Baker Artist Portfolios

"Slippery Elmer" was my return to big band jazz composition following a hiatus of about 15 years, and is one of my most traditionally-flavored works. I spent probably about a year writing, tweaking, and perfecting it. It has received performances by the Bayside Big Band, Baltimore Jazz Alliance Big Band, and the Peabody Jazz Orchestra. This fine performance by the PJO, directed by Michael Formanek, knocked my socks off (particularly the tightly performed sax soli), and features Dan Cherouny on alto sax and Robert Walliczek on trumpet.

"Robo-Dial" expresses my fury at the anonymous forces of evil whose nefarious companies, systems, and devices persist in plaguing my life with unwanted telephone calls. The intro was formerly a stand-alone micro-head written as a springboard to improvisation for the group Diagram 4, and after months of having it bouncing around my brainpan, I decided to flesh it out into a full-blown piece. It received four performances in September 2013 by the Baltimore Jazz Alliance Big Band, directed by Anthony Villa. The soloists are John Lamkin II on trumpet and Mark Osteen, killing it on tenor sax.