Press Release
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a raft, the sky, the wild sea
Joe Lovano, tenor saxophone
Winston-Salem symphony
Michelle Merrill, conductor
Catalogue Number: BCM100060
Release Date: March 6th
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“an inner voyage, one that is sometimes calm and reassuring, sometimes startling and turbulent. You’re being taken somewhere, but you’re unsure where you’re going or how you’ll get there…
This uncertainty about the big picture puts the focus on what’s happening right now, in this instant, and then in the next instant, and the next, and the next.”
~ Douglas J Cuomo
a raft, the sky, the wild sea
DOUGLAS J. CUOMO
1. Movement I
2. Movement II
3. Movement III
Joe Lovano – tenor saxophone
Winston-Salem symphony
Michelle Merrill – conductor
a raft, the sky, the wild sea
Douglas J. Cuomo
While composing this piece I was imagining an inner voyage, one that is sometimes calm and reassuring, sometimes startling and turbulent. You’re being taken somewhere, but you’re unsure where you’re going or how you’ll get there. This uncertainty about the big picture puts the focus on what’s happening right now, in this instant. And then in the
next instant, and the next, and the next. This is all of us, each on our own metaphysical raft under the open sky, trying to cross the wild sea. But for millions of people throughout the world this is not a metaphor. For those who are forced to flee their homeland to seek safety and a better life, it’s a description of a harrowing physical reality. This piece also recognizes these children, women and men, for whom the raft, the sky and the sea are indescribably dangerous, and for whom the journey is real.
Written for the world-renowned jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano, a raft, the sky, the wild sea draws on my background in both the jazz and classical worlds. Its musical language references the vocabularies of both contemporary classical music (building a large-scale three movement musical structure, Lutoslawski influenced strategies of pitch organization and harmonic language, etc.) and jazz (traditional ballad playing, modal improvisation, the blues, etc.).
As in a traditional concerto a dialogue is set up between soloist and orchestra, however in this case much of the soloist’s part is improvised. The score prescribes very clearly exactly when the saxophone plays, but during the improvised sections, what is played is largely left to the them. Rhythmic and harmonic guidelines are indicated, as well as the occasional description of mood or feel. Generally however, I am relying on the music of the orchestral itself to provide the inspiration for the improvising, knowing that each particular mood in the orchestra has the possibility of inspiring a myriad of improvised musical responses from the saxophone. This is a musical exploration through the unknown, with each performance unique, acknowledging that every journey we take is one of high stakes, but also infinite possibility.
To leave so much up to the soloist requires a deep musical compatibility and trust – a special relationship between composer and performer. Joe’s tremendous artistry and wide open musical mind was a guiding light during the writing of this piece, allowing me to compose with freedom, and with the confidence that he would bring exceptional beauty, raw power, sensitivity and heightened emotion to his part.
Douglas J. Cuomo’s a raft, the sky, the wild sea is a powerful concerto written for Grammy-winning saxophonist Joe Lovano, blending contemporary classical form with the expressive freedom of jazz.
Structured in three movements, the work moves between moments of stillness and turbulence, inviting the listener into an unfolding, present-tense musical journey.
Commissioned by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Winston-Salem Symphony, the piece reflects a close creative partnership between Cuomo and Lovano, whose artistry and openness shape the music from within.
Performed here with the Winston-Salem Symphony conducted by Michelle Merrill, the recording captures a distinctive sound world of lyricism, risk and emotional clarity.
Dedicated to refugees and displaced people around the world, a raft, the sky, the wild sea is both a personal meditation and a broader reflection on human journeys across uncertain terrain.
Douglas J. Cuomo, composer – www.douglasjcuomo.com
Douglas J. Cuomo has composed for the concert, operatic and theatrical stages, television, and film. His music, influenced by jazz, world music, classical, and popular sources, as well as by his spiritual practice as a Buddhist, is as personal, distinctive, and recognizable as it is wide-ranging. Cuomo’s most recent works include: the music for Symphony of Flesh and Bones, an installation by Juliet Ellis (Manchester International Festival); La Cita for the Romero Guitar Quartet and voice (San Francisco Performances); Every Door, a solo harp piece for Lavinia Meijer (Stanford Live); a raft, the sky, the wild sea, a concerto for the saxophonist Joe Lovano, (London Philharmonic, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra); Seven Limbs, for the guitarist Nels Cline (Wilco) and the Aizuri String Quartet; The Jump Up, a site-specific piece for Sandbox Percussion, and A White Rose in the Blue Ground, a suite for the Balourdet String Quartet. Other new works include a chamber version of his opera Doubt premiering this season with Opera Parallèle; an adaption of Seven Limbs for Joe Lovano and string quartet to be released on Sunnyside Records in summer 2026; an evening-length piece for Seth Parker Woods and Tyshawn Sorey and electronics and major new works for Sullivan Fortner and Sandbox Percussion and for Jeffrey Zeigler and electronics.
Past highlights include: Savage Winter, (BAM’s Next Wave Festival, Pittsburgh Opera); Doubt, with libretto by
John Patrick Shanley (Minnesota Opera) with a cast that included Denyce Graves and Christine Brewer;
Arjuna’s Dilemma, (BAM Next Wave Festival, Dallas Opera, Kathmandu); Black Diamond Express Train to Hell,
a concerto for cellist Maya Beiser and electronic sampler (Carnegie Hall); as well as numerous choral and
chamber works. Cuomo has lectured widely on music, collaboration and creativity. He composed the theme
for Sex & the City and scored seven seasons of Homicide: Life on the Street, as well as over 20 feature films.
