Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Brian Patneaude Quartet: As We Know It

264

Brian Patneaude Quartet: As We Know It

By

Sign in to view read count
Brian Patneaude Quartet: As We Know It
To hear some people talk, jazz in the Albany, New York, area begins and ends with Nick Brignola, whose brilliant baritone sax was taken from us when he died of cancer in 2002. Aside from the fact that this outlook completely dismisses Albany native Stefon Harris—whose African Tarantella: Dances with Duke (Blue Note, 2006) made a bunch of "Best Of lists—it also ignores the array of vibrant, exploring players that make up the current Capital Region jazz community.

The Brian Patneaude Quartet is at the top of that roster. The BPQ has been popping up on the national radar for some time, thanks to radio airplay of its last two discs. As We Know It is another collection of well-written, well-performed originals, some of which have been in development since the band's last release, Distance (WEPA, 2005). Clearly the wood-shedding paid off.

Patneaude eschews the attitude advocated by too many leaders that the key to a great tune is "more of me and less of you! It's not that he hasn't got the chops—far from it. Patneaude has a rich, smooth tenor that is always enjoyable, and his solo ideas start simply but build both delightfully and logically. However, given the choice between a series of "spotlight moments and a cohesive group dynamic, Patneaude always chooses the latter. On the opener, "Matters Not, and "Will You Be, Patneaude lays out after establishing the melody, letting Dave Payette solo out of the head. Payette (one of the region's best keyboardists) is an absolute demon on Fender Rhodes and brings the beautiful noise to both pieces.

Bassist Mike DelPrete joined the BPQ right after Distance, and he's been serving up fat foundations and substantive solos ever since, giving us the latter on "Will You Be and the swinging romp "Majority. Danny Whelchel is the turbocharged engine that drives the Patneaude Quartet, even when limited to brushwork on the melancholy "Simple Truth. Guitarist George Muscatello has been Patneaude's foil from the beginning, and fulfills that role perfectly when he's not playing inspired solos on the chaotic funk fest "Gil Barney (Wins the Race) and the wonderfully expressive "Exit.

As We Know It is dedicated to one of our most recent losses—the amazing Michael Brecker. That makes sense when you consider how much of Brecker's clarity and conciseness can be heard in Patneaude's tenor. With that in mind, the passion and maturity in Patneaude's writing and playing is all his own, and this disc is his best recording to date. Like the Albany jazz scene, the Brian Patneaude Quartet keeps moving toward the future. However good the past was, the BPQ's future looks just as good, if not better.

Track Listing

Matters Not; Exit; Will You Be; Simple Truth; Majority; Life As We Know It; Gil Barney (Wins The Race).

Personnel

Brian Patneaude
saxophone

Brian Patneaude: tenor sax; George Muscatello: guitar; Mike DelPrete: bass; Danny Whelchel: drums; Dave Payette: Fender Rhodes (1-3, 5, 6).

Album information

Title: As We Know It | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: WEPA Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.