Altoist
Brennan is a guy whose stock really ought to be higher. A
regular player in New York’s Free Jazz circles, he’s
played in many of the major ensembles in the orbit around
William Parker, and he’s got a very distinct, fairly
Ornette-ish delivery that really compels in wide-open settings
(and on racing tunes like the closing section of "Permeations
Gumvindaboloo"). Hopefully this fine disc will continue
to bring him wider exposure.
Having
worked regularly with Greene and Baker (under the moniker
Sonic Openings Under Pressure, who have also recorded for
Cadence Jazz Records), Brennan’s basic group empathy
is in place and the consummate Steve Swell only enriches the
already deep sound.
There’s
a real looseness and flexibility here, which of course suits
top notch players like these guys, but Brennan has done some
really interesting things with the concept of drums and rhythms,
creating open-ended compositions built not so much around
harmonic material as around rhythmic cells and punctuations.
It’s
compelling not only because it eludes the clichés and
stock patterns these kinds of situations can often fall into,
but because it’s a great way to structure improvisation—they
move from Unit Structures-like staccato to Mingus-like small
group swing (especially on the righteous "Shadow Doin’"),
and into harmolodic texture (they do all this and more on
the multi-part "Rough Hue").
True,
Brennan loves to flirt with melody—hinting at it, taking
it apart, and then tantalizingly sinking his teeth right into
it—but this is a meaty session built on pulse and on
concepts that will catalyze the creativity of the players.
Speaking
of which, Steve Swell is worth the price of admission by his
own bad self. He splatters and blurts while Brennan coos,
and both horns pinball between the massive rhythms of Greene
and Baker (try resisting the force of "Drums Not Bombs").
I
love all the space Baker gets in these tunes, as he’s
got that gift of playing very freely without sacrificing an
ounce ofmomentum or pulse. And the group is versatile enough
to explore the extremes of silence, full shouting, and drone
material as well.
This
is great stuff, and one of the finest Spirit Room documents
I’ve heard in a while.
- Jason Bivins
cadencebuilding.com
Cadence
Magazine, December, 2004 - p.108
BACK
TO REVIEWS |
