Brian Horner, a 1995 graduate of Cooperstown Central School, is featured on an album to be released next week titled ``Serenade _ Music for Saxophone & Piano.''
Horner, who collaborated with pianist Elizabeth Avery and composer M. Zachary Johnson on ``Serenade,'' described the music as ``melodic and tonal, not contemporary avant-garde. It somehow has a 21st century feel to it, I think because of the unusual rhythmic figures.''
The album is the product of nearly a decade of work by the three, who all attended University of Michigan's School of Music, said Horner.
After graduating from college, Horner, 31, moved to Nashville.
``I like a lot of different kinds of popular music, and I thought there would be opportunities here,'' he said.
Johnson moved to New York City, where he teaches at Mannes College of Music, but the two have remained close.
``We're on the phone a lot, even playing some music to get ideas across,'' Horner said.
And periodically, they get together to work.
Horner met Avery when he was applying for a job at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., not far from Nashville.
She played piano as Horner auditioned for the job and ``we hit it off, right away,'' he said. ``Saxophone repertoire is notoriously difficult, but she is very good.''
Horner and Avery have performed Johnson's works at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, Steinway Hall and the Glimmerglass Opera's Young Artist recital series in Cooperstown, he said.
In 2006, they released ``Saxophone Music of M. Zachary Johnson," a live show from Steinway Hall.
``Serenade,'' their first studio album, is produced by Sound Artists Records. After its release Tuesday, it will be available at Riverwood in Cooperstown and The Eighth Note on Main Street in Oneonta in addition to CDBaby.com, Amazon.com and major digital retailers, including iTunes.
Horner said he began playing the saxophone when he was in fourth grade and immediately liked it. By the time he was in high school, he was playing with the Larry Mondello Band.
His college associations are still strong, he said, and though separated by many miles, he, Johnson and Avery will continue to collaborate.
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