(Modern Creative / Free Jazz / Avant-Garde) John Hollenbeck - Rainbow Jimmies - 2008, FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

In 2007, percussionist and composer John Hollenbeck won a Guggenheim Fellowship he used to study the extent to which the violin can be pushed instrumentally. To do this, he worked with consummate violinist Todd Reynolds and vibraphonist Matt Moran and created "The Gray Cottage Studies," which provide the majority of pieces for Rainbow Jimmies (the remaining four tracks of the recording spotlight other musical groups).
Hollenbeck's muses are his direct experiences with his work surroundings. Generally, he translates them into highly rhythmic and repetitive phraseology. The intended simulation of building a temple is evident in "Ziggurat (exterior)," where the Youngstown Percussion Collective and Saxophone Quartet perform unison sax lines at differing intervals, overlaying tribal-like drum beats, vocal calls and tinkling percussive ornamentation. For the title cut, The Claudia Quintet, of which both Hollenbeck and Moran are members, exhibits a similar principle of repetition (to imitate sprinkling decorative jimmies on ice cream) but, in this instance, specific and typically modified phrases overlap one another in a continual progression of changes in tempo, key or instrument.
The elegant and poignant "The Gray Cottage Studies" (reflective of The Blue Mountain Center in New York State where Hollenbeck wrote them) seem to break the pattern of recurrence by moving into more narrow, yet fluid, examination of timbral alteration. Reynolds employs every violin attack imaginable with precision, from legato to pizzicato, staccato and more. The vibes echo or complement the violin's dynamic to create a full vibrancy and resonance. In four out of the seven studies, Hollenbeck offsets the tone colors of the integrated string and vibe sound with the dryness of clicking stick to cymbal or snare combinations. ~ Lyn Horton, AAJ
Percussionist and composer John Hollenbeck has led a diverse and multifaceted career since his early studies with legendary trombonist/composer Bob Brookmeyer. As a sideman, Hollenbeck has served alongside Brookmeyer, Satoko Fujii, Fred Hersch, Jim McNeely, Patrick Zimmerli, and others in addition to leading his own group, the unclassifiable Claudia Quintet. On a larger scale, he has written for big band, collaborated with new music composer Meredith Monk, and received numerous commissions from wind and percussion ensembles.
Whether writing for the Claudia Quintet or his big band, Hollenbeck's compositions always bear the distinctive stamp of his singular style—an eclectic but cohesive amalgam of advanced jazz harmonies and post-minimalist rhythms bolstered by tuneful melodies and driving rock-like intensity. Rainbow Jimmies is no exception, but where previous efforts have focused on his writing and drumming skills equally, this session spotlights his work as a composer first and foremost.
Revealing a keen ear for melody, the opening series of "Gray Cottage" studies features the unique pairing of renowned classical violinist Todd Reynolds and jazz vibraphonist Matt Moran (a member of the Claudia Quintet) intermittently supported by the understated flourishes of Hollenbeck's trap set. Conceived as a series of meditative etudes to test the limits of the violin, these introspective variations reveal Reynolds' lyrical virtuosity as he unfurls bittersweet cadences ranging from austere to soulful, interweaving with Moran's scintillating accents and Hollenbeck's subtle interjections.
Hollenbeck's intricate yet melodious writing for large percussion ensemble is deftly realized on two versions of "Ziggurat." The first, "(Exterior)" employs the Youngstown Percussion Collective and Saxophone Quartet in a primal exercise in counterpoint reminiscent of the harmonious canons of Moondog. In a similar vein, the Ethos Percussion Group interprets the percolating exotica of the Balinese gamelan-inspired "(Interior)" with the minimalist rigor of Steve Reich and the kaleidoscopic detail of Max Roach's M'Boom.
The Claudia Quintet makes an appearance on "Sinanari," a fusion of Turkish melodies and Zeppelin-esque stomp from the leader that knits rock intensity to infectious minimalism. The title track closes out the album by adding guitarist Mark Stewart to the quintet. Navigating a series of complex meters and unusual time signatures, Stewart delivers a prismatic array of asymmetrical contours over the quintet's increasingly dramatic prog-rock finale.
Rainbow Jimmies is a welcome addition to Hollenbeck's discography, appending an already impressive resume as a creative percussionist and adept bandleader with composer of note. ~ Troy Collins, AAJ
When encountering drummer John Hollenbeck in a traditional jazz setting, there's usually the distinct feeling that he is something other than a jazz drummer. Where some drummers muscle their way through a set, he prefers to finesse the music, accenting the songs in always new and creative ways. Maybe it is his past experience in other formats such as klezmer, Latin, classical and especially world music, that affords him the freedom to dream beyond the parochial nature of jazz.
His prior discs have been filed under jazz, but seem to want to migrate toward the chamber music section of your record store. Just as the Modern Jazz Quartet and the work of Anthony Braxton refuse to be categorized, Hollenbeck's music reaches out towards European, modern, and ethnic music almost simultaneously.
Rainbow Jimmies draws together several commissioned works by Hollenbeck for different groups, but all somehow reconcile Hollenbeck's musical vision and vocabulary.
The first seven pieces feature some combination of Hollenbeck, vibraphonist Matt Moran, and violinist Todd Reynolds. Written to showcase the extensive range and technique of Reynolds, the "Gray Cottage Studies" (mostly very brief) are imaginative, exhilarating and at the same time quite meditative.
The "Ziggurat" (or ancient buildings) compositions were written with construction in mind. The composer is accompanied by the Youngstown Percussion Collective and Saxophone Quartet on "Ziggurat (exterior)" and Ethnos Percussion Group on "Ziggurat (interior)." Where the exterior piece amplifies the harmony of all the builders working as one, the interior work song showcases the independent percussionist working towards a whole. The rhythms of teamwork are juxtaposed against the on/off switches of autonomy, and as such these two constructions necessitate they be played side-by-side.
The remaining two sections reunite The Claudia Quintet. "Sinanari (acoustic remix)" is a faux remix of a traditional Turkish song, with bassist Drew Gress, Moran, clarinetist Chris Speed, accordionist Ted Reichman and Hollenbeck playing a precise, machine-like version. The title track allows time to fluctuate as guest guitarist Mark Stewart winds his way through Hollenbeck's complex writing. Not quite jazz nor truly classical, it may just be the middle way. Somebody call the Buddha. ~ Mark Corroto, AAJ

