LEADER
KALEIDOSCOPE
Solo project that features a combination of compositions and improvisations by Patricia Brennan. Recorded in August 2018, this project is a documentation of a sonic and personal journey using mallet percussion as a vessel. From standard forms to exploring sonic textures via extended techniques and electronic effects, each piece in this project creates a unique and incomparable experience. The name Kaleidoscope is due to the meaning of its ancient greek roots: "beautiful", "form, shape", "to look, to examine" since the goal of this project is to explore the beauty of sound in its many forms. This project features pieces and improvisations for vibraphone and marimba. The record is expected to be released in 2019.
Photo Credit: Noel Brennan
SIDEWOMAN
THE JOHN HOLLENBECK LARGE ENSEMBLE
“John Hollenbeck’s 19-piece Large Ensemble can explode with rhythmic drive and technical dazzle, or it can evoke serene calm, tone poetry and even prayer. It’s a big band for a new eclectic world, building on the legacy of seminal big-band composer Bob Brookmeyer and other role models. Hollenbeck holds it together with intricate drumming, compositional acumen and searing wit as he marshals the resources of top jazz improvisers.”
David R. Adler, TimeOut NY
MICHAEL FORMANEK ENSEMBLE KOLOSSUS
A large ensemble in the form of a full size jazz orchestra, assembled in 2013 to perform the compositions and arrangements of Michael Formanek. Their first CD, The Distance, on ECM, received Five Stars in Downbeat and much praise in the international media.
“The esteemed bassist and composer Michael Formanek hasn’t led a big-band recording until now, but with this release by his 18-piece Ensemble Kolossus he joins the ranks of state-of-the-art orchestral experimenters […] Working with longtime associates, Formanek nails every element of large-ensemble writing: sustained long forms with continuous development, lucid relationships between improvised and written material, details that ring out as part of a clearly articulated whole. Add to that a deep grasp of knotty grooves, free-form improv, fetching themes, and sweet, sweet swing. The sequencing is peerless […] Extraordinary.”
Vijay Iyer Blind spot with teju cole
Composer/pianist Vijay Iyer and writer/photographer Teju Cole’s powerful new collaboration, Blind Spot, combines photography and Cole’s own voice with a live score composed by Iyer and performed with bassist Linda Oh and mallet percussionist Patricia Brennan. Blind Spot, with text from Cole’s newly released book of the same title, investigates humanity’s blindness to tragedy and injustice throughout history.
MATT MITCHELL PHALANX AMBASSADORs
The ultimate in maximizing the potential of my fellow band members. Stretch goals.
Photo Credit: John Rogers
TOMAS FUJIWARA 7 POETS TRIO
7 Poets Trio formed during Fujiwara’s Stone residency in April 2018. The rapport was instantaneous and their debut was described by All About Jazz as “a meshing of chamber jazz, modern classical composition, and improvisation, although most of Fujiwara’s music sounded well organized in advance. All three players rose to an individual expression, working as a composite unit to deliver solo embellishments. Roles were malleable, as the listener decided whether everyone was soloing, or no-one. All three members were devoted to establishing a sensitive group consciousness, and they succeeded eminently.”
DISCOGRAPHY
2019
“Phalanx Ambassadors” Matt Mitchell (Pi Recordings) - Marimba, Vibraphone
“7 Poets Trio” Tomas Fujiwara (RogueArt) - Vibraphone, Electronics
2018
"All Can Work" John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble (New Amsterdam Records) - Marimba, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel
2017
"A Pouting Grimace" Matt Mitchell (Pi Recordings) - Marimba, Vibraphone
2016
"The Distance" Michael Formanek Ensemble Kolossus (ECM) - Marimba