A Conductor’s and Performer’s Guide to Steven Bryant’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone - Chester Jenkins

95 think he was preparing where it was going to happen in his scheduling, or something of the sort, I just don’t know. And we had to wait for Steven, because Steven is very busy. And did he really want to embark upon this? JENKINS: Yeah LULLOFF: And here’s what you don’t know, or maybe you do know from talking to Steven. Because I’ve talked to Steven, I’ve had to approach Steven in another commission. Not have had, but I’ve done it on behalf of Capitol Quartet years after. Which is not going to happen yet. It might down the road, maybe in 2025. Because Steven said, ‘I’ve got to hear how to write for the saxophone in whatever application. I heard it when I heard you play.’ I think he heard me play the Mackey Concerto… JENKINS: Yeah, that’s what he told me. LULLOFF: ….in Indianapolis. That was a very emotionally charged performance. And most of mine are. JENKINS: Yeah LULLOFF: That was particularly emotionally charged. And I’m sorry I get a little…I’m still emotional from yesterday afternoon’s performance, but that’s another story. But, that performance, I almost lost Janet a few weeks back prior to that performance…. JENKINS: Wow…. LULLOFF: Because she was involved in a car accident, and she could not make that performance. And somebody hit her broadside at 45 miles an hour. JENKINS: Oh wow. LULLOFF: Two blocks away from our house as she pulled into a gas station. She never saw this person. She was in a Prius. Thank God they hit her on the passenger side. In addition, not to be personal about it, I was going to come home and then go and do errands with her, but I chose not to. Maybe I would have helped avert the crash, or maybe I would have been sitting in the passenger seat and not sitting in this chair right now. And not to be selfish about, but worse off than that, she got injured with five broken places in her pelvis, and huge rehabilitation. And I had to premiere the Mackey Soprano Saxophone Concerto with Kevin that night . I decided to stay and find reeds at the Wharton Center. So this is a very emotionally charged process. I don’t mean to be, you don’t have to write about this at all, but I want you to understand the depth of this concerto and what I means to me at least, and certainly to him. All these are like probably therapist feelings, but these are important things for me to share. I’ve never shared this with too many people beyond Howard knows. My son knows. Kevin knows. And just a few select people. John Nichol. So that’s where this concerto really takes a personal