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| Title: Variations |
MP3, WMA, MPC, OGG, M4A, FLAC |
| Artist: Brian Patneaude Quartet |
| (c): (C) 2003 WEPA Records |
| (p): (P) 2003 Brian Patneaude |
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8.91 $ |
2003-08-04 |
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Featuring an eclectic blend of jazz styles, this tight foursome have crafted a sound all their own. "A highly accomplished debut recording that truly is the sum of some excellent parts"
- The All Music Guide ****
The Brian Patneaude Quartet was formed in the spring of 2002 as part of an ongoing Sunday night residency at Justin's in Albany, NY. Comprised of guitarist George Muscatello, bassist Ryan Lukas, drummer Danny Whelchel and saxophonist Brian Patneaude, the tight foursome have quickly crafted a sound all their own. Their eclectic blend of jazz styles incorporates everything from hard bop and fusion to rock and modern classical music.
"Variations" has received rave reviews from the 'All Music Guide' ("A highly accomplished debut recording that truly is the sum of some excellent parts" - 4/5 stars), Allaboutjazz.com ("We'll be hearing a great deal from this group in years to come") and radio stations around the globe (" ... a fabulous recording ... amazingly fresh in both concept and execution" - Mike Schwartz KSJS 90.5 FM, San Jose, CA).
The group has performed throughout the Northeast at venues such as The Waiting Room (Burlington, VT), The Rosendale Café (Rosendale, NY), The Van Dyck (Schenectady, NY), the "A Place For Jazz" Concert Series (Schenectady, NY), One Caroline St (Saratoga, NY), 9 Maple Ave. (Saratoga, NY), The Larkin (Albany, NY), Savannah's (Albany, NY), Wallabee's Jazz Bar (Glens Falls, NY), Jubilee (Hudson, NY), The Purple Pepper (Valatie, NY), and at 2002's "Lark Fest" (Albany, NY).
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A ubiquitous presence of New York's Capital District music scene, saxophonist Brian Patneaude honed his craft at the College of St. Rose and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory Of Music at the University Of Cincinnati. He currently divides his time between his own Quartet, Latin favorites Alex Torres y Los Reyes Latinos, pianist Adrian Cohen's Earchow Quintet, a weekly jam session at Schenectady's historic Van Dyck with the Patneaude/Cohen Quartet, and a spot in the reed section of the Empire Jazz Orchestra. Past experience includes performances with artists such as The Refrigerators, The Carl Landa/Jill Hughes Band, The Marlowe & Company Big Band Of The Northeast, Out Of The Blues, and with jazz luminaries Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath, Marvin Stamm, and the Four Freshman.
The seeds of the quartet were planted back in 1995 when Brian was first introduced to guitarist George Muscatello. Muscatello had just returned to the area after studying at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York City. While at Manhattan the guitarist honed his skills with Wayne Krantz and Rodney Jones while immersing himself in the music of modern classical composers such as Bela Bartok and Leo Brouwer. The guitarist has since become quite well known throughout the Capital District for his weekly jazz series at Savannah's (every Monday night for three years) and the Lionheart Cafe (every Tuesday night for four years before that) in addition to performances with such heavy hitters such as Nick Brignola, Chuck D'Aloia, and Dave Calarco. George brings a unique sound and compositional approach to the quartet with his many musical influences ranging from free jazz to contemporary classical.
Drummer Danny Whelchel spent the majority of his life in Lafayette, Louisiana before moving to upstate New York in the fall of 1997. Since that time he has performed with a slew of the area's top talent including jazz pianist Carl Landa, singer-songwriters Amy Abdou, Jeff Gonzales, Bob Warren and Michael Jerling and top horn bands Out Of Control and the Refrigerators. The percussionist is currently dance accompanist with the Ellen Sinopoli Company and the Emma Wilard School. Whelchel's southern music roots play an essential part in the sound of the quartet.
As the newest addition to the group, Ryan Lukas brings a vibrant energy to the quartet on both acoustic and electric bass. Since relocating to the area in 2001 Lukas has held down the bass chair in the Latin-Jazz sextet Sensemaya, as well as experimental guitarist Tom Burre's group Boneoil. He has also performed with artists ranging from guitarist Cary DeNigris to pianist Rob Lindquist.
