American composer has received fine performances from the and conductor , and in fact, the orchestral finale here, , was commissioned by her. However, is gaining fans beyond the U.S.; this is the second volume of his work recorded by the under conductor , and it landed on classical best-seller lists in the summer of 2024. It is a fine introduction to this composer's virtues. is a superb orchestral colorist, and he shows his chops here in a pair of quite unusual concertos. The number of concertos for bass trombone is not large, but ' , with just tinges of jazz and Latin music, is quite elegant in its integration of the somewhat unwieldy instrument into the orchestral texture, and trombonist keeps expert control of the balances. Perhaps the highlight of the album is , a five-movement saxophone concerto inspired by the stained glass windows at New York's Riverside Church. The work contains a theme and seven variations in which the variation procedure centers on orchestral texture, and it is a marvelous exploitation of this technique without requiring the atonal severity of . It truly evokes its subject, even for listeners who may not know the work's background. and the are alert to the subtleties throughout in this wonderful contemporary orchestral release. ~ James Manheim