Gerald Danovitch Saxophone Quartet
| Company type | Musical ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Founder | Gerald Danovitch |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Montreal , Canada |
| Products | Music performances, recordings |
The Gerald Danovitch Saxophone Quartet (GDSQ) was a Canadian ensemble specializing in music, established in 1968 in Montreal by McGill University faculty member Gerald Danovitch.
History
Spanning a wide array of styles from classical to Jazz, the quartet's founding lineup included Danovitch on soprano saxophone, Donald Hughes playing alto, Shane Nestruck on baritone, and Abe Kestenberg handling tenor saxophone. In 1976, Peter Freeman took over the alto position from Hughes, followed by Nancy Newman replacing Nestruck on baritone in 1978. Janis Steprans became part of the group in 1994.
The GDSQ earned first place in the du Maurier Search for Stars Contest in 1983. In 1986, they collaborated with the Orchestre Métropolitain under the baton of Pierre Max Dubois to perform his concerto for saxophone quartet and strings.
Their international presence included an appearance at the ninth World Saxophone Congress held in Tokyo in 1988, coupled with a tour throughout the Far East. The following year, Paquito D'Rivera composed New York Suite specifically for the GDSQ; this composition was also recorded by CBC JazzImage featuring the New York Saxophone Quartet.
After Danovitch succumbed to cancer in 1997, Newman and Kestenberg established the Phoenix Saxophone Quartet. This new ensemble paid homage to Danovitch with a broadcast on CBC Radio 2's In Performance program in January 1999.
Discography
- 1985 – Esquisses. Dubois Quatuor – M. Perrault Esquisses québécoises – McGill University Records 85022
- 1986 – Jones Three Preludes and a Fugue. 5-ACM 24
- 1987 – Gerald Danovitch Saxophone Quartet – CBC Records [1018]
- 1988 – Patriquin Earthpeace One. L. and I. Zuk piano. A Tempo 29588 (cass)
- 1989 – Free Trade. D. Matthews – Arnold – D'Rivera – et al. New York Saxophone Quartet. CBC JazzImage 2-0118 (CD)
- 1991 – Celebration: One Hundred and Fifty Years of the Saxophone. – featuring Eugene Rousseau – McGill University Records 750042-2 (CD)
Further reading
- Rowland, Hilary. 'Meet the man behind all that campus jazz,' Montreal Gazette, 27 Oct 1984
- McLean, Eric. 'Sax quartet makes strange mix,' Montreal Gazette, 12 Mar 1988
- Tanner, David. 'Gerald Danovitch,' Saxophone Journal, vol 14, Jul–Aug 1989
- Ginsberg, Murray. "Canadian Scene." International Musician, Nov 1992