Celebrations come and go, some lasting long beyond history, into legend. While it has been in the decade of the 2000s that percussionist/composer John Hollenbeck's music was duly recognized, it seems exponentially like many more continue to be aware of his gifts and talents. The rise of the drummer as leader and music maker coincides with this precept, paralleling contemporary figures like Steve Reich or Lou Harrison, and jazz drummers Max Roach and Roy Brooks as progenitors of percussion as lead instrument, not merely as rhythmic anchor. This compilation of works was commissioned by the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, the Whitney Museum, the Jerome Foundation, and Bang on a Can collective, featuring Hollenbeck not only as a composer, but a performer in various trios, his Claudia Quintet, and as artist-in-residence with large ensembles. Hollenbeck's creations range from ethnic and 21st century contemporary music to creative improvised and textural or minimalist styles. Seven duos or trios, collectively titled "Gray Cottage Study" feature violinist Todd Reynolds, conceived by Hollenbeck as a case study in various techniques employed by the four string instruments. Vibraphonist Matt Moran is on six of the seven etudes, including the self-descriptive "Lost in Fog," the choppy "Getting Chilly," the plucked, improvised "My Deer" with Hollenbeck, the rockish, minimal "Dustish," and the sine-wave-to-tip-toe-type-sounding "Tax Penalty Payment Approaching" with two vibes including the composer. The Claudia Quintet with Moran, bassist Drew Gress, Ted Reichman, Chris Cheek, and special guest guitarist Mark Stewart offer up "Rainbow Jimmies" in an involved and developed piece with pulsating 5/4 organ from Reichman, distended and broken-down phrases in and out of phase à la Reich, Chris Speed's tangy clarinet, then probing mysticism. "Sinanari" also has Claudia and Reichman's accordion again via minimalist fashion marinated in a Turkish pop foundation, rocked out just a bit. Extravagant, extended pieces by the Youngstown Percussion Collective & Saxophone Quartet and the Ethos Percussion Group comprise the two-part "Ziggurat," perhaps a play on words of the cigarette paper. More architectural minimalism leads to multiple popping percussion, gamelan-type sacred bells, and ring tones. Certainly there's a lot of music here to ponder that is quite different from other recordings of Hollenbeck's larger and small ensembles. An open mind is effective and encouraged in order to hear the variations away from abstract jazz, musique concrète, or notated music in a conventional sense. It's intriguing on many levels, and deserves repeat listenings to understand the full depth and breadth of one of the most fertile and imaginative minds in rhythmic, non-traditional contemporary music. ~ Michael G. Nastos, AMG

Exact Audio Copy V0.99 prebeta 5 from 4. May 2009
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John Hollenbeck / Rainbow Jimmies
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