Brian Patneaude Quartet: As We Know It (WEPA Records)

BRIAN PATNEAUDE QUARTET
www.brianpatneaude.com > [email protected]
(518) 434-6756
Saxophonist Brian Patneaude!s latest recording As We Know It (WEPA Records) - features
his long-standing quartet with guitarist George
Muscatello, bassist Mike DelPrete and drummer
Danny Whelchel along with special guest Dave
Payette on fender rhodes. The album is
comprised of seven melodically driven original
compositions that feature inventive solos and the
cohesive group sound that the quartet has
become known for.
Formed in 2002, the Brian Patneaude Quartet
has quickly become one of the most well known
jazz acts in upstate New York. Their music is an
organic blend of modern jazz styles, featuring
accessible melodies and harmonic textures that
appeal to the casual listener and jazz aficionado
alike.
The group!s close-knit musical relationship and
seamless interplay is a result of performances at
numerous venues throughout the Northeast.
Highlights include recent performances at the
Kingston International Jazz Festival, Albany
Riverfront Jazz Festival, Troy Savings Bank
Music Hall, Guilderland Performing Arts Center,
WAMC Performing Arts Studio, A Place For Jazz
Concert Series, Albany!s “Lark Fest”, Saratoga!s
“Final Stretch Street Festival” and a five year
weekly residency at one of the Capital District!s
most highly acclaimed jazz venues - Justin!s.
”The group is extremely tight and
its music is like nothing else.”
- AllAboutJazz.com
The quartet has been repeatedly cited as “Best
Jazz Group” by the writers and readers of
Metroland magazine and has gained increasing
attention, both nationally and abroad. Tracks
from the group!s CDs have been played on over 50
radio stations worldwide, including the nationally
syndicated “Jazz After Hours” with Jim Wilke and
“Listen Here!” hosted by Neil Tesser & Mark Ruffin.
As We Know It is the third release on WEPA
Records by the Brian Patneaude Quartet following
Variations (2002) and Distance (2005).
www.brianpatneaude.com
www.myspace.com/brianpatneaudequartet
BRIAN PATNEAUDE
Repeatedly cited as “Best Jazz” by Metroland
magazine, Brian Patneaude is easily one of the
busiest musicians of New York's Capital District. In
addition to leading his own Quartet (with three
critically acclaimed releases to their credit) the
saxophonist also maintains an active performance
schedule with salsa/merengue favorites Alex Torres
& His Latin Orchestra and the award winning Empire
Jazz Orchestra. He has performed at the Montreal
Jazz Festival, the Kingston International Jazz
Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival Saratoga, the
Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival, the Rochester
International Jazz Festival and countless clubs and
concert halls throughout the Northeast.
Brian was born on August 8th, 1974 in Schenectady,
New York. Although his parents encouraged his
musical interests at a young age, it wasn't until he
heard the music of saxophonists Michael Brecker
and David Sanborn that he decided to pursue a
career in music. In the fall of 1992 Brian entered
The College Of St. Rose in Albany, NY to study
saxophone with Paul Evoskevich and earn a degree
in music education. Over the next four years he
participated in numerous performing ensembles, the
highlights of which included a performance at the
Newport Jazz Festival Saratoga and a two-week tour
of Russia. During this time Brian was profiled in the
'Auditions' section of Downbeat Magazine (August
1994).
In the winter of 2000, Brian joined Grammy Award
Semi-Finalists Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra, a
high-energy, 12-piece Salsa/Merengue/Latin jazz
band based in upstate New York. He has recorded
three CDs with the group Elementos, Punto de Vista
and 25 To Life (all on WEPA Records) and
performed at major festivals throughout the
Northeast including the Montreal Jazz Festival, the
Rochester International Jazz Festival, Kentucky's
"Master Musician Festival", North Carolina's "Lake
Eden Arts Festival" and Pennsylvania's "Bethlehem
Musikfest".
Patneaude joined the Empire Jazz Orchestra under
the direction of William Meckley in the fall of
2001. Recent guest performers with this 19 piece
jazz ensemble include saxophonist Jimmy Heath,
trombonists Slide Hampton & Wycliffe Gordon,
trumpeters Randy Brecker & Byron Stripling, bassist
Rufus Reid, and vocal sensations The Four
Freshmen.
Formed in 2002, the Brian Patneaude Quartet has
quickly become one of the most well known jazz acts
in upstate New York. Their music is an organic blend
of modern jazz styles, featuring accessible melodies
and harmonic textures that appeal to the casual
listener and jazz aficionado alike. The group!s
close-knit musical relationship and seamless
interplay is a result of performances at numerous
venues throughout the Northeast. Highlights include
recent performances at the Kingston International
Jazz Festival, Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival, Troy
Savings Bank Music Hall, Guilderland Performing
Arts Center, WAMC Performing Arts Studio, A Place
For Jazz Concert Series, Albany!s “Lark Fest”,
Saratoga!s “Final Stretch Street Festival” and a five
year weekly residency at one of the Capital District!s
most highly acclaimed jazz venues - Justin!s.
The quartet has been repeatedly cited as “Best Jazz
Group” by the writers and readers of Metroland
magazine and has gained increasing attention, both
nationally and abroad. Tracks from the group!s three
CDs on WEPA Records - As We Know It (2007),
Distance (2005) and Variations (2002) - have been
played on over 50 radio stations worldwide, including
the nationally syndicated “Jazz After Hours” with Jim
Wilke and “Listen Here!” hosted by Neil Tesser &
Mark Ruffin."
MEMBERS OF THE BRIAN PATNEAUDE QUARTET INCLUDE:
GEORGE MUSCATELLO
DANNY WHELCHEL
A native of Troy, NY,
guitarist George Muscatello
has become a mainstay of
the Capital District music
scene following a period of
study at Schenectady
County Community College
and the 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. Muscatello has become well
known throughout the Capital District for his longstanding weekly jazz series at Savannah's, the
Lionheart Cafe and QE2. In addition, he has
performed with a who's who of area jazz luminaries
including saxophonist Nick Brignola. George brings
a unique sound and compositional approach to the
quartet with musical influences as varied as free
jazz, contemporary classical and metal.
Drummer Danny Whelchel
spent the majority of his life
in Lafayette, Louisiana
before moving to upstate
New York in the fall of 1997.
Since then he has performed
with a variety of musicians
including Charles Neville,
John Mengon, Teri Roiger,
Tessa Souter, Evita Cobo,
Ray Alexander, Adrian
Cohen, Soul Session, Carl
Landa, Amy Abdou, Jeff Gonzales, Nicole Peyrafitte,
Bob Warren, Michael Jerling, Jocamo, Pangaea, Out
Of Control, and the Refrigerators. Danny is currently
dance accompanist at the Emma Willard School.
