Cadence Magazine
s0nic 0penings under pressure
the drum is honor enough
CIMP #305
Jason Bivins
December, 2004
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 s0nic 0penings 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 of momentum 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
Cadence Magazine, December, 2004 – p.108