!!!!!REVIEWS!!!!!                                                                                                                                                          

     EUROPEAN TOUR FALL 2006

                                            28.11 WIST    Graz, AUSTRIA  

                                            29.11 Unterfahrt      Munich, GERMANY  

                                            30.11  Objekt 5       Halle, GERMANY 

                                            01.12  A-Trane      Berlin, GERMANY   

                                            02.12  Jazzstudio    Nuremberg, GERMANY 

                                            05.12  Cafe Wilhelmina    Eindhoven, HOLLAND 

                                            06.12  Domicil     Dortmund, GERMANY  

                                            08.12  Bimhuis Amsterdam, HOLLAND  

                                            09.12  Bunker Ulmenwall  Bielefeld, GERMANY  

                                            10.12  Hafen 2 Offenbach, GERMANY 

SEMI-FORMAL

THE CLAUDIA QUINTET

"Semi-serious music by musicians who only take themselves semi-seriously"

It was with a certain amount of trepidation that I decided to make a 'listener's record' - a record that might not make perfect sense when individual tracks are listened to randomly on one's ipod shuffle or on a writer's deadline after skimming through the latest Roy Haynes release and before the latest Bill Charlap; a record that was best listened to in one or two sittings. In the end, despite cultural pressure to create an instant "hit", I had to listen to my inner voice and go for this - whatever you want to call it - (is it a concept album?)...an album that I hope will cater at the very least to the deep, patient listener.

The basic notion was to create a 2-part (i.e. Side A/Side B) continuous excursion. The 'Claudia' sound is like a warm, thick pudding to me. I thought it would be great to alternate this sound/taste with some palette cleansers - pieces where we are playing instruments not associated with the 'Claudia' sound. Luckily the guys were completely into this idea and talented enough to have some interesting colors under their respective belts.

After a short foreshadowing teaser of “minor nelson” (which will eventually bring the listener full circle as the closing track), the recording opens up with “Major Nelson”. Before the last presidential elections, when we were still very about excited about democracy, we let the audience vote on 4 possible titles to this tune. They were: “surffrus”, “Henry Winkler”, “Brian Wilson” and “Major Nelson”. The west coast listeners were attracted to “Brian Wilson” but when we finally got back to the east coast and all of the chads were counted, our loyal hometown audience made it obvious that “Major Nelson” was the best choice. Luckily, no Republicans were around to make things go their way (or were they?).

Immediately  following this fervent opener you will hear an example of a tune that needed to be written in order to maintain order within the Claudia rehearsals: the tune is called “drewslate”. Drew lives about a 1 to 2 hour drive outside of the city, so the chances that he will be late for a rehearsal are high, very high. With this in mind, (I was a boy scout for about 4 months, so all I remember is "be prepared"...oh, and never find yourself alone with the scoutmaster ), I created a piece with a 'sans Drew' intro that would keep the rest of the guys practicing/rehearsing while Drew made his way through the daily special of traffic snafus. Drew was a very good sport on this one!

The first "bridge" piece, “Kord”, enunciates silence alternately with a warm klangfarben chord that smoothly links up with both the last chord of “drewslate” and the first note of “They point…”.  As time passes on, pieces like this (“Kord) are increasing alluring to my ears. “They point…glance…whisper…then snicker…” uses principles often employed in electronic music - the basic concept is that the instrumentalists do not interact with each other, but rather act less human and more like a machine. The title of the piece refers to an experience I had when I was walking down the street and noticed kids on a school bus driving past me looking, pointing and laughing at me. While this initially bummed me out, I found solace in the remembrance of my own school days, when I was probably guilty of the same on some innocent bystander...

“bindi binder” slowly (but also quickly) bridges from “point” to “Susan” using a zen-like allotment of pitches.

“Susan” is dedicated to two different Susans who have some similar characteristics. I met both at the Blue Mountain Center over the course of two separate artists' retreats. Taking a cue from both Susans, I tried to create a piece that imbued itself with "sensitive emotion". I'm honored to let you know that Chris uses the recurring figure in this piece as his cellphone ringtone.

end of "side 1"

"side 2"

“Two Teachers” was originally written for Bob Brookmeyer's Quartet East and dedicated  to him and the great tabla guru, Pandit Sharda Sahai. The last section (dedicated to Sharda) is based on a traditional Tintal (16 beat) melody commonly used for tabla solos. The preceding sections  are all based on this melody combined with a slow montuno.