Cuomo is published by Schott Music.
Joe Lovano, saxophone – joelovano.com
Grammy-winning saxophonist, composer and producer Joe Lovano is fearless in finding new modes of artistic expression. With a Grammy Win for his 52nd Street Themes and 14 other nominations, he has won DownBeat Magazine ’s Critics and Readers Polls countless times as Tenor Saxophonist, Musician of the Year, Jazz Album of the Year and Triple Crowns from DownBeat. He has also received numerous awards from Jazz Times and the Jazz Journalists Association for Tenor Saxophone, Album of the Year and Musician of the Year.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 29, 1952 he attended the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston where years later he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate. Since 2001 he has held the Gary Burton Chair in Jazz Performance and is a founding faculty member since 2009 of the Global Jazz Institute at Berklee directed by Danilo Pérez. He is a guest lecturer at New York University’s Jazz Program, Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music as well as Clinician at Universities around the globe.
From 1991 through 2016, Lovano released an unprecedented 25 records as a leader for the historic Blue Note Records. Joe Lovano Quartet: Classic! Live at Newport featuring Hank Jones was recorded in 2005 and released in 2016 to critical acclaim. In 2019, Lovano released his debut album as a bandleader on ECM Records, Trio Tapestry, with Marilyn Crispell and Carmen Castaldi. Over the next few years, Lovano saw the release of three additional ECM Records albums: ROMA, a collaboration with Enrico Rava; Arctic Riff, a special guest appearance with the Marcin Wasilewski Trio; and the sophomore release from Lovano’s Trio Tapestry, Garden of Expression. In 2021, Lovano released Other Worlds on Greenleaf Music, his third album with Sound Prints, a quintet he co-leads with trumpeter Dave Douglas. The next year brought a collaboration with guitarist Jakob Bro, Once Around the Room: A Tribute to Paul Motian. In 2023, Lovano released his third Trio Tapestry recording entitled, Our Daily Bread. Most recently, Lovano released Homage, a follow-up recording with the Marcin Wasilewski Trio. In addition, composer Mark Anthony Turnage wrote a Concerto for
Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra for Joe called “A Man Descending” which has been performed globally and Maestro Michael Abene orchestrated an album of all-Lovano originals called Symphonica for the WDR Symphonic Orchestra and Big Band, which was released on Blue Note and received a Grammy nomination.
Joe has performed and recorded with a long list of jazz greats including Woody Herman, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Mel Lewis, Bob Brookmeyer, Paul Motian, Bill Frisell, Tony Bennett, Abbey Lincoln, Charlie Haden, John Scofield, Gunther Schuller, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Ed Blackwell, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland, Hank Jones, Dave Liebman, Michael Brecker, Dave Douglas, Judi Silvano, Ravi Coltrane, Chucho Valdés, Ornette Coleman, Diana Krall, and many others. Joe has created an extensive body of work for his own ensembles including strings, woodwinds, his horn-rich Nonet, the Classic Quartet, Trio Tapestry, and more.
Joe Lovano continues to explore new horizons within the world of music as a soloist, bandleader and
composer.
Winston-Salem Symphony – wssymphony.org
Proud to be one of the Southeast’s most highly regarded regional orchestras, the Winston-Salem Symphony premiered in 1947 under founding conductor James Lerch and grew from a civic endeavor into a world-class ensemble under successive music directors John Iuele, Peter Perret, Robert Moody, and Timothy Redmond.Over the years, the Symphony has hosted globally renowned guests ranging from Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Renée Fleming to Chris Thile, the Indigo Girls, and, for the present recording, saxophonist Joe Lovano. Today, under the direction of music director Michelle Merrill, the Symphony fulfills its mission to “Bring Music to Life” by inspiring listeners of all ages throughout North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad with various concerts, education programs, and community engagement initiatives each year.
Michelle Merrill, conductor – www.michelle-merrill.com
Michelle Merrill has been inspiring audiences throughout the country with her sharply detailed and vibrant performances. A passionate and dynamic artist, she is the Music Director of both the Winston Salem Symphony and the Coastal Symphony of Georgia, where she has ignited the growth and expansion of each orchestra’s offerings both on and off the stage. Ms. Merrill’s growing guest conducting schedule includes recent and upcoming engagements with the National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre national d’Île-de-France, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Sarasota Orchestra, and the Round Top Music Festival Institute.
In past seasons, she has conducted concerts with the San Francisco Opera, National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa), Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO), Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, West Virginia Symphony, Symphoria (Syracuse), Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic, Orlando Philharmonic, Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, Boise Philharmonic, New Music Detroit, and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, where she formerly served as the Assistant Conductor from 2012 – 2015.
Ms. Merrill is a proud recipient of a 2016 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award as well as the prestigious 2013 Ansbacher Conducting Fellowship as awarded by members of the Vienna Philharmonic and the American Austrian Foundation, which enabled her to be in residence at the world-renowned Salzburg Festival. Born in Dallas, TX, she studied conducting with Dr. Paul C. Phillips at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts, where she holds a Master of Music Degree in conducting and a Bachelor of Music in performance. Apart from music, she loves cooking, running, hiking, and spending time outdoors with her husband, Steve Merrill, who serves as the principal percussionist of the Jacksonville Symphony, and their two sons, Davis and Emmett.
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