Birdology

Despite the fact that this duo recording of master reed and woodwinds players Peter A. Schmid and Vinny Golia is entitled "Birdology," it is not a tribute to Charlie Parker, but rather reflects the habits, migration, and nesting aspects of birds. However, the flocks of birds are in a sense metaphorical, in that these 16 pieces reflect flocking of instruments, including tubas, clarinets, flutes, piccolos, recorders, saxophones, etc. These are tonal studies; they offer aural scenes of travel, gestation, and migration from one aspect of sound to another, with deep inquiry and playfulness based on the harmonic and scalar possibilities not only in each instrument, but in the abilities of each player.