“Two Teachers” runs into “Growth”, a static, yet cinematic narrative, which sets up the bass feature, “Limp Mint”.

Without getting too geeky, the same 12/8 rhythm is used throughout “Limp Mint” but with varying and different subdivisions, which create the allusion of sudden shifts in tempi. The bass melody rides these groove waves while the others hold on for the ride. Recognizing that the title is a bit strange, I have made many attempts to change it, but it keeps coming back. Green, which I often think about because it's my favorite color, makes me think of mint. And to me, mint is the epitome of freshness and vitality: the wave-like figures in “Limp Mint” evoke in my mind (and ears) references to evolution, the passage of time, aging and the effects they can have on the freshness and vitality of mint (in other words, what is mint when it is not fresh?).

“Guarana”, the South American herb and soft drink, is the inspiration for the next piece: the herb is known for its energy boosting qualities (not to mention that it is also a poor man's Viagra).

“Where's my mint?” (mint=president) is a cynical commentary on the last two presidential elections and is based on some material from “Limp Mint”.

Having released this commentary out of our system, we safely journey with “Boy with a bag and his guardian elephant”. This piece is inspired by a pastel drawing of the same title created by a friend of mine, Jun Ishida.

“minor nelson” takes us out, returning to the album's origin, giving the listener time to integrate the journey . Hope you enjoyed the trip...

Andy Taub did a fine job (again!) on the recording and mixing. I should mention that Andy mixed the entire record while doing the "the master cleanser"  fast (AKA lemonade fast).  I went down to Carrboro, NC to witness Brent Lambert  master the recording.  It was fascinating to watch him work - he is a true craftsman.

Karlssonwilker  (in between a new project for MTV, Adobe and designing a new sneaker for Puma) managed once again to come up with an original, wonderful design.  To go along with our "semi-formal" pictures, taken by Piero Ribelli (check out his book, Zoo York - The Beastie Boys used one of those photos for their recent single Ch-Check It Out), KW graphically  analyzed the CD and came up with some cool graphs, charts, etc. This CD contains my marriage proposal. Can you find it? One more important item, during the photo session, it became obvious that Drew missed his true calling....as a male fashion model.

- John Hollenbeck, July 2005

PS I am eternally grateful for the hard work, energy and friendship that I have shared with Chris, Drew, Matt and Ted. Claudia lives!

from One final note
by Troy Collins

28 November 2005



A unique and forward-thinking ensemble, John Hollenbeck’s Claudia Quintet
explores the tenuous boundaries between jazz, classical, and rock. The group’s
strengths lie in its inability to be easily categorized. An inventive amalgamation
of Downtown compositional intricacies, post-minimalist classical technique, and a
contemporary post-rock instrumental vibe, along with a healthy dose of non-
Western concepts, the Claudia Quintet is truly an unclassifiable ensemble. As a
schooled percussionist, Hollenbeck has toured, recorded, and collaborated with
an astonishingly varied set of artists. From traditional jazz giants like trombonist
Bob Brookmeyer to New Music visionary Meredith Monk and contemporaries like
trumpeter Cuong Vu and clarinetist David Krakauer, Hollenbeck has amassed an
intensely varied world of sound to draw from, and he never shies away from the
opportunity to blend his experiences with the Claudia Quintet.



The group’s dominant instrumentation, even with acoustic bass and drum kit as
its foundation, has a unique, unclassifiable sound to it. Accordion and vibraphone
make for an intriguingly rich instrumental color blend when combined with either
woody clarinet or breathy tenor sax. In lesser hands, this instrumental
assemblage would have an almost nostalgically folksy air to them, but as
employed by this group, they almost always sound strangely futuristic. This time
around, Hollenbeck has expanded the quintet’s sound palette by adding a few
extra instruments. With all members doubling on secondary instruments and
electronics, the quintet has access to an expanded spectrum of sound previously
unavailable. In addition to Hollenbeck on drums and keyboards, Drew Gress
handles his usual acoustic bass, along with pedal steel and electric guitar.
Vibraphonist Matt Moran also plays some keyboards, as does tenor
saxophonist/clarinetist Chris Speed. Accordion virtuoso Ted Reichman dabbles in
electric and acoustic guitar as well as the ubiquitous keyboards.



