Portland

a brass quintet by Joey Sellers

Portland is a four movement work, and each movement is named for one of the quadrants of the city. SW opens the work with a pointillistic style full of angular gestures and repeated tones. The tuba takes on a flowing melody in the highest range, far outside its typical character, while the other four instruments do the opposite, playing in the lowest reaches of their registers. The second movement, NE, opens with a set of flowing chords that dissolve into long, floating horn melodies. The interwoven lines central to the movement create lush moments of sweeping lyrical lines. We refer to the style of SE as “backside funk.” With repeated notes and close harmonies creating tension on their own, the slow tempo is set in a jazz-like space, with a funky tuba bass line. A trumpet melody sets the stage for the improvised plunger-muted trombone solo. The last movement, NW, begins with an exploration of quarter-tones (note the “out-of-tune” sounds in horn and trombone), which transitions into a floating 6/8 section featuring a trombone bass line and an expressive horn solo. The movement concludes with an explosion of energy, the quarter-tones rising as each instrument climbs into its upper register, crying out, followed by an understated finish, almost inquisitive in nature.

Portland was composed by Joey Sellers in 2020 specifically for the Rose City Brass Quintet, and is featured on RCBQ’s album Disquiet.