a r t i s t : Sean Noonan Brewed By Noon
t i t l e : Stories To Tell
d a t e : 2007
l a b e l : Songlines Recordings
g e n r e : Jazz
r l s. d a t e : Apr/2007
t r a c k s : 10
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 87,3 MB
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Featuring Sean Noonan, electro-acoustic drumset; Marc Ribot,
Aram Bajakian, Jon Madof, electric guitars; Mat Maneri, viola;
Thierno Camara, electric bass, vocals, percussion; Abdoulaye
DiabatΘ, Susan McKeown, Dawn Padmore, vocals; Jim Pugliese,
Thiokho Diagne, percussion
ôImagine Prime Time joined by Fela Kuti and Bill Frisell, then
remixed by Bill Laswell, and youÆll start to get a hint of
just what an intoxicatingly soulful blast this is.ö -Jazz
Review
NY drummer Sean Noonan describes his Brewed by Noon project as
ôtribal rhythms by an Irish griotö and adds ôMy goal is to
adapt folklore in a modern jazz context, merging storytelling
and folk music from bardic and griot traditions.ö The basic
concept isnÆt particularly novel in jazz: what happens when
ôwanderingö folk melodies and grooves from different cultures
are communally re-created through improvisation. But the
ingredients, the brewing methods, and the spirit of the
resulting music, are indeed different.
Start with SeanÆs background: Irish Bostonian, Berklee College
graduate, co-founder of The Hub, a trio whose punk-jazz has
gained a particular following in Europe. A car wreck while
touring Italy in 2003 nearly cost him his life and broke both
legs: several operations over a period of two years,
wheelchair-bound for periods of months, had to learn to do
everything physical again, but already back playing the drums
as soon as he could move his legs even a bit. As he
recuperated he began developing a new project that would blend
jazz-punk with west African folk music, and got together again
with Senegalese bassist Thierno Camara, an old friend in whose
Waaw Band he'd performed years before, to write some new
tunes. The first Brewed by Noon album was released
independently in 2005, a quartet featuring guitarist friends
Aram Bajakian and Jon Madof. He expanded the range of
possibilities for this second record by seeking out new
collaborators and brilliant downtown jazzers Marc Ribot and
Mat Maneri, percussionist Jim Pugliese (one of his teachers),
then Malian vocalist Abdoulaye DiabatΘ (a griot or hereditary
praise singer whose mother tongue is Bambara) younger brother
of griot Kasse Mady DiabatΘ, and member of Peter Apfelbaum &
the NY Hieroglyphics), as well as Irish gaelic folk/rock
singer Susan McKeown and classical and soul vocalist Dawn
Padmore (herself of Liberian parentage). The music was created
with the assistance of a commissioning grant from the American
Composers Forum.
The stories Sean and his band tell in these 10 pieces are
exceptionally diverse. You can pick out elements of blues,
rock, soul, jazz and improv in various combinations, adding in
Celtic and west African song-forms, lyrics, melodic content
and instrumental approaches, but all transformed in the
process of development. From the funky metaphoric love song to
a ôPineapple,ö to moral fables about a lost baby elephant in
ôEsspiö and the presumptuous lord ôMassana CissΘ,ö to the
grinding out-rock/jazz interplay of ôScabiesö and the spooky
hospital lullaby ôDr. Sleepytime,ö to the Irish/Malian duet
ôNoonbrews,ö Stories to Tell kaleidoscopically refracts its
participantsÆ cultures, talents and musical experiences into
an ecstatic, intoxicating vision, one constantly supported by
the energy and direction of SeanÆs drumming. And New York, the
symbolic melting pot where it all transpires, is paid homage
to in the musical rollercoaster ôNY.ö
Concludes Sean: ôI want to understand and preserve these
ancient traditions by re-interpreting them from a modern,
multi-cultural perspective, exploring my concept of 'brewingÆ
people, original ideas/concepts, and cultures, since I believe
itÆs my mission. IÆve become very attached to the people IÆve
worked with. Sometimes I dream about them and have
visualizations of what they will do with my music. This record
is a platform presenting many different themes and formulas. I
want to dedicate a record to each theme. I want to continue to
learn more about my Gaelic roots and brew them with West
African improvisation. And I want to explore new dimensions
with my electro-acoustic drumset, utilizing electronics in a
way that complements and challenges my approach to the
drumkit.ö
The audiophile recording was creatively mixed to surround;
heard in that format, the often complex instrumental and vocal
interplay stands out in great detail even as the listener is
immersed in the music.
For more information please check out the interview with Sean
at www.songlines.com/interviews/Noonan.html and visit his
website, www.noonansmusic.com
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01-massana cissΘ [09:04]
02-esspi [07:36]
03-noonbrews ft susan mckeown & abdoulaye diabatΘ [06:33]
04-connection [05:53]
05-urban mbalax [02:11]
06-no strings attached [06:36]
07-ny [04:43]
08-pineapple [09:29]
09-scabies [08:35]
10-dr. sleepytime [04:04]
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64:44 min