He's IN the building!    by Tom Bourcier

I Saw Elvis was described by one listerner as "Thelonius Monk meets Bela Bartok."  The angular melodies and rhythmic intensity of the piece are reminiscent of these composers, and the instrumentation is inspired by the collaborations of Ornette Coleman and Pat Metheny, who explored the timbral possibilities of these two instruments on the album, Song X.  I Saw Elvis combines the linear, harmonic and rhythmic capabilities of the guitar, with the virtuosic and lyrcal qualities of the saxophone.  The sub-title is a result of Bourcier's association of electric guitar and rock and roll with Elvis Presley, whom he actually did see in concert shortly before his death.  Debra Richtmeyer commissioned and premiered I Saw Elvis with dancers at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in March, 1993.