattishall, piano; Russell Hall, bass; Joe Peri, drums
Patrick Bartley Jr. is a Grammy-nominated, award-winning saxophonist and composer/arranger, best known for his powerful sound, versatility, and expression. Now based in New York, he hails from Florida, where Melton Mustafa Jr. was an important mentor. He has been featured with musicians such as Steve Miller, the Chainsmokers, Jon Batiste and Stay Human, Dave Matthews Band, Dayna Stephens, and Wynton Marsalis.
Summergarden presents the premiere of Mr. Bartley’s Open World, which explores the relationship that narrative and imagery have with musical performance. In each piece, the saxophone is the narrator or main character, with context provided by the rhythm section of piano, bass, and drums. The harmonies, rhythms, and cycles played by the rhythm section represent different characteristics of each fictional world, with its own rules, order, and structure; the saxophone lines suggest the ways in which a character develops and changes. Mr. Bartley writes, “The idea stems mainly from my deep-seated love for serial fiction (mostly Japanese), where the next series of events always appear dynamic and ever-changing.”
The Museum of Modern Art established Summergarden in 1971. In keeping with MoMA’s history of presenting jazz and classical music in the Sculpture Garden, this year’s concert series once again welcomes the participation of The Juilliard School and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Titled New Music for New York, the series comprises four evenings of adventurous contemporary music, with premieres each night. Juilliard concerts are performed by members of the New Juilliard Ensemble and the Ansonia Quartet, under the artistic direction of Joel Sachs. Mr. Sachs has assembled two distinctive programs of recent compositions, which are enjoying their New York premieres. Jazz at Lincoln Center has selected two stylistically different jazz ensembles whose concerts emphasize original works, each with one world premiere.
Summergarden is free and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The Sculpture Garden may close if attendance reaches maximum capacity. Entrance to Summergarden is through the Sculpture Garden gate on West 54 Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. The Sculpture Garden opens at 7:00 p.m., and concerts start at 8:00 p.m. and run approximately one hour to 90 minutes. The Sculpture Garden closes at 10:00 p.m. In the event of rain, concerts will be held in The Agnes Gund Garden Lobby, and the Museum’s 54 Street entrance will open at 7:30 p.m. The exhibition galleries are closed during Summergarden. The Garden Bar, located on the northeast end of the Sculpture Garden, features a selection of homemade snacks, draft beer, wine, and nonalcoholic beverages. In the event of rain, the Garden Bar is closed.