When I was growing up I listened emphatically to Maynard Ferguson, Bill Chase, Buddy Rich, Tower of Power, and any band with a horn section. I loved how their lines punctuated the melody and harmony of the music, and especially loved how they served as an extension of the rhythm section. Whatever was played, the horn material was always the most interesting thing going on to me. Since I started composing, the energy of this music has always been a part of my own writing in various degrees. Hard Line brings this not-so-subtle world to the classical saxophone quartet⎯always driving forward, intensely rhythmic, often in extreme registers, screaming loud, and fast. The piece was written for the h2 Quartet and premiered at the 2014 North American Saxophone Alliance Conference.