MIKE DELPRETE
DAVE PAYETTE
Saratoga based bassist Mike
DelPrete earned a bachelors
degree from Skidmore
College where he studied
bass with Rich Syracuse and
was a member of a
Downbeat Award winning
student ensemble. DelPrete
recently earned a MFA
degree in composition from
Bennington College where
he studied with Allen Shawn, Nick Brooke and
Milford Graves. DelPrete is currently a faculty
member at the National Guitar Workshop and an
adjunct faculty member at Bennington College. He
maintains an active performance schedule with a
variety of musicians throughout the Northeast.
Throughout his
professional career as a
jazz pianist, Dave Payette
has developed a unique
and refined voice, informed
by an extensive rooting in
classical music and
technique, but also
influenced by
contemporary
styles. Currently a member
of three working ensembles in addition to a busy
solo career, Payette is a versatile musician who
excels not only in the jazz idiom, but also at
keyboard and organ styles in other genres including
funk, R&B, and pop. A former student of the
Purchase College Conservatory of Music, Payette
has studied with pianists Brad Mehldau and Hal
Galper, saxophonists Steve Wilson and Kenny
Garrett, and classical pianist Stephanie Brown.
"We'll be hearing a great deal from this
group in years to come."
- AllAboutJazz.com
PRESS:
“A group that we can include without second thought
in the list of the new generation!s most remarkable
bands.”
Vangelis Aragiannis, Jazz & Tzaz, Greece
"This is smart music that doesn't brag about its IQ,
or its hipness quotient. It's music that embraces
melody and adventure in equal parts without a trace
of irony. It's music that's fearlessly spiritual without
ever preaching. It's music with heart."
Greg Haymes, Times Union, Albany, NY
"...high-caliber jazz performed with gusto,
determination and a persuasive vibe."
Glenn Astirita, eJazzNews
"Patneaude and crew explore a post-Michael
Brecker world of accessible, melodically astute and
harmonically textured music"
Jazzwise, UK
“ … lyrical, melodic, musical, & tasteful. Every note
has its meaning. Distance makes a statement - a
beautiful one.”
Jeff Waggoner - Jazz Times
"Distance continues on in the pattern established by
Patneaude!s debut, seamlessly incorporating world
rhythms and textures, tasteful shadings of free-jazz
inspired oddity, and smoky slow groove, all of which
are threaded together by Patneaude!s unfailingly
lyrical and melodic tenor."
Metroland, Albany, NY
"Distance is a solid winner from start to finish."
Times Union, Albany, NY
"I really have been enjoying your CD ... It's one of
the best I've heard all year"
Christopher Cooke, KIOS- Omaha, NE
"The tune "Unending" might be one of the best
original tunes I have heard all year."
Eric Cohen, WAER, Syracuse, NY
"[Distance is] an outstanding CD, absolutely no
question, one of the 5 best I've heard this year."
Albert Khalis Pride, Jazz Exodus
"The musicians are in total control of their
instruments on brilliantly composed, eclectic music a blend which gives the listener further reason to
celebrate the music of Distance .
Rob Young, Abstract Grooves
“A highly accomplished debut recording that truly is
the sum of some excellent parts"
The All Music Guide, 4/5 stars
" ... 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
"We'll be hearing a great deal from this group in
years to come."
AllAboutJazz.com
"... 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
"The group is extremely tight and its music is like
nothing else. Sounding at various turns exuberant,
soaring, grooving, or longing, it leaves you in
suspense from one track to the next about what is
going to happen. Even within a track, the music is
never predictable, and many times the band's total
sound can sweep you away."
AllAboutJazz.com
"Variations is a fabulous recording ... amazingly
fresh in both concept and execution"
Mike Schwartz KSJS, San Jose, CA
"Distance has muscular, straight-ahead blowing,
some lyrical ballads and some change of pace
surprises."
The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, NY
“The man is all but ubiquitous … 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.”
Metroland Magazine
"... deceptively accessible, flavored with rhythm and
melody that!s fun and funky and sure to lift your
spirits. Distance stays with you."
B.A. Nilsson, Metroland, Albany, NY
"Ubiquitous saxman Brian Patneaude is one of the
young lions making the downtown Albany jazz scene
so much serious fun these days”
albany2go.com
”Ready for prime time on any stage”
The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, NY
RECENT PERFORMANCES:
Kingston International Jazz Festival (Kingston, NY)
Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival (Albany, NY)
Troy Music Hall (Troy, NY)
WAMC Performing Arts Studio (Albany, NY)
Castle Street Café (Great Barrington, MA)
Ohm Lounge (Syracuse, NY)
The Waiting Room (Burlington, VT)
The Rosendale Café (Rosendale, NY)
The Van Dyck (Schenectady, NY)
Lark Fest (Albany, NY)
The College Of St. Rose (Albany, NY)
Cyber Café West (Binghamton, NY)
Final Stretch Street Festival (Saratoga, NY)
A Place for Jazz Concert Series (Schenectady,NY)
Justin!s (Albany, NY)
One Caroline Street (Saratoga, NY)
The Iron Lantern (Castleton, VT)
The Daily Grind (Troy, NY)
9 Maple Ave. (Saratoga, NY)
Wallabee's Jazz Bar (Glens Falls, NY)
Jubilee (Hudson, NY)
The Purple Pepper (Valatie, NY)
Our Glass (Gloversville, NY)
Savannah!s (Albany, NY)
The Larkin (Albany, NY)
The Schenectady Museum (Schenectady, NY)
“At The Park” Concert Series (Albany, NY)
The Brian Patneaude Quartet + 1 performing at the WAMC Performing Art Studio!s Linda Norris Auditorium in Albany, NY
AIRPLAY
The music of the Brian Patneaude Quartet has been heard around the world on:
Jazz After Hours with Jim Wilkie
CKUW - Winnipeg, Canada
KAJX - Aspen, CO
KAMU - College Starion, TX
KAOS - Olympia, WA
KASU - Jonesboro, AK
KBCS – Bellevue, WA
KEWU - Cheney, WA
KIOS - Omaha, NE
KLCC – Eugene, OR
KOSMOS - Syros, Greece
KSDS - San Diego, CA
KSJS - San Jose, CA
KTUH - Manoa, HI
KUAZ - Tucson, AZ
WAER – Syracuse, NY
WAMC - Albany, NY
WBRS - Waltham, MA
WCDB - Albany, NY
WCLV - Cleveland, OH
WDCE - Richmond, VA
WDCV - Carlisle, PA
WDIY - Bethlehem PA"
WFCF - St. Augustine, FL
WFCR - Amherst, MA
WHCJ - Savannah, GA
WLSU - La Crosse, WI
WMEB - Orono, ME
WNHU – West Haven, VT
WNMC – Traverse City, MI
WRUV - Burlington, VT
WICR - Indianapolis, IN
WRBC - Lewiston, ME
WSIE – Edwardsville, IL
WSKG - Binghamton, NY
WSPN - Saratoga, NY
WUCF - Orlando, FL
WUML - Lowell, MA
WUSM - Hattiesburg, MS
WUSR - Scranton, PA
WVIA - Scranton, PA"
WVOF - Fairfield, CT
WVTF - Roanoke, VA
WVUD - Newark, DE
WWOZ - New Orleans, LA
WWSP - Stevens Point, WI
WZMR - Albany, NY
Blaze Radio - Birmingham, AL
M3Radio - internet radio
The Hellenic Jazz Magazine
A working group, namely a band with
members that work together on a regular
basis, has the potential to gradually
develop its own sound and create a
normal relation to its repertoire. This
relation marks out the working groups,
compared to the ephemeral settings
used for a recording session or a tour.
