Two-toed Claw-clipper for string quartet (2002).
It is unfair to claim that “strings just can’t swing,” and I wrote this piece to prove it! Actually, I’m well aware that it’s been proved before by the likes of William Bolcom and John Adams, but Two-toed Claw-clipper follows the same path, thrusting the oldest members of the modern orchestra into the realm of jazz, rock, and blues. The piece is actually the 3rd movement of a three-movement work for string quartet, all three of which were given their premiers by the MusicX New Music Ensemble. The last movement stands well by itself and is often presented as such when three full movements prove to be too long for a given concert’s time scheme.
