Claudia Quintet
(Copyright © 2003 Piero Scaruffi | Legal restrictions - Termini d'uso )

I , 7/10
I Claudia (2003), 7/10
Semi-Formal (2005), 6/10
For (2007), 6/10 		Links:
Claudia Quintet is a New York-based instrumental jazz ensemble formed in 1997 by drummer John Hollenbeck, who had already released No Images (may 2001 - CRI, 2001), influenced by the free jazz of the 1960s and containing the 25-minute The Drum Major Instinct, and led the Quartet Lucy (2002) with saxophone, vocals and bass, influenced instead by the jazz fusion of the 1970s.

The Claudia Quintet (january 2001) featured bassist Drew Gress, vibraphonist Matt Moran, accordionist Ted Reichman and clarinetist Chris Speed. The ambience of Thursday 11:14am and the dischordant No D marked a vast stylistic territoty,

The quintet reached an impressive zenith of instrumental and emotional complexity on I Claudia (Cuneiform, 2003). Just Like Him is emblematic of how the solos, the rhythms and the group improvisation are integrated via the use of minimalist repetitive patterns. As the drums beat a skipping rhythm, the trio of clarinet, accordion and vibes weave a robotic trio of interlocking grooves. The effect is enhanced by dreamy gamelan-like percussion. In Opening a festive Frank Zappa-esque melodic theme mutates into an insistent Steve Reich-ian pattern led by a trembling accordion. The hypnotic texture of the vibes in Arabic borders on gamelan, while the Middle-eastern solo of the clarinet is supported by a droning accordion. The overall effect is romantic while being very innovative. The subdued The Cloud Of UnknowingCan You Get Through This Life is another oddly schizophrenic piece: five minutes of atonal chamber music, and then two minutes of swinging easy-listening. The closing Couch, a slow, stark, subliminal requiem-like droning piece, doesn't quite belong to this album., or, maybe, it is the link to an album still to be made.

(Translation by/ Tradotto da Paolo Latini)

I Claudia Quintet sono un ensemble di jazz strumentale di New York formato nel 1997 dal batterista John Hollenbeck, che ha già realizzato il cd Images (CRI, 2001) e ha guidato il Quartet Lucy.

The Claudia Quintet (2002) è registrato con il bassita Drew Gress, il vibrafonista Matt Moran, Ted Reichman all'accordion, e Chris Speed al sax tenore e al clarinetto.

Il quintetto raggiunge un'impressionante zenith di complessità strumentale ed emozionale con I Claudia (Cuneiform, 2003). Just Like Him è l'emblema di come le parti soliste, le ritmiche e le improvvisazione di gruppo si integrino mediante ripetitivi schemi minimalisti. Come la batteria tiene un tempo saltellante, il trio di clarinetto, vibrafono e accordion tesse un trio di grooves sincronizzati. L'effetto è aumentato dall'utilizzo di sognanti percussioni stile gamelan. In Opening una festosa melodia zappiana muta in un insistente pattern à la Reich guidato da un accodion vibrante. La texture ipnotica di vibrafono in Arabic tocca i gamelan, mentre il solo medio-orientale del clarinetto è supportato da un drone di accordion. L'effetto generale è al tempo stesso romantico e decisamente innovativo. La tenue The Cloud Of Unknowing Can You Get Through This Life è un altro pezzo di bizzarramente schizofrenico: cinque minuti di musica da camera atonale, e quindi due minuti di puro swing easy-listening. La conclusiva Couch, un lento, rigido e subliminale requiem di droni, quasi è fuori posto su quest'album, o, forse, è un link verso un album ancora da realizzare.

Semi-Formal (february 2005 - Cuneiform, 2005) mostly sounds like a simpler, more straightforward version of I Claudia (2003). The festive folk-ish fanfare of Major Nelson, the nocturnal lounge-jazz melody of Two Teachers (admittedly one of their catchiest themes, before it is hijacked by a free-form accordion improvisation), the quintessential Claudia-esque Drewslate, the slowly-forming serenade of Susan are confined within the cliches that the band created in the previous work, without quite encompassing the same breadth of dynamics. Then the nine-minute They Point Glance Whisper Then Snicker and, to some extent, the eight-minute Limp Mint represent the exact opposite: brainy "math-jazz" at its most artful, but also relatively heartless and aimless. Guarana is probably the highlight, thanks to tight instrumental interplay, great vibraphone solo and frantically syncopated rhythm. Too little too late. Compared with the sophisticated, elegant and creative music of I Claudia, this sounds like a mediocre set of imitations and leftovers.

John Hollenbeck's reputation as a virtuoso drummer further solidified through collaborations with avantgarde and jazz musicians (Meredith Monk, Fred Hersh, Tony Malaby).

As Hollenbeck's fame as a composer kept growing, the Claudia Quintet released For (november 2006 - Cuneiform, 2007). Hollenbeck's compositions now covered a broad spectrum of styles and moods, from the festive, dancing, quasi-tango of I'm So Fickin' Cool to the bluesy funereal This Too Shall Pass. Rug Boy lines up the basic elements: first a thundering drum solo, then swirling accordion, then burning clarinet and finally fibrillating vibraphone.
Hollenbeck is a composer with no rules. The ten-minute August 5th, 2006 glues together a melancholy Zappa-esque clarinet theme and a tinkling timbral sonata. On the other hand, the eleven-minute Be Happy is dominated by the saxophone's alternatively articulate and disjointed eloquence. He even revisits a Carpenter song (Rainy Days) and a Cuban traditional (Peanut Vendor Mash-up), and toys with electronics and musique concrete in For You, probably a forewarning of things to come. Perhaps he tries too hard in the eight-minute Three Odes, that does not quite coalesce around the post-minimalist premises.

(Translation by/ Tradotto da xxx)

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(Copyright © 2003 Piero Scaruffi | Legal restrictions - Termini d'uso )
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