How would the music of the Dave
Holland Quintet or the Vandermark 5
sound like, if they had successive
changes in their line up? Definitely quite
different to the sound we know, that has
been shaped after more than a decade of rehearsals, performances, tours and
recordings.
It!s been five years since 2002, when sax player Brian Patneaude formed his quartet and
the only change in its line up is the recent replacement of bassist Ryan Lukas by Mike
DelPrete. With its first two CDs (“Variations” in 2003 and “Distance” in 2005) the New
York based quartet settled into shape its sound. The group!s music is accessible, has
lucid harmonic structure and elaborate progression resembling to that of songs, is
influenced by funk and rock and is mainly melody oriented. None of these qualities seem
to change in “As We Know It”. The sound is just “as we know it”, but it has been more
solid, mature and recognizable. Patneaude has the ability to roll over the rhythm and
having “less is more” as his flag, creates beautiful melodies with every phrase he plays.
His phrasing owes much to his favorite sax player Michael Brecker and he dedicates the
album to his memory. George Muscatello constitutes the other great asset of the quartet.
He can play as a great rock guitarist (“Gil Barney”) and in next moment be lyrical and
expressive as Jim Hall (“Exit”). The fender rhodes of Dave Payette, who appears as the
hidden fifth member of the group, just like in it!s previous album, spreads a smooth
background that makes the sound richer and more atmospheric. Track by track and note
by note we make sure that this is the third outstanding CD in a row, by a group that we
can include without second thought in the list of the new generation!s most remarkable
bands. – Vangelis Aragiannis
METROLAND MAGAZINE – April 12, 2007
LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD, AND STAYS LOCAL
Capital Region jazz luminary Brian Patneaude chooses to remain where
he!s comfortable—and very successful
By B.A. Nilsson
No musician truly can be de scribed as shy, not when the job requires
regular performances in front of an audience, especially not when those
performances require jazz improvisation. When Brian Patneaude hoists
his Selmer Mark VI and starts to blow, a hard-driving, melodically gifted
personality shines through. When he stops to chat, the tempo changes.
He speaks softly. He considers his words. He gives the impression that
he!d be happier back on stage.
Patneaude has been working most visibly in the area as part of a quartet,
with a regular Sunday gig at Justin!s on Lark Street in Albany, and
frequent appearances at venues like One Caroline in Saratoga and
Schenectady!s Stockade Inn.
“I like to think that the music we make as a group can be enjoyed by jazz
fans and even people who don!t think they!re jazz fans,” he says. “It!s not
something where I!m trying strictly to reach out to the jazz community.”
The quartet!s first CD release, Variations, won high praise from
AllAboutJazz.com!s Alexander M. Stern, who noted that it was “an
impressive first effort which leaves the listener eagerly awaiting the Brian
Patneaude Quartet!s second and third albums.”
Also to his credit are appearances at jazz festivals in Saratoga, Montreal,
Rochester and many other cities, as well as club gigs up and down the
East Coast.
The group!s second disc, Distance, released two years ago, featured
seven original compositions by Patneaude in which utilized the sax as a
lyrical instrument, expressing emotions with a sound quality at times
approaching that of human singing. He continues to explore the lyrical
voice of his instrument in throbbing, straight-ahead grooves in the new
CD, As We Know It, released (like its predecessor) on WEPA Records.
“That!s a label that Alex Torres started, at first just to distribute his
recordings. But it!s not like a traditional label—it!s more of a banner to put
the music under. It has expanded to include recordings by pianist Adrian
Cohen, Terry Gordon, who plays trumpet in Torres! band, myself and
others.”
But his favorite performing configuration is the quartet he formed five
years ago, a group now comprising guitarist George Muscatello, drummer
Danny Whelchel and Mike DelPrete on bass, with frequent appearances
by keyboardist Dave Payette. (This is, according to musical math, a
special system that allowed Raymond Scott to front a six-man quintet.
With so many recent changes in CD distribution, WEPA has successfully
bypassed the brick-and-mortar model and makes its CDs available
through such online sources as CDBaby.com, which also sets up digital
distribution so that you can find the music at the iTunes store, Yahoo
Music and other such sites.
“I was born in Rotterdam, and, except for a brief spell in Cincinnati, I!ve
been here all my life,” Patneaude says. “My family is here, and the fact
that I!ve been able to make connections and build a living lets me be pretty
comfortable doing what I do here.”
No enterprising artist lacks a Web site, and brianpatneaude.com features
the saxophonist!s complete performance schedule as well as information
about recordings and his teaching schedule. He teaches three days a
week at Blue Sky Music Studios in Delmar, which greatly helps support his
work as a full-time musician—and, while it!s the closest he gets to a desk
job, “I do it with my sax in my hand, so how bad can that be?”
Patneaude is a local boy with long local roots. A graduate of the College of
St. Rose, he has played with the Alex Torres Orchestra for seven years,
and counts six years in William Meckley!s Empire Jazz Orchestra. You
might spot him playing in the ensembles of Doc Scanlon, Keith Pray or
any number of others—a roster that at one point even included the
Refrigerators.
Music lessons began in the fifth grade. “I wanted to be a drummer, but for
some reason—I think the school may have had too many of them—I was
encouraged to take my second choice, which was the saxophone. That!s
because I had a neighbor who was a couple of years older than me who
used to practice his sax outside on his back porch, and I was impressed
by that.”
Patneaude didn!t grow up surrounded by sax music. “The only record I
remember in the house that featured the instrument was #Yakety Sax! by
Boots Randolph”—a tune best known for its use behind chase scenes on
The Benny Hill Show.
