Compelling Portraits
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Compelling Portraits

Kevin Day composer
Maurice Draughn composer
Shawn Okpebholo composer
Brian Raphael Nabors composer
James Lee III composer

Kenneth Thompkins trombone
Hannah Hammel Maser flute
Maurice Draughn harp
Katrina Van Maanen soprano
Abraham Feder cello
Zhihua Tang piano

Release Date: September 8, 2023
Catalog #: NV6552
Format: Digital
21st Century
Chamber
Vocal Music
Cello
Trombone
Voice

COMPELLING PORTRAITS from lauded trombonist Kenneth Thompkins celebrates the music of contemporary Black composers. The album features five pieces, three of which are commissioned trombone chamber music works. These compositions take listeners on a journey from the contemplative to the triumphant, showcasing Thompkins’s range and sensitivity as a performer. The title track, composed by James Lee lll, is a musical ode to the paintings in Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series and in particular his painting Confrontation at the Bridge (Selma, Alabama). Drawing upon the works of multiple contemporary artists, COMPELLING PORTRAITS reflects the contribution of contemporary Black composers to a rich musical legacy.

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Track Listing & Credits

# Title Composer Performer
01 Sonata in One Movement Kevin Day Kenneth Thompkins, trombone; Zhihua Tang, piano 7:08
02 Moments for Alto Trombone and Harp: l. Voluntary Maurice Draughn Kenneth Thompkins, trombone; Maurice Draughn, harp 1:58
03 Moments for Alto Trombone and Harp: ll. Vocalise Maurice Draughn Kenneth Thompkins, trombone; Maurice Draughn, harp 4:14
04 Moments for Alto Trombone and Harp: lll. Vivace Maurice Draughn Kenneth Thompkins, trombone; Maurice Draughn, harp 2:27
05 Three Psalmic Meditations: l. How Long? Psalm 13 Shawn Okpebholo Kenneth Thompkins, trombone; Katrina Van Maanen, soprano; Zhihua Tang, piano 5:39
06 Three Psalmic Meditations: ll. Time Psalm 39:4-7 Shawn Okpebholo Kenneth Thompkins, trombone; Katrina Van Maanen, soprano; Zhihua Tang, piano 5:34
07 Three Psalmic Meditations: lll. Your Love Psalm 36:5-10 Shawn Okpebholo Kenneth Thompkins, trombone; Katrina Van Maanen, soprano; Zhihua Tang, piano 5:47
08 Rhapsody for Trombone and Piano Brian Raphael Nabors Kenneth Thompkins, trombone; Zhihua Tang, piano 7:27
09 Compelling Portraits: l. Migrations James Lee III Kenneth Thompkins, trombone; Hannah Hammel Maser, flute; Abraham Feder, cello; Zhihua Tang, piano 5:20
10 Compelling Portraits: ll. Bridge Confrontation James Lee III Kenneth Thompkins, trombone; Hannah Hammel Maser, flute; Abraham Feder, cello; Zhihua Tang, piano 5:36
11 Compelling Portraits: lll. Surprising Findings James Lee III Kenneth Thompkins, trombone; Hannah Hammel Maser, flute; Abraham Feder, cello; Zhihua Tang, piano 4:39

Track 1 recorded on November 19, 2022, Tracks 2-11 recorded on July 27-28, 2022 at Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church in Grosse Pointe MI
Recording Session Producer & Engineer Paul Eachus
Editing Kenneth Thompkins & Paul Eachus
Mixing & Mastering Paul Eachus

Kenneth Thompkins is an artist for Greenhoe Trombones.

Executive Producer Bob Lord

A&R Director Brandon MacNeil

VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette

VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming
Publicity Patrick Niland, Aidan Curran

Artist Information

Kenneth Thompkins

Kenneth Thompkins

Trombonist

Kenneth Thompkins was appointed Principal Trombone of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra by Neeme Jarvi. Prior to this appointment, he held positions in the Buffalo Philharmonic, The Florida Orchestra, and the New World Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

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Shawn Okpebholo

Shawn Okpebholo

Composer

Shawn E. Okpebholo is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning composer whose music has been described as “devastatingly beautiful” and “fresh and new and fearless” (The Washington Post), “affecting” (The New York Times), “searing” (The Chicago Tribune), “staggering” (The New Yorker), “lyrical, complex, singular” (The Guardian), and “powerful” (BBC Music Magazine).

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Kevin Day

Kevin Day

composer

Kevin Day is an internationally acclaimed composer, conductor, and pianist based near Toronto, Canada. He has composed over 250 works for various mediums including many concertos, chamber music, orchestra, and wind band compositions. His music often intersects between the worlds of jazz, minimalism, Latin music, fusion, and contemporary classical idioms. He studied at the University of Miami, University of Georgia, and TCU. Day is currently the Assistant Professor of Composition and Director of the Jazz Ensemble at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada.

