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 for vibraphone and marimba. The record is expected to be released by the end of 2018.
SIDEMAN
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.”
John Garelick, The Boston Globe
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.
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.”
COLLABORATIVES
TRIPTYK
TRIPTYK, a dynamic electro-acoustic trio of unique instrumentation, merges different styles and musical influences from modern classical music to avant-garde jazz, electronic music and improvisational music. TRIPTYK is comprised of vibraphonist and marimbist Patricia Brennan, who has performed and recorded with many renown jazz artists and improvisers such as pianist and MacArthur award recipient Vijay Iyer, bassist Michael Formanek, Grammy nominated John Hollenbeck and many others, including a recent recording under the ECM label. Also, venezuelan violinist and violist Leonor Falcón, whose diverse collaborations and performances include Willie Colon’s band, Sirius Quartet, Karl Berger Improvisers Orchestra, and many others including recordings for Christian Howes Recording Company, and most recently with ANTENNA and Chama, new projects of jazz/avant-garde music that released their albums in 2015 and 2016. Lastly, drummer/percussionist and electronic musician Noel Brennan whose primarily interests include tabla, turntablelism and music production. He has recently been leading a project that includes a collective of talented and renowned musicians called Rotating X that focuses on the fusion of electronic music and improvisational music. TRIPTYK performs music written not only by renowned composers but also original music composed by each of the members of the trio. Their goal is to break the boundaries of style with performances filled with excitement and outstanding musicianship.
ANTENNA
ANTENNA, a unique ensemble with flexible instrumentation, is a collective of creative composer-improvisors with likeminded musical visions. The music performed by ANTENNA, is a combination of through composed pieces, with moments of solo and or group improvisation based on the melodic, rhythmic and structural information provided by the composition. Some of the members of ANTENNA have played with many renown jazz artists and improvisers such as pianist and MacArthur award recipient Vijay Iyer, bassist Michael Formanek, legendary John Scofield, four time Grammy nominated John Hollenbeck and many others. ANTENNA is comprised of Zach Swanson on bass, Venezuelan guitarist and composer Juanma Trujillo who has been an outstanding soloist at the Monterrey Jazz Festival, Venezuelan violinist and composer Leonor Falcón, drummer/electronic musician and composer Noel Brennan and Mexican vibraphonist/percussionist and composer Patricia Brennan, a graduate from the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music.
DISCOGRAPHY
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