It wasn!t love at first sight. “I wanted to drop it, but my parents were
insistent. I didn!t start to listen to jazz until the ninth or 10th grade, and
then I got a concept of what the instrument could sound like.” His band
director helped by suggesting that Brian listen to a pair of albums: Michael
Brecker!s self-titled debut, and David Sanborn!s Straight to the Heart.
“As soon as I heard them, I was blown away,” Patneaude says with a
laugh. “From then on, I looked at the sax in a completely different light.” At
the time, his favorite bands were groups like Rush and Pink Floyd.
Patneaude also hadn!t given up on those drums. “My father had a kit in the
basement, and I started playing in heavy-metal bands through high
school. We were pretty horrible, but I was having a blast.” At the same
time, he started playing saxophone with a band whose members all were
older than he. “I was the only one in high school playing with them, and we
were doing covers of Pink Floyd, Sting. This was music that would have a
big influence on the music I play now. It!s not something I!m consciously
aware of—I!m not trying to re-create it—but I know it!s been an influence.”
His listening expanded while he was in college. “I was obsessed with
players like Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson,
and especially Charlie Parker. I love Charlie Parker, I still study his
recordings.”
Gigs with ever-more-prestigious ensembles followed, until his own quartet
was born in 2002. Guitarist George Muscatello and Patneaude have been
friends since they met while in college together, and the interplay between
the two gives the remarkable experience of hearing what often seem like
one voice in two contrasting dialects.
He also started and maintains albany jazz.com, which began life five years
ago as a simple calendar of all the area jazz performances he could
discover, and has since grown to a sharp-looking, well-maintained locus of
all manner of info on the area jazz scene. “We have so many musicians
here playing jazz at a high level that I wanted to let people know where to
find them,” he says. “Now it includes photos, bios, performing venues, CD
and concert reviews and more. Musicians have told me they!ve even
gotten gigs through the site.”
Despite an ongoing immersion in jazz, Patneaude confesses that his guilty
iPod pleasure would be Metallica. “But I don!t know if that!s even very
guilty,” he adds. “I like guitarist Joe Satriani, and I!m a big fan of E.S.T.,
the Esbjorn Svensson Trio, a jazz group from Sweden [who have] an
incredible range of sounds. And I always go back to Michael Brecker.”
For several years, Patneaude has won plaudits from area critics and
reader polls. It would seem enough to persuade him to seek a more
lucrative base. But he!s happy here, and has no plans to decamp, say, to
Manhattan. Nevertheless, he wouldn!t mind finding gigs farther afield. “I!d
like to crack into the festival scene,” he says. “We played the Albany
Riverfront Festival a couple of years ago, and last year the quartet played
the Kingston Jazz Festival alongside some of the biggest names in the
business. We!d like to do more of that.”
Local artists frequently complain of what I!ve termed Local-Guy-Itis, which
assumes that anyone who chooses to live here mustn!t be as talented as
an out-of-towner. Has this been a problem?
“I don!t know if we would have gotten into Albany Riverfront if we didn!t
have a local background. As for Kingston, we submitted material the same
as any other performer. It!s a stigma I!ve heard other musicians talk about,
but so far, I haven!t felt it.”
Patneaude is writing new songs, writing new charts (he tries them out with
Keith Pray!s Big Soul Ensemble the first Tuesday of each month at Tess!
Lark Tavern) and thinking about the next CD, which may be a live
recording. “I!ve been taping the Sunday night shows at Justin!s,” he says,
“and, while it!s nothing I!m going to put out yet, there have been some
magical moments.”
CD Reviews:
Brian Patneaude Quartet
“As We Know It”
While many of the recognizable names in New York City’s jazz scene receive
kudos from the consuming public, tenor saxophonist Brian Patneaude and his
quartet receive honors as the top upstate NY jazz unit. Their workmanlike mode
of attack resides within a progressive jazz ideology, although it’s not about
bombast and flexing inordinate amounts of muscle. On the contrary, the quartet
kicks into turbo mode on select works, but many of these pieces are constructed
upon mellow themes and often accentuated by Patneaude’s mood-evoking sax
lines.
Integrated among the softly-woven theme building exercises, the band sports a
burly edge, partly due to Dave Payette’s Fender Rhodes-based progressions and
e-guitarist George Muscatello’s breezy, dark-toned phrasings. On “Will You Be,”
the quartet launches into a bustling full-speed-ahead groove, highlighted by the
soloists’ attractive harmonic frameworks. Then in various regions of sound,
Patneaude delves into solemn balladry, yet helps raise the pitch during up-tempo
funk-drenched vamps and thrusting rhythmic structures. Alternatively, they
don’t reinvent the wheel via any abstruse underlying agenda. It’s more about
high-caliber jazz performed with gusto, determination and a persuasive vibe that
provides the Midas touch. – Glenn Astarita
CD Review: Brian Patneaude Quartet
As We Know It
Jazz critics tend to fetishize
originality. I should know: I’m one who does, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
It’s not a bad way to be, up to a point. Yet sometimes we card-carrying members
of the hip-oisie can forget that the average jazz listener cares less about
innovation and more about music that’s creative within the idiom’s generally
accepted parameters. That’s Brian Patneaude’s M-O. The Albany-based tenor
saxophonist/composer’s music is largely a synthesis of left-leaning major-label
jazz from the ’70s and ’80s. On this album, his quartet brings to mind the best
work of Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and others from the era. Pianist Dave
Payette’s electric piano goes far toward evoking that vibe, as does the clean-toned
guitar of George Muscatello. Drummer Danny Whelchel is quick and colorful;
bassist Mike Delprete has a big, elastic sound and an inordinately lithe technique.
The leader is a solid, inventive tenor saxophonist who pays much attention to
subtleties of dynamics, tone, and phrasing. Neither he nor his band is concerned
with breaking new ground. Rather, they seem intent on staking out their own
little spot of soil in the jazz firmament. The resulting music is pleasant, wellcrafted, and distinctive within circumscribed bounds—something even a crusty
old jazz scribe like me has no trouble admiring. – Chris Kelsey
Brian Patneaude Quartet:
As We Know It (WEPA Records)
By J Hunter
To hear some people talk, jazz in the Albany, New York, area begins and ends with Nick
Brignola, whose brilliant baritone sax was taken from us when he died of cancer in 2002.
Aside from the fact that this outlook completely dismisses Albany native Stefon Harris-whose African Tarantella: Dances with Duke (Blue Note, 2006) made a bunch of “Best
Of” lists--it also ignores the array of vibrant, exploring players that make up the current
Capital Region jazz community.
The Brian Patneaude Quartet is at the top of that roster. The BPQ has been popping up on
the national radar for some time, thanks to radio airplay of its last two discs. As We
Know It is another collection of well-written, well-performed originals, some of which
have been in development since the band’s last release, Distance (WEPA, 2005). Clearly
the wood-shedding paid off.