Maurice Draughn

Maurice Draughn

composer

Maurice Draughn, a native of Detroit, is a harpist, composer, and arranger specializing in works for voice and harp. Recent commissions include works for alto trombone and harp as well as chamber works for harp paired with flute, organ, or strings. Draughn has an extensive background in the setting of the spiritual in various contexts. Notable works include his A Ceremony of Spirituals for treble voices and harp, Listen to the Lambs for two voices and piano as well as several arrangements for men’s chorus. His arrangements and compositions for harp ensemble are regularly featured in recitals, concerts, and festivals. His choral and harp works are available on several platforms including harp.com, harpcolumnmusic.com, and J.W. Pepper.

Brian Nabors

Brian Raphael Nabors

composer

Brian Raphael Nabors (b.1991, Birmingham AL) is a composer of emotionally enriching music that tells exciting narratives with its vibrant themes and colorful harmonic language. Nabors’ music has been performed by the Boston, Atlanta, Nashville, Cincinnati, Detroit, Fort Worth, and Munich Symphonies. His music has been performed at many events across the United States, including the National Orchestral Institute (NOI) and the Tanglewood Music Festival. Nabors’ music draws from combinations of Jazz Funk, R&B, and Gospel with the modern flair of contemporary classical music.

He was named a 2021 composition fellow of the Tanglewood music festival; a 2019 composer fellow in the American Composers Orchestra’s Earshot program with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; a 2019 composer fellow with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra’s Composer Lab; and 2019 cycle five grand prize winner of the Rapido! National Composition Contest.

Nabors was also a 2020 Fulbright scholarship recipient to Sydney, Australia, studying with composer Carl Vine at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Nabors earned a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degree in Composition at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and a Bachelor of Music Theory & Composition degree from the School of the Arts at Samford University.

James Lee III

James Lee III

composer

James Lee III was born in 1975 and graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 2005. Lee’s orchestral works have been commissioned and premiered by the National Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, and the orchestras of Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Atlanta, and others.

His works have been conducted by Leonard Slatkin, Marin Alsop, Michael Tilson Thomas, Juanjo Mena, and others. During the 2021-2022 season, his piece Amer’ican was premiered by the Detroit Symphony in October. Niiji Memories, his flute concerto, was premiered by Julietta Curenton and the Columbia Orchestra also in October. In November the Calyx Piano Trio premiered Tones of Clay at Tanglewood and the Saint Louis Symphony performed Emotive Transformations. Other world premieres in early 2022 include Freedom’s Genuine Dawn, which was premiered by the Baltimore Symphony in January 2022.

A Double Standard for Karen Slack and the Pacifica String Quartet premiered on June 18 and 19 at Carnegie Hall and Shriver Hall. In May 2023, a new work for chorus and orchestra will be premiered by the May Festival Orchestra and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. During the 2023-2024 season, a new piano concerto, English horn concert, and orchestral work will be premiered.

Notes

In my career I have been extremely fortunate to perform great orchestral music written by several 20th century African American composers, including William Grant Still, Florence Price, George Walker, and Adolphus Hailstork. Current Black composers continue this legacy, writing captivating music in diverse styles with conviction, skill, and beauty. Their inspiring artistry has led me to seek several commissions of trombone chamber music, three of which are on this recording.

Thank you to the Sphinx Organization for their generous support of this recording.

— Kenneth Thompkins

Sonata in One Movement by Kevin Day is a tour de force that stretches the musicians to great musical heights. The Sonata opens with a piano flourish followed by intricate interplay with the trombone. In the middle section, the solo trombone soliloquy sets a contemplative mood. The piece comes to a triumphant ending using declamatory yet singing statements by the trombone and piano.

— Kenneth Thompkins

Moments by Maurice Draughn draws upon his experience as an organist as well as a harpist. The first movement, “Voluntary,” references the organ voluntary that is played as part of a church service. The second movement, “Vocalise,” embraces the warmth and luxuriousness created by the combination of harp and alto trombone. Moments ends with a surprising, bluesy “Vivace” featuring accelerating, sweeping gestures.

— Kenneth Thompkins

Psalmic Meditations by Shawn Okpebholo sets three Psalms to music using the combination of soprano voice, piano, and alto trombone. These Psalms explore our ever-evolving relationship with God. As we seek relief from suffering, we question God and ask how long we must endure our trials. In realizing the greatness and expansiveness of God, we recognize our brief existence. The last setting, “Your Love,” expresses our joy in receiving God’s unending love for us.

— Kenneth Thompkins

Rhapsody for Trombone and Piano by Brian Raphael Nabors is a colorful work that is inspired by the composer’s youth, as he spent time encountering nature. His experiences growing up around the lakes, rivers, and streams near Birmingham AL influence his sense of color in his compositions. Rhapsody explores the trombone and piano’s full range of color and dynamics: aggressive statements by the trombone in its opening, a reflective middle section, and finally a return to the original thematic material.

— Kenneth Thompkins

Compelling Portraits by James Lee lll is a musical depiction of a few of the paintings in Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series and in particular his painting Confrontation at the Bridge (Selma, Alabama). These paintings show the struggles of African Americans in the 20th century as they traveled from the South to the North in search of a better life, as well as a defining moment in the civil rights movement now known as “Bloody Sunday.” In Compelling Portraits you can hear the fear, hopefulness, and anxiety of African Americans. The use of the Dixie theme throughout the composition is simultaneously a sign of hopefulness as people left the South and a reminder that the struggle for equality continued in the Northern states.

— Kenneth Thompkins