Little Woodstar by Composer, Sasha Matson
"When I composed LITTLE WOODSTAR, I decided the vocal texts would only consist of proper English names for endangered species included in the international 'Red List.' I chose creatures for the beauty and imagery evoked by those names. 'Little Woodstar' is a hummingbird, and that was my choice as a title for the work. The particular photograph by Anthony Lujan jumped out at me for its clarity and directness- the beautiful little bird seems to be looking you directly in the eye! I was able to contact Anthony, and with him graciously giving me permission, I chose the image for the front cover my recently released album LITTLE WOODSTAR / FILLMORE STREET.” ~ Sasha Matson, Composer
More about Sasha:
Composer/Conductor Sasha Matson spent his formative years in Berkeley CA, where his father taught philosophy at the University of California. He received a degree in Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. After moving to Los Angeles, he scored music for feature film and other media, and received the Ph.D in Composition & Theory from UCLA. Recordings of his work have been released on the AudioQuest, New Albion, Albany, and Stereophile labels. Sasha writes about music and sound as a Contributing Editor for Stereophile magazine, and has taught at LaGrange College, Long Island University, and The State University of New York.
Fillmore Street/Little Woodstar
Sasha Matson, composer
Catalog #: TROY1985
Release Date: February 7, 2025
Format: Digital
Jazz
Take a foundation of classical composition, add a whole lot of jazz influence, and sprinkle in some Bob Dylan and Grateful Dead and you get FILLMORE STREET/LITTLE WOODSTAR, a walloping one-two punch of works for jazz and studio orchestra by composer Sasha Matson. The titular Little Woodstar incorporates a vocal quintet in a lush, progressive journey that keeps ears perked and ready for the next thing. The texts refer to names of species included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals.
The record is rounded out with Fillmore Street, where Matson walks us through three of his most meaningful California locales with an upbeat energy that conjures feet slapping pavement and rubber hitting the road. Adding to the album’s zest are the rooms where it was recorded: the legendary Sear Sound studio in Manhattan and East/West Studios in Hollywood with seasoned producers Joe Harley and John Atkinson.