Patneaude eschews the attitude advocated by too many leaders that the key to a great tune
is “more of me and less of you!” It’s not that he hasn’t got the chops--far from it.
Patneaude has a rich, smooth tenor that is always enjoyable, and his solo ideas start
simply but build both delightfully and logically. However, given the choice between a
series of “spotlight moments” and a cohesive group dynamic, Patneaude always chooses
the latter. On the opener, “Matters Not,” and “Will You Be,” Patneaude lays out after
establishing the melody, letting Dave Payette solo out of the head. Payette (one of the
region’s best keyboardists) is an absolute demon on Fender Rhodes and brings the
beautiful noise to both pieces.
Bassist Mike DelPrete joined the BPQ right after Distance, and he’s been serving up fat
foundations and substantive solos ever since, giving us the latter on “Will You Be” and
the swinging romp “Majority.” Danny Whelchel is the turbocharged engine that drives
the Patneaude Quartet, even when limited to brushwork on the melancholy “Simple
Truth.” Guitarist George Muscatello has been Patneaude’s foil from the beginning, and
fulfills that role perfectly when he’s not playing inspired solos on the chaotic funk fest
“Gil Barney (Wins the Race)” and the wonderfully expressive “Exit.”
As We Know It is dedicated to one of our most recent losses--the amazing Michael
Brecker. That makes sense when you consider how much of Brecker’s clarity and
conciseness can be heard in Patneaude’s tenor. With that in mind, the passion and
maturity in Patneaude’s writing and playing is all his own, and this disc is his best
recording to date. Like the Albany jazz scene, the Brian Patneaude Quartet keeps moving
toward the future. However good the past was, the BPQ’s future looks just as good, if not
better.
BRIAN PATNEAUDE QUARTET - AS WE KNOW IT CD RELEASE PARTY"
WAMC Performing Arts Studio's" Linda Norris Auditorium" - Albany, NY"
April 20, 2007
$by J Hunter"
$The Brian Patneaude Quartet could have played it safe at their CD release party and simply regurgitated
their latest effort, As We Know It (WEPA Records): The music is that good, and the overall piece is a logical
extension of the BPQ's creative growth curve, so simply repeating the studio performances would have been
enough for some people. It wasn't good enough for Patneaude, though.
$Splitting the new material between two hour-long sets, Patneaude and his partners took the music out for a
wild ride, showcasing all the sonic and improvisatory possibilities for the nearly-full house at Linda Norris
Auditorium and for whoever hears the show on WAMC; like many shows at The Linda, this performance was
recorded for later broadcast. You really got the sense Patneaude was swinging for the fences as he took us
into the high end of his tenor's range on “Exit” and thrashed out a howling solo on “Gil Barney (Wins the
Race)” that was equal parts Maceo Parker and Albert Ayler.$$
The original material became a launch platform for the entire band to do some space exploration, and
everybody was on board and dialed in. We got our first clue things were going to be different when
keyboardist Dave Payette switched from Fender Rhodes to acoustic piano for his solo on the opener “Life As
We Know It.” Payette had played nothing but Fender on the new disc, but by taking the acoustic path for his
solos, he brought a lyrical dynamic that flirted with Herbie Hancock's more exploratory work. Whether he
played Fender or acoustic or Nord keyboard, Payette was living outside the box, and he kept Patneaude
smiling all night long.$$
Payette's acoustic offerings also put some differentiation between his work and the efforts of guitarist
George Muscatello. Aside from being too far back in the mix, there was a processed aspect to Muscatello's
solos that became increasingly annoying. On the other hand, his ensemble work was exemplary: His
opening riff on “Will You Be” added urgency to the tune's unspoken question; his screaming rhythm guitar on
“Gil Barney” propelled the tune deep into James Brown/P-Funk territory; and the power chord he hit to
punctuate Patneaude's solo on “Exit” made the tune jump that much higher.$$
Mike DelPrete has really made the bass chair his own since joining the Patneaude Quartet in 2005. His solo
on “Will You Be” was so smooth, you could have sworn he was bowing (He did bow on occasion - just not
here!), and he was flat-out swinging on the night-closer “Majority.” Danny Whelchel's drums were constantly
percolating on the new disc, but in concert is where Whelchel really comes to a boil. Even on a romantic
ballad like “Simple Truth”, Whelchel brings a sense of energy and mission that sharpens the material's edge
to a razor point.$
$For a man in a spotlight, Patneaude was pretty relaxed. He led the band in a “St. Thomas”-style rendition of
“Happy Birthday” for BPQ photographer Michael Farrell, and prefaced “Simple Truth” by saying it was written
for “the love of my life, who I would never embarrass by mentioning her by name…” and then (of course)
naming her. On the serious side, Patneaude paid heartfelt tribute to the late Michael Brecker with an
impassioned take on Don Grolnick's “The Cost of Living.”$
$Before “Majority”, Patneaude took time to recognize his partners, some of whom he's played with for almost
ten years. “The magic that is created is all them,” he insisted. Maybe not all, but the collaboration that is the
Brian Patneaude Quartet (with or without the “+1”) is as wonderful and rewarding as any creative venture in
the Capital Region. If you ever do hear that broadcast, do what Classic Rock stations have been telling us
for years: Lock it in, and rip the knob off!$$
Brian Patneaude Quartet:
As We Know It (WEPA Records)
By Mark Turner
The Brian Patneaude Quartet’s third release As We Know It is like a cool breeze, a
favorite piece of clothing, or the warmth of the sun’s rays. The music is neither frantic
nor languorous; it sounds and feels comfortable. Popular in the upstate New York area
they’ve been gained the approval of critics but most importantly listeners, with palatable
and engaging music that’s easy on the ears yet also conveys a tight group presence.
A very good saxophonist, Patneaude’s own style draws inspiration from renowned horn
players Michael Brecker and David Sanborn with music that appeals to both serious and
casual listeners. His leadership, attention to harmony, melody and intelligent
compositions are achieved through a solid group that has grown since its formation in
2002.
The quartet (saxophone, guitar, bass, drums) is complimented by guest keyboardist Dave
Payette, whose nimble playing on Fender Rhodes gives the music a coolness that’s
pleasant to the ear. Bassist Mike DelPrete and drummer Danny Whelchel supply a firm
foundation on which the soloists, including guitarist George Muscatello, can explore.
This is evident on “Exit,” a slow simmering groove where each player adds to the simple
vamp as Patneaude’s warm timbre and phrasing lead the way.
