COMMISSIONED BY: Kevin Day
WRITTEN FOR: Kevin Day, Jordan VanHemert and the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra
WORLD PREMIERE: October 20, 2019 | Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra (Jordan VanHemert, director), Kevin Day (guest artist), Josh Trentadue (conductor) | Holland Christian High School, Holland, Michigan

The first time I ever saw Kevin Day playing piano was during an impromptu session one night at a local bar in Chicago. As much as I had known at that point how phenomenal of a composer he is, I quickly learned just how brilliantly gifted he also is as a jazz artist. It was in that fleeting moment that I knew I needed to write a new piece of music for him - something that could exemplify, demonstrate, and bring to life this amazing side of his artistry.

"Oranges and Apples" is the first of four tunes comprising a larger suite that was the result of this commission titled "Four Ethereal Planes". This particular chart is based on my experiences riding the New York City subways. At the time, the most direct route from my Brooklyn residence to Lower Manhattan was to take the orange line. However, as with any of the subway lines in the city, they can be unpredictable, thrilling, somewhat dangerous, and wild. This tune takes all of this with a grain of salt - light-hearted and fun, but still unpredictable.

I am incredibly thankful to Kevin for being open to this project and for the opportunity to write this work for him. I am also thankful to Jordan VanHemert and the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra for their incredible collaboration with us and bringing this piece to life.