FAST WALK was composed in 1989 originally for 3 Bb Clarinets and Bass Clarinet, for the quartet Clarinessence in which I played bass clarinet. The music popped out all at once one day while I was composing my Concerto for Contrabassoon.

Soon after, I made versions for SATB Saxophone Quartet, and for Orchestra, and for 3 Bassoons and Contrabassoon. The orchestra version was broadcast on the 1994 MENC World's Largest Concert to an estimated 8 million viewers, and it was also included in the San Antonio Symphony's 2002-03 season of educational concerts for which they received ASCAP's Adventuresome Programming Award.

The saxophone version has been recorded by the Tokyo-based Harmo Saxophone Quartet and has been performed hundreds of times as an encore by the Amherst Saxophone Quartet and by the San Francisco Saxophone Quartet.