The group’s range is wide, from the Latin-flavored “Will You Be” and the ballad
“Simple Truth,” to swinging true on “Majority.” The thought-provoking “Life As We
Know It” is the centerpiece of the album, but there’s also a sense of humor on the
whimsical “Gil Barney (Wins The Race), which is donned with nasty guitar wah-wah , a
funky back beat, and multiple time signatures. With As We Know It the third times a
charm for the Brian Patneaude Quartet.
BRIAN PATNEAUDE QUARTET – DISTANCE (WEPA Records)
Brian Patneaude is a phenomenon of nature. Unlike another
Albany, New York, native, Stefon Harris, Brian!s rise as a musician
isn!t coming abruptly, but incrementally, through steady growth as
saxophonist -- one who composes, performs, practices and
teaches during almost every waking hour. He only puts his sax
down for a quick sip out of his ubiquitous cup of coffee and to
recharge his iPod.
He!s a work in progress, and that he!s made much progress is
revealed here on his second album – “Distance.” While his first
album “Variations”, released two years ago, was one of the best of
2003, it didn!t carry the warmth and yearning that this new CD has. While “Variations” was the
work of an excellent musician, “Distance” is the work of an artist. While his first CD showed the
definite imprint of his major influences – chiefly the saxophonist Michael Brecker – Brian!s own
personality is on display here. Even the tone he gets out of his battle-scarred Mark VI tenor has a
rounder, warmer feel than just two years ago. You hear a sound that is all his own.
Brian plays here with the rest of his traveling quartet, a veteran team made up of George
Muscatello on guitar, Ryan Lukas on double bass and Danny Whelchel on drums. The
precocious Dave Payette appears on tracks 2, 3 and 6, playing the Fender Rhodes. Brian allows
each to stretch out throughout this album, and all attach their own tasteful statements on what is
definitively Brian!s product.
Throughout, this CD is lyrical, melodic, musical, and tasteful. Every note has its meaning. It is a
CD that will probably be best played in mornings when you don!t want to be shocked awake, or in
the evenings when you don!t want to be forced to stay awake. The songs serve as both
provocative remarks and lullabies.
Distance makes a statement – a beautiful one. One that we will keep coming back to long after
Brian!s third, fourth, and more CDs. And let there be many more.
Jeff Waggoner
Contributing Writer, Jazz Times
METROLAND, Albany, NY
Thursday, April 7, 2005
Traveling Well
Brian Patneaude Quartet
Distance (WEPA)
Seven original compositions comprise this second CD release from
tenor saxist Patneaude, all of them deceptively accessible, flavored
with rhythm and melody that!s fun and funky and sure to lift your
spirits. But it!s also stuff that stays with you. The “Distance” of the
title—it!s also the title of cut six—is what you!re invited to travel with
this music.
And the title cut also gives an idea of the complexity of the tunes. Drummer Danny Whelchel
stays busy throughout with a quiet but busy figure over which Patneaude spins a slow, almost
melancholy figure. Everyone gets to shine, including Dave Payette on Fender Rhodes, who sits in
on two other numbers as well.
You hear the ghosts of Michael Brecker and David Sanborn in Patneaude!s playing, but these
are only part of a synthesis of sound and style that add up to a unique voice. His playing is lyrical,
it!s introspective, but it keeps on driving.
“Change” is a bouncy, bossa-tinged number that sets up the new CD, letting us know that it!s a
cooperative venture in which all of the players happily participate. George Muscatello!s guitar is a
continual presence, shading the harmony and adding another degree of rhythmic complexity;
when acoustic bass player Ryan Lukas steps out for a solo, you realize how fundamental his
sound already has been throughout the piece.
Even a ballad like “Alone,” glistening with nice cymbal work by Whelchel, has a propulsion that
keeps it from getting maudlin. With a compelling set of words, the tune would be a torch singer!s
dream.
And that!s really Patneaude!s secret. He plays the sax as a lyrical instrument, well aware of its
capacity to express emotions. It shares with the violin the capacity to most closely suggest the
sound of human singing, and even in his busier passagework, Patneaude sings. Even the punchy
effects in “Red,” one of the bouncier tunes on this disc, are rooted in lyricism.
The distance traveled is signified by “Unending,” the final cut, an 11-minute journey reminiscent
in its rhythm of “Change,” but with a feeling of triumph attached—we!ve sung our songs and sung
them well. A final bow for the individual players, and then they ease away. You!ll hit the play
button again.
—B.A. Nilsson
Brian Patneaude Quartet:
Variations & Distance
By Budd Kopman
Brian Patneaude Quartet - Variations (2003) - Distance (2005) - WEPA Records
It is easy to see why tenor saxophonist Brian Patneaude and his quartet are so popular and busy. The group
is extremely tight and its music is like nothing else. Sounding at various turns exuberant, soaring, grooving,
or longing, it leaves you in suspense from one track to the next about what is going to happen. Even within
a track, the music is never predictable, and many times the band's total sound can sweep you away.
While Patneaude is the nominal leader of the group, guitarist George Muscatello is always close by to take
the lead to a different place. They seem to play off each other musically and timbrally. Patneaude is an
extremely full-throated player and there is nothing tentative in his playing; every note has a drive and
direction. Muscatello, on the other hand, has chosen to produce a light, ethereal, almost bell-like sound
through electronics that floats above and around the proceedings, many times enveloping the band in
gossamer shimmers. Both players have the innate ability to build a solo and lead the listener through a
process of exploration; there is never a hint of riffing.
And that's not to slight the rhythm section: bassist Ryan Lukas and drummer Danny Welchel provide a very
supple and lithe rhythmic feel. The music never lands heavily, and while they do get a chance to solo, their
importance is best shown by how they integrate with the front line and work to produce the Patneaude
sound. Muscatello composed six of the nine tracks on Variations, and Patneaude two; Distance is
comprised entirely of Patneaude compositions.
If I were asked to name a favorite, it would clearly be the earlier Variations. But taken together, these two
releases, separated by two years' time, constitute an impressive body of work. Since I heard Distance first,
it was my introduction to Patneaude and his quartet. A bit underwhelmed at the outset, I found that the
album grew on me, primarily because the tunes were memorable. But then I became aware that the
structure of the pieces was much closer to popular music than I was used to, and that the phrases of the
saxophone were more vocal, having a singing quality that could be associated with smooth jazz. Don’t get
me wrong: Distance is emphatically not smooth jazz; the music is much more complex than anything in
that genre.
Fortunately, Patneaude also sent me a live CD recorded at the release party for Distance. Quite naturally,
the tracks (five of six from Distance) are longer, and the band can stretch out. While the music can be
recognized from the studio recording, the feel is entirely different and to use a word, tougher. During the
extra minutes, the band moves away from the more obvious structures that had been originally set up and
head deeper into the more purely musical side of the original tune. The audience applauded many of the
solos, but also introductory sections that set up different parts of the music. This was quite a show, and, as I
said earlier, there is no doubt as to why Patneaude’s quartet is popular.