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Press:
"Tenor saxophonist Brian Patneaude and his quartet display a strong group aesthetic on their debut disc, Variations. Patneaude has a lithe, controlled sound not unlike Michael Brecker, and guitarist George Muscatello's snakelike intensity brings to mind both Pat Metheny and Pat Martino. The duo makes solid use of harmonically complex dual guitar/sax arrangements urged on by drummer Danny Whelchel and bassist Ryan Lukas. Muscatello's fascination with avant-garde guitarist/composer Leo Brouwer takes center stage on a few cuts, while Patneaude pays homage to modern sax giant Joe Lovano on "Jolo." There is a softness to Variations, a sensitivity to melody and harmonic color, that belies an improvisational muscularity. This is a highly accomplished debut recording that truly is the sum of some excellent parts."
- All Music Guide (****)
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" ... a super-hip sound ... perfectly balances inventive improvisation with slippery-smooth melodies for a sound as refreshing as it is classic."
- Seven Days, Burlington, VT
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"Variations is a fabulous recording ... amazingly fresh in both concept and execution ... a major find as far as a terrific recording coming as a total & pleasant surprise, indeed ..."
- Mike Schwartz KSJS 90.5 FM, San Jose, CA
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"The man is all but ubiquitous, sighting and appreciated in recent months with his own jazz quartet and jazz fusion quintet, with Adrian Cohen's jazz quartet, with the Patneaude/Cohen Quartet, with the Empire Jazz Orchestra and with Alex Torres' Reyes Latinos. While we might tire of a lesser artist under such frequent public encounters, sax man Brian Patneaude always leaves us hankering and hungry for more.
- "Best Jazz" Metroland Magazine's "Best Of The Capital Region 2003", Albany, NY
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"Variations is the work of young professionals who have developed their own ideas about the direction of their music and customize their compositions to fit their musical personalities ... the tightness of the quartet establishes a distinctive style that constantly catches the listener off guard with it's unpredictability ... you'll be hearing more of Patneaude's quartet in the future"
- Cadence
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"... fresh melodic modern jazz played with passion. I expect these guys to be of a higher profile very soon."
- Phil Grenadier - trumpeter & Fresh Sound New Talent recording artist
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"... a wonderful, tightly supportive combination of a wide variety of elements ... performed at the highest level of musicianship"
- "A Place For Jazz"
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"Ubiquitous saxman Brian Patneaude is one of the young lions making the downtown Albany jazz scene so much serious fun these days ...
- albany2go.com
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"Any self-help guru will tell you that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. In jazz, that truism can easily apply to debut albums: You only get to make one. A strong first album can set the pace for the rest of an artist's career as a leader. Think of debuts like Joe Henderson's Page One or Jeff "Tain" Watts' Citizen Tain. If the Brian Patneaude Quartet's maiden voyage, Variations, is any indication, we'll be hearing a great deal from this group in years to come.
The album takes its title from guitarist George Muscatello's composition "Variations on a Variation," which is as good a description as any for the music on this CD. Each member of the quartet contributes one or more of the compositions, and each track reflects the character of its composer. As the author of six out of the album's nine tracks, it would be easy to say that Muscatello is the prevailing voice here, but the cooperative spirit of the band helps to overcome this and make sure that no one musician dominates the proceedings. Muscatello is both a strong composer and an excellent guitarist, however, demonstrating the influence of Pat Metheny and Pat Martino in his playing and Leo Brouwer in his writing. Muscatello's moods range from the pensive - as in the title track - to the playful, as heard on "Tons of Fun," the CD's closer.
Although he wrote only two of the tunes, saxophonist/leader Brian Patneaude amply demonstrates why his name resides alongside the title. A powerful tenor who combines the seemingly incompatible influences of Michael Brecker and Joe Lovano, Patneaude keeps a tight reign on the proceedings while allowing each musician the freedom to do his own thing. The band operates as a single entity, and that in itself is a tribute to Patneaude's leadership. Both of his compositions are tributes to saxophonists - "Jolo" to Lovano and "Freedom Trane" to both Eddie Harris and John Coltrane - and Patneaude is indeed a worthy disciple. He's clearly been listening hard to his heroes, taking their teachings to heart and creating something wholly original. Definitely one to watch.
Not to be overlooked, bassist Ryan Lukas and drummer Danny Whelchel each contribute one composition (Whelchel co-writing the enigmatically titled "Hide the Fat Guy" with Muscatello). Their interaction creates a complex but rock solid rhythmic groundwork upon which Patneaude and Muscatello weave their harmonic magic. Lukas's "The Longing" is a showcase for his engaging finger-work. Whelchel's drumming is a treat throughout the album. His accents and cymbal splashes punctuating his colleagues' statements, contributing a sort of rhythmic equivalent to Flaubert's la mot juste.
Variations is an impressive first effort which leaves the listener eagerly awaiting the Brian Pateneaude Quartet's second and third albums.
Bon appetit!"
- allaboutjazz.com
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