For this third release, Hollenbeck has arranged and structured an album that
feels more like a suite than a conventional selection of songs. Where certain
pieces have obvious ties to postmodern jazz, others are definitely aligned with
contemporary chamber music or present acoustic variations on funky drum-n-
bass rhythms. The opening piece, “Major Nelson”, with its repeated and
thoroughly composed melody and rhythmic structure, resembles classical
minimalism, but only on the surface. The tune has a frenetic rhythmic momentum
to it that feels more akin to instrumental prog-rock with the timbral quality of
jazz, than it does traditional contemporary classical music. “Drewslate” follows,
but offers up heady improvisation, even if only bits at a time.



Short transitional pieces such as the minimal keyboard etude, “Kord”, alternate
with more frenzied workouts like “They Point… Glance… Whisper… Then
Snicker”. After Hollenbeck introduces the piece with an acoustically driven
organic drum-n-bass rhythm, the quintet slowly appears, one by one, until the
entire ensemble is engaged in a string of punchy solos over the rhythm section’s
numerous tempo changes. Matt Moran’s lilting vibraphone solo is contrasted
nicely by Chris Speed’s burly tenor statements on this standout cut, also the
album’s longest. In general, most of the solos on the album are fairly brief and
economical. This is a composer’s album first and foremost, not a free-wheeling
blowing session.



The short keyboard pieces that Hollenbeck inserts between the longer-form
compositions work as “bridges” from one tune to the next. Acting as sonic
breathing space between the album’s more intense pieces, these minimal,
ambient interludes generate a structural flow over repeated listens that makes
the album’s suite-like structure more implicit and unified. Although the
impressionistic interludes are present as the conceptual glue to hold the album
together, that is not to say that there are not standout tunes within. The
searching melody and subtly intensifying drama of “Two Teachers” and the
propulsive rhythm of “Guarana”, with its ebullient vibraphone solo and
interlocking rhythm section work, come to mind. With their distinctive merger of
old world timbres and futuristic concepts, the Claudia Quintet truly sounds like no
other working ensemble today.



from bbc.co.uk


This is the third album from New York drummer John Hollenbeck's eclectic
(ahem) post-jazz outfit. Mixing minimalist avant-rock, fiery improvisation and
razor sharp writing, these boys manage to reference everything from the metric
trickery of Dave Holland ("Drewslate") to the glowing ambience of The Necks
("Kord"), but they don't really sound like anyone but themselves.



Anchored by Hollenbeck's considerable percussive skills and the warm precision
of Drew Gress's bass, vibes and accordion weave glowing chords and dense
thickets of melody. Chris Speed's tenor and clarinet solos give welcome grit
where it's needed. Though Hollenbeck's music is undoubtedly clever stuff (try
tapping your feet to it without getting cramp), it's played with enough heart to
make it lovable rather than just admirable. Brilliant.
Reviewer: Peter Marsh





AllAboutJazz

By Thomas H. Greenland



Painter Georges Seurat, the inventor of pointillism, believed that small, discrete
units of color could be effectively juxtaposed to interact in complex yet
clarifying ways. John Hollenbeck, drummer and maestromind behind the Claudia
Quintet’s third release, Semi-Formal, seems to employ a similar modus operandi
in his innovative compositional techniques. Writing for a quintet of sonically
similar instruments, Hollenbeck exploits their individuality by leaving room on his
canvas for each voice to sound alone, even as they are effectively conjoined in a
constantly changing aural mosaic that, for all its discrete tessellation, remains of
a piece.



Semi-Formal goes down like a day of wine tasting: aficionados will find much to
savor in the blending of sonorities, the subtle yet structurally sound
compositional architecture, the “palette-cleansing” segues that thematically link
the tracks, and the sophisticated time signatures and rhythmic phrase structures
that swing so hard they appear effortless; casual listeners will appreciate the
driving grooves and prog-rock edge of tracks like “Major Nelson” and “Two
Teachers” interspersed with zen-like moments of breath and relaxation.