I was caught unprepared when I heard Variations. While it obviously features the same group, the music is
altogether more abstract. The tunes are less song-like in their melodic and harmonic movement, and hence
the role of jazz instrumental solos is much stronger. They're also deeper--the whole atmosphere was more
intense with the seeming intent on digging more into the music and expecting more from the listener. On
both discs the arrangements, regardless of whether they are by Patneaude alone or the group, have an
organic feel and create a sound picture, telling a story with a clear arc. By structuring the music this way,
the band can engulf the listener and bring him or her inside, rather than playing the usual
head/solo/solo/head formula. This aspect of their music, combined with the creation of a distinctive sound,
is what makes the music so attractive.
Some say the third time is the charm. I anxiously await Patneaude's next album to see where these fine
musicians will go from here, and what new areas they'll choose to explore.
I came to gardening late in life, thinking incorrectly that all those hanging plants I killed meant that
I had a black thumb. As I developed my skills with select perennials, I discovered I really loved
watching things grow. That!s why Distance, the latest disc from the Brian Patneaude Quartet,
gives me so much joy.
I fell in love very quickly with the BPQ!s first disc, Variations (WEPA). The compositional skill of
Patneaude combined beautifully with the skills of his bandmates, particularly in the dialogue
between Patneaude!s tenor sax and George Muscatello!s guitar. That said, Variations offered a
glimpse of the potential of the Patneaude Quartet, and we all know how easily potential can run
out of the room.
I!m breathing much easier now. Distance maintains the original disc!s spare, less-is-more musical
environment while expanding on the group!s overall love of exploration. In fact, the watchwords
for Distance are “environment” and “exploration”. Each of Patneaude!s compositions take the
listener to a particular place, a particular time, and let you feel what it!s like to live in that place, or
feel that feeling.
The inspirational “Release” takes you to a positive place where you are above all the cares,
beyond all the troubles, and any problem gets smaller and smaller as you fly higher and higher.
The other end of that spectrum is “Alone”, where the group takes you to a big, empty house
where there!s nothing but solitude, frustration, and – ultimately – anger. In between is the title
track, which evokes the physical and spiritual space you feel when a loved one is far away, but
maintains the connection between you and that other person.
The exploration in Distance comes from a group aesthetic that permeates the disc. Patneaude
lays a solid foundation at the start of each song, and then the rest of the BPQ develop it like
artisans building a house – each artisan with his own wing and his own contribution to the
structure!s overall beauty. As always, Muscatello brings simplicity and substance to every piece
he plays on. He takes the first solo on the lion!s share of the tunes, and you couldn!t find a better
place to start a journey. As in Variations, he also offers beautiful counterpoint to Patneaude!s
shining lead lines.
To my mind, the mix on Variations gave short shrift to the rhythm section, particularly bassist
Ryan Lukas. No such problem here. Lukas! contributions get equal time, and his solos are just as
good as his foundation work with bop-driven drummer Danny Whelchel. Three cuts on Distance
include tasty Fender Rhodes work from Dave Payette. His contributions add color to an already
rich musical palate, and although the BPQ matrix can stand on its own, I hope Patneaude finds
more room for that color on his canvas.
One of the cool things about perennials – aside from the fact that they keep coming back – is the
ones that take hold grow bigger and more beautiful with each year. Distance gives me more hope
that the Brian Patneaude Quartet will take hold, because our musical garden will be infinitely
better for it.
J Hunter - albanyjazz.com
Review Courtesy AllAboutJazz.com
Distance
Brian Patneaude Quartet | WEPA
In almost no time at all, 31 year-old saxophonist Brian Patneaude has become the first-call king of Albany,
NY’s buzzing jazz scene. Variations, his quartet’s excellent 2003 debut, instantly established him as one of
the mainstream’s hottest new tenors; he also retains a chair in the renowned Empire Jazz Orchestra, plays
salsa and merengue with Alex Torres and his Latin Orchestra and blues with the Tom Healey Band, and
makes experimental sounds with the DJ-plus-live instruments project Nouveau Chill. On top of all this, he
still finds time to sit in with other local players and to oversee www.albanyjazz.com, a site dedicated to jazz
in the Capital Region. And most of us feel like we’ve achieved something if we’ve managed to grab a
shower and still make it to work on time. Whew.
For this, the quartet’s fervently anticipated sophomore release, the crack regular lineup of Patneaude,
bassist Ryan Lukas, guitarist George Muscatello, and drummer Danny Whelchel is augmented by guest
keyboardist Dave Payette, who contributes Fender Rhodes to three tracks. While the band’s previous effort
was marked by Patneaude’s exceptional blend of Coltrane-ish, searching lines and Lovano-esque
earthiness, Distance sees him taking new chances, unwilling to accept the dangerous proposition of being
branded yet another imitator. For most of the album, Patneaude downplays his edgier Trane influences,
instead choosing a path that occasionally veers uncomfortably close to smooth territory but still holds on to
enough Lovano-style soul to keep it real (witness the deep ballad “Alone,” with its yearning, ascending
melody).
Muscatello is both the band’s secret weapon and Patneaude’s perfect foil. The guitarist’s sinewy lines are
often compared to that of Pat Martino, but in his glassy chords one can also hear the translucent chops of
Grant Green. On the pressure-cooker bossa nova opener, “Change,” his slinky, uncoiling solo even
threatens to steal the tune from the leader.
“Red,” another highlight, commences with an addictive, insistent bass line from Lukas, picking up a
clipped, stuttering snare pattern from Whelchel and a recurring motif from Patneaude before collapsing into
the complex mathematics of Muscatello’s twisted navigations; the tune also features a wild, effectsenhanced solo by Patneaude that recalls electric-era Miles.
While the comparatively lush production of Distance lacks the intimate, organic punch of Variations, it’s
no coincidence that most of the names of the tunes here—“Change,” “Inspiration,” “Unending,” even the
title track—point to this album as being one of necessary evolution, of Patneaude continuing to grow as a
composer, leader, and musician.
~ Peter Aaron
Daily Gazette, Schenectady, NY – Friday, March 18, 2005
Times Union, Albany, NY – Thursday, March 17, 2005
Sunday, April 30, 2006
A jazz quartet led by Albany-area native Brian Patneaude teaches
listeners a thing or two about pace in its latest album “Distance”.
The disc is filled with winding build-ups and fresh timing.
Brian Patneaude Quartet
Distance (WEPA)
"Distance" Brian Patneaude Quartet, WEPA Records. The Brian Patneaude Quartet bursts out of
its Albany-area home with a flourish in "Distance."
