The San Francisco Saxophone Quartet

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Founded in 1977, and playing on the streets of San Francisco since 1989 (where their "uniform" is white tie and tails - and baseball caps), The San Francisco Saxophone Quartet has now gone international, with a recent concert tour of Japan and worldwide distribution of their "Tails of the City" album on Angel Records.

Playing from memory, the quartet uses transcriptions of classical music from all eras along with original compositions. Arrangements make use of the four saxophones, or three saxophones plus piano or harpsichord. As impressive as each member is in solo performance, it is the ensemble that is truly magnificent. Somehow these four saxophones manage to sound like a much larger assemblage, one including the sounds of oboes, trumpets, french horns, violins, and more. The effect is magical and gloriously musical. Their current CD release is entitled Winds of Change.

You can experience SFSQ on radio stations, on CD or tape available at your neighborhood music store or from our BBS, or live at one of their upcoming concerts. We will keep you informed of the Quartet's concert schedule in upcoming issues of the Journal.