Highlights include Chris Speed’s thoughtfully liberated tenor musings on “They
point… glance…whisper…then snicker,” his out-chorus obbligatos on “Drewslate,”
accordionist Ted Reichman’s hard-moshing organ-grinder grunge on “Two
Susans,” and bassist Drew Gress’ conversational solo on “Limp Mint” and fine
rhythmic support throughout.



The shimmering wash of Matt Moran’s vibraphone provides continuous
counterpoint, commingling with the accordion, electric piano, and clarinet in
close clusterings of heterogeneous sound. This effect is noticeable on
“Drewslate”; on “They point…,” where vibes, keyboard, and organ blend in a
nearly indiscernible mix; on “Growth,” with its splashes of pedal steel guitar over
a background of chimes; and on “Where’s my mint?,” in which the ringing,
flange-like tones of tremoloed vibes, electric piano, and tinkling guitar are
seamlessly fused.



Like the paintings of Seurat, close and repeated inspections of Semi-Formal will
reveal the sophisticated thought processes underlying it, a polyphonic plexus of
carefully structured creativity. However, if we stand back from the work, putting
it into larger perspective, the continually morphing pixels coalesce into a
chromatic composite, a synergistic whole belying the individuality of its parts.




All About Jazz
By John Kelman


For the Claudia Quintet's third outing, the group expands on the vocabulary of I,
Claudia and each member adds new instruments to his respective arsenal. The
logical progression of Semi-Formal continues to explore the meeting point of
through-composition, exploratory improvisation, and textural soundscapes that
the group has been exploring since its 2002 self-titled debut, but with a clear
evolution and a honed style that makes this its most fully-realized record to date.



When he first formed the quintet, drummer John Hollenbeck’s intention was “…
to lose myself in the group—emphasizing the ensemble.” It’s difficult not to think
of the Claudia Quintet as a Hollenbeck project, since he remains its sole
composer. Despite contextual differences, his clear voice remains a musical
constant regardless of the project, evidenced by A Blessing, his large ensemble
outing from earlier this year.



Still, the steadily developing sound of the quintet takes his distinctive writing and
fashions it into a unique shape that would be completely different were the
material to be tackled by another group of players. In fact, the makeup of the
group—unchanged since its first release—is what gives Semi-Formal its inimitable
complexion, one which would be radically altered were even one member to be
replaced.



Hollenbeck’s intention with Semi-Formal was to make “…a record that might not
make perfect sense when individual tracks are listened to randomly… a record
best listened to in one or two sittings.” While some tracks seamlessly flow
together, others are broken up by brief silences. The album is indeed best
listened to as a whole. Track sequencing is something most artists labor over, but
one couldn’t imagine it any other way on Semi-Formal. A narrative in the truest
sense, these 65 minutes tell a story that is ultimately circuitous; the hypnotic
ambience of the closing “Minor Nelson” leads right back to the equally trance-
inducing opening track, “Major Nelson.” But that’s only the beginning, as “Major
Nelson” quickly shifts into a more propulsive, richly contrapuntal rock rhythm.



Impossible to categorize stylistically, the album's boundaries are further broken
by shifting musical responsibilities. At one moment, Chris Speed’s saxophone
carries the bottom end while Drew Gress’ bass floats above. At another, Ted
Reichman’s accordion assumes the melodic lead, a textural backwash and
polyrhythmic cohort with Matt Moran’s vibraphone. Clearly the quintet views
itself as a mini-orchestra, rather than an ensemble based on traditional roles.



While most often lumped into the category of jazz, the Claudia Quintet couldn’t
be more anti-jazz, despite its reliance on improvisation. It’s wholly appropriate
that this release appear on Cuneiform, a progressive and impossible to
pigeonhole label. That means listeners coming to Semi-Formal will be less
inclined to rigidly assess it based on convention. Contemporary classical, jazz,
minimal, progressive... genre matters not. The Claudia Quintet is, quite simply, a
category all its own—a group of players with the kind of infinite reach to give
Hollenbeck’s captivating compositions an approach like no other.