With Patneaude on tenor sax, George Muscatello on guitar, Ryan Lukas on upright bass and
Danny Whelchel on drums, they eagerly tackle Patneaude's seven original compositions.
The style carries comfortable reminders of Pat Metheny's work in his most earthy days say when
he and Lyle Mays loved to dip their toes into fusion with "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls."
Yet Patneaude and his gang keep an individual freshness about the whole deal.
From the very hip sax work and ensemble jazz stew of opener "Change" to the warm, bright and
lovely "Red" - so this is what the color would sound like - to the epic expanse of the sweet closer
"Unending," Patneaude and company leave the listener fulfilled.
They know loads about pacing. The penultimate, title cut unwinds slowly but relentlessly. It
sounds like the two-mile segment in a marathon that's the end of the comfortable, long-run
stretch; it's just getting ready for the kick that will carry it to the finish.
—Mark Bialczak
Catch a show: The Brian Patneaude Quartet plays at 9:30 p.m. today at the OHM Lounge, 314 S.
Franklin St., Syracuse. There's no cover charge.
JAZZ & BLUES MUSIC REVIEWS
Brian Patneaude - Distance (WEPA, 2005)
Saxophonist Brian Patneaude's second album pick up where his 2003 disc Distance left off,
mixing straight - ahead jazz with fusion and now adding touches of electronica to the mix. Joining
him on this disc are George Muscatello on guitar, Ryan Lucas on bass, and Danny Whelchel on
drums. Dave Payette sits in on Fender Rhode electric piano on a few tracks.
"Change" establishes a mid-tempo groove with drums and guitar when the saxophone enters.
The guitar keeps a slinky groove before the final saxophone solo which uses some interesting
delay electronics to alter the sound. "Release" starts as a ballad with calming saxophone but as
the drums and piano enter, the music develops a faster pace. This atmospheric song also
features a Pat Metheny like acoustic guitar interlude. "Inspiration" is a nicely moody track with a
mellow guitar solo and some shimmering electric piano.
"Alone" slows this down even further as this ballad opens noir-ish with a late night sound
somewhat reminiscent of the ballads that appeared on Kurt Rosenwinkel's The Next Step CD.
"Red" picks up the pace with a rapid drum groove and up-tempo saxophone. There's a fleet guitar
solo with again a Pat Metheny influenced liquid flowing sound. What makes this track stand out is
Patneaude's use of electronic processing of the saxophone on his solo, somewhat reminiscent of
the electric saxophone experiments of Eddie Harris and Sonny Stitt. The nasal sound comes as a
bit of a shock at first, but it really works well and gives the song a very adventurous feel.
The title track “Distance” starts at a mid-tempo with a nice electric piano break, and the disc ends
ironically enough with “Unending” textural guitar backs a slow building saxophone solo, which is
lengthy and strong. Just when you think the song is going to wind up, it shifts gears with a
strumming guitar and electronically processed saxophone. It!s a great way to end the disc,
consolidating the advances the band has made over the past couple of years.
Tim Niland
Jazz & Blues Music Reviews
Variations
Artist:
Album Title:
Date of Release:
AMG Rating:
Genre:
Brian Patneaude
Variations
2003
Jazz
Wry, Sophisticated, Cerebral, Literate, Laid-Back/Mellow, Sensual,
Tones:
Passionate, Romantic, Ambitious, Uncompromising
Styles: Post-Bop, Mainstream Jazz
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. — Matt Collar
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Jolo performed by Patneaude, Brian Quartet - 7:21
Variation on a Variation performed by Patneaude, Brian Quartet - 5:19
The Strega performed by Patneaude, Brian Quartet - 7:32
The Longing performed by Patneaude, Brian Quartet - 9:21
O.F.F. performed by Patneaude, Brian Quartet - 7:04
Hide the Fat Guy performed by Patneaude, Brian Quartet - 5:47
Erodiade performed by Patneaude, Brian Quartet - 5:44
Freedom Trane performed by Patneaude, Brian Quartet - 5:19
Tons of Fun performed by Patneaude, Brian Quartet - 3:24
Review Courtesy AllAboutJazz.com
Variations
Brian Patneaude Quartet | WEPA
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!
~ Alexander M. Stern
Cadence Magazine – December 2004 …
METROLAND'S LOCAL MUSIC GUIDE 2003
8 Days A Week - A night-by-night frolic through some of the region's unique club scenes
Sunday:
Sunday Night Jazz w/The Brian Patneaude Quartet @ Justin's
We'd like to propose Sunday night as the yin
to Saturday night's yang: Where Saturday is
boisterous, ambitious, goal-oriented and
overt, Sunday is sophisticated, thoughtful,
open-minded and subtle. If Saturday is a
slice and a Rolling Rock, Sunday is Tempura
Tuna Steak and Dr. Frank's Johannisberg
Riesling. If Saturday serves as punctuation
to the previous week, Sunday is the
provocative opening to the next. Or it could
be, if you did something other than lying on
the couch, half-watching Carnivale and
dreading your return to work. And,
fortunately for us, all those comparatively
rarefied goodies are available at Justin's
each Sunday as accompaniment to the
performances of the Brian Patneaude
Quartet, who themselves fulfill the Sunday adjectives quite nicely.
Each Sunday, a manageable but attentive crowd - many of them regulars - gather in the dining area
of Justin's, the Savoy Room, with favorite microbrew or vino close at hand (we're suckers for the
Liberty School cabernet), and soak in the versatile work of Metroland's best jazz act of 2003. Tenorsax ace Brian Patneaude, guitarist George Muscatello, stand-up bassist Ryan Lukas and drummer
Danny Whelchel swing from the post-bop urgency of John Coltrane and Joe Lovano, skirt the edges
of the avant-world combo of Pat Martino, and head out into modern-classical realms of Leo Brouwer.
As a bandleader, Patneaude - no slouch himself - wisely gives his bandmates room within sets to
express their varied musical identities, without surrendering cohesion. A quick glance around the
room at the audience finds a motley of devotees - some who'd look most at home behind an oak
desk, some behind a gold-top Les Paul - all nodding their heads in unison.
Though this is decidedly not the type of jazz you set your radio alarm to, the band maintain an
unpretentiously social and ingratiating air, for all their musical fire. That balance between personal
ease and compositional depth is matched by the informal but dignified comfort of the space (Wren
Panzella's neo-cubist paintings of performing musicians reiterate the onstage action, and the winebottle designs of the booths' upholstery reiterate the menu's bounty). It's a dynamic and fitting
tension between physical relaxation, appetitive satiation and aural stimulation. And if you can force
yourself to abandon your typical pessimism, it's a perfect Sunday-night aperitif to the upcoming
week.
- John Rodat