Downtown Music Gallery Newsletter
s0nic 0penings: tilting curvaceous
Bruce Lee Gallanter
February 3, 2023
PATRICK BRENNAN S0NIC 0PENINGS with BRIAN GRODER / ROD WILLIAMS / HILLIARD GREENE / MICHAEL TA THOMPSON – tilting curvaceous (Clean Feed 613; Portugal) Featuring patrick brennan on alto sax & compositions, Brian Groder on trumpet & flugelhorn, Rod Williams on piano, Hilliard Greene on contrabass and Michael TA Thompson on drums.
I’ve long admired the playing, composing and bandleading talents of Downtowner patrick brennan. He recently played two quartet sets here at DMG with Jason Hwang, Hill Greene & Michael TA Thompson and both were great, his unique composing was a good challenge for his bandmates. This disc was recorded in September of 2021 at Manhattan Sky Studios. His group s0nic 0penings has been around for a decade and have four discs out so far, the only member whose been on most of their discs is bassist Hill Greene (editorial note: this ensemble actually goes back in various formations to 1979). Having trumpeter Brian Groder in the frontline is a wise choice since he is an unsung hero both as a trumpet wiz and a composer of note. I know of pianist Rod Williams from his work with David Murray, Cassandra Wilson and Craig Harris. Both rhythm team men, Hill Greene & Michael TA Thompson, are both busy musicians who seem to play with a large number in different projects/bands.
In the liner notes, Mr. brennan discusses how these pieces are based on a series of cells or groove instances which involve at least two melodic and/or rhythm lines which run concurrently. Hmmmm. Each piece here is called, tilting curvaceous with a number, 1-14. The first piece does have a couple of interconnected lines coalescing together. The two horns are playing one line while the piano-led rhythm team is playing another tight connected line. On the second piece, brennan plays a long quirky solo while the trumpet & piano rhythm play a slow repeating pattern underneath. Piece 3 sounds like an early Ornette Coleman quartet jagged line while the piano sets a slower pace below. The frontline has a Ornette/Don Cherry-like freeish intensity. Each piece has a unique structure and/or challenge. Mr. brennan knows how to balance things by stripping them down to bare essentials without getting too dense or hard to figure out. This disc is one of the best discs of new music I’ve heard. A marvel on several levels.