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biography ( regarding james, briefly )
James Sullivan explores the creative possibilities of the entire clarinet family. In addition to the soprano clarinets, he has cultivated a virtuosic command of the bass clarinet. He plays in diverse chamber music settings from classical to avant-garde and has performed with a range of orchestras, including Los Angeles Philharmonic and Seattle Symphony. He has been a featured artist with Zebulon Projects, Jacaranda, Dangerous Curve and Microfest, appeared as soloist on KPFK and KCSUN, performs with Ensemble Green, Palma Chamber Group, Inauthentica and improvisation ensembles Brad Dutz Quartet and Freshly Squeezed. Mr. Sullivan studied at Interlochen Arts Academy, Cleveland Institute of Music, Florida State University (B.M.), CalArts (M.F.A.) and teaches at Pasadena Conservatory of Music and the Academy of Creative Education. Fall 2008 activities include performing at Territory Contemporary Arts Festival in Moscow, Russia and teaching clarinet and chamber music at California Institute of the Arts. recent reviews \"With the bass clarinets snorting in harmony as if they were a herd of submerged hippopotami, intervallic peeps from Sullivan’s alto clarinet imply the presence of those tiny birds which perch on the hippo’s backs since Golia’s explosive contrabass blasts can’t seem to dislodge that higher-pitched timbre.\" Robert Marcel, jazzword.com \"…there are extraordinary moments sprinkled throughout the album: Sullivan’s Asian-tinged solo on “You Were the One Who Drew First”, which is answered by a receding hall-of-mirrors series of chords from the ensemble; the mournful power of “Blugger!”, a duo for Sullivan’s G clarinet and Golia’s taragoto…\" -Nate Dorward, ndorward.com \"Golia is at the top of his game in this environment; he covers the entire sound spectrum with snake-charmer seductiveness. On “Blugger,” Golia jumps to the shrill taragato on a duet with Sullivan, who plays an equally piercing G clarinet that has dizzying effects.\" Frank Rubolino, Cadence, Journal of Jazz and Improvised Music discography When Manatees Attack Brad Dutz Quartet Leaky Spleen Music BMI 2007 Music for Like Instruments: The Clarinets Vinnie Golia Nine Winds BMI 2005 Salaam Suite Paul Livingstone Raga Jazz Music 2006 Preludio: Contemporary American Composers CRS Masterworks, CD 9867, 1998 |