Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD

Brennan, as; Lisle Ellis, b. September 28-29, 1998, Rossie, NY

A rather misleadingly laid-back title for an album of such focus and intensity, unless perhaps Brennan is aware that it was no less an authority than Henry David Thoreau who declared that sauntering and ambling were the key disciplines for an American philosopher. Duos of this kind are always demanding, but Brennan has attempted to lend a bit of familiarity to his slightly esoteric approach by including two Monk tunes, the opening 'Crepuscule With Nellie’ and two versions of 'Misterioso'.
‘Nellie’ is by far the longest thing on the set, and it serves as an introduction and warm-up number. It’s only when Brennan and Ellis really get into the meat of their encounter on the four-part 'saunter, walk, amble' that things heat up. Brennan has a rather clenched and inconsistent tone, but Ellis is wise to every harmonic waver and shift and he stays with the line, whatever is going on. The key track is Roscoe Mitchell’s composition, 'Nonaah’, which brings out the best in both men. ‘Bucket-A-Blood’ (a duo track, the writer probably means the solo version of Misterioso, or Chronolgy) is for unaccompanied saxophone and suggests that Brennan might yet do interesting things in that direction.

- Richard Cook & Brian Morton