The BPQ doesn’t sound quite like any other group ...
author: Michael Magie
Moving into this set by the BPQ is like walking into a solid, strongly built house. There’s no anxiety or pressure, just a calm assurance about their work -- an astounding assurance, actually, for a young group’s first CD. They seem to have complete confidence in themselves, and this sense of solidity in every move they make is a great part of the pleasure of listening to them. As in an elegant well-made house, everything fits with everything else and belongs just where it is. They open spaces for you like few spaces you’ve ever stepped into before. A piece written by the bassist, Ryan Lukas called “The Longing” is right at the heart of it, where a longing should be, and the movement there is slow, thoughtful, exploratory -- but not tentative or unsure.
Not that the playing is always slow. Sometimes all the doors and windows of this house are open, and there’s a strong wind blowing, a stream of pulsing jazz, urgent and strong. Time to drop the house metaphor: sometimes they just plain wail. They seem to be good in all the modes. One of the finest things about their playing is their confidence in shifting combos. When Patneaude’s sax is at the front, the structure is four-square. When he sits down, guitarist Muscatello and bassist Lukas and drummer Whelchel make as fine a trio as you’re likely to hear. And the duo playing between Patneaude and Muscatello, the echoing, the unison riffs, the back-and-forth conversation -- all this is a perpetual demonstration of both inventiveness and deep-connecting sympathy.
The BPQ doesn’t sound quite like any other group. You can hear echoes of others they’ve gone to school to, but everything is worked into their own sound and style. They sound like themselves. What an astounding thing to say about a first CD. They sound like themselves; you’ll recognize the sound as soon as you start listening. And we’ll all recognize it again when they issue their next disk -- which will, I hope, be very soon.
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Very Impressive Debut from Brian Patneaude Quartet
author: Vangelis Aragiannis, Greece
“Variations” is the debut of 29 year old saxophonist Brian Patneaude from New York. During the last 10 years the college of St. Rose graduate has participated in many groups and had the opportunity to obtain remarkable performing experience in a variety of styles. Last year he
formed his quartet with George Muscatello (guitar), Ryan Lukas (bass)and Danny Whelchel (drums). A few months were enough for the four of them to build a considerable repertoire and to record “Variations”, a tight and elaborated album considering their short time together as a
group. Melodic jazz full of passion played by four integrated yet very young musicians. Patneaude’s versatile tenor incorporates elements derived from various sources of inspiration, such as Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker and certainly the saxophonists to whom his two compositions are dedicated: Joe Lovano (“Jolo”) and John Coltrane / Eddie Harris (“Freedom Trane”). The bulk of the album’s ompositions belong to George Muscatello. They impress his musical interests that span from modern classical music (he is a fervent admirer of Cuban guitarist Leo Brouwer) to funk and rock (“Tons of Fun”). Ryan Lukas contributes with an excellent composition too: the stunning “The
Longing”, a ballad reminiscent of Don Grolnick’s “Cost of Living” from Michael Brecker’s debut that induces the four soloists to show off their improvisational skills. Brian Patneaude quartet’s entrance in discography is very impressive and creates an air of expectations for an
even better follow up.
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