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Jazz Articles about John Hollenbeck
The Claudia Quintet: Royal Toast
by David Adler
With one exception, drummer John Hollenbeck hasn't taken prominent front-cover credit on releases by The Claudia Quintet. This holds true for Royal Toast, the band's extraordinary fifth album. The decision makes sense, for Hollenbeck's labyrinthine compositions get much of their subtlety and force from the individual players that have defined the group's identity from the start. On Royal Toast, Hollenbeck yields the floor to each of them in turn and so “Ted versus Ted" features accordionist Ted ...
Continue ReadingThe Claudia Quintet with Gary Versace: Royal Toast
by Troy Collins
The humorously titled Royal Toast is the fifth album from the Claudia Quintet, percussionist and composer John Hollenbeck's longstanding five-piece that is--in the eternal words of Duke Ellington--a band “beyond category." Eradicating the tenuous boundary lines between idioms, Hollenbeck and company draw on ethnic traditions, free jazz, contemporary composition and progressive rock in their multifaceted explorations.
A former pupil of legendary jazz composer Bob Brookmeyer and an avowed student of the minimalists, Hollenbeck's compositions are imbued with both ...
Continue ReadingJohn Hollenbeck: Eternal Interlude
by AAJ Italy Staff
Sono passati i tempi nei quali il batterista era considerato una sorta di parente povero all'interno della grande famiglia musicale. Le barzellette su Ringo ormai fanno ridere solo Paul e quando ci troviamo al cospetto di un musicista a tutto tondo come John Hollenbeck non possiamo lasciarci condizionare dal fatto che il suo strumento elettivo sia per l'appunto la batteria. Hollenbeck è un fine compositore e sa condurre con bella energia e grandi doti di leadership una formazione allargata che ...
Continue ReadingJohn Hollenbeck Large Ensemble: Eternal Interlude
by Raul d'Gama Rose
John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble Eternal Interlude Sunnyside Records 2009
The music on Eternal Interlude by drummer John Hollenbeck cannot be described in one word, but if it could that word would be “poignant." But of course, one word is not enough, so in settling for two, those would be “poignant" and “challenging." But then two words appear so insufficient, and the search widens and reveals, perhaps, an additional word to go with ...
Continue ReadingJohn Hollenbeck Large Ensemble: Eternal Interlude
by Troy Collins
In addition to leading the unclassifiable Claudia Quintet and performing numerous sideman duties, composer and percussionist John Hollenbeck is renowned for his inimitable multi-layered writing. Hollenbeck studied under composer Bob Brookmeyer before charting a unique path in creative improvised music, incorporating elements of minimalism, post-rock and indigenous folk music into his eclectic compositions. As leader of a twenty piece Large Ensemble, he expands the sonic palette of traditional big band writing with his unorthodox approach.
Featuring a series ...
Continue ReadingJohn Hollenbeck Large Ensemble: Eternal Interlude
by Mark F. Turner
Like fragments of crystal, John Hollenbeck's large ensemble casts angular lines, unusual shapes and refracts music (rather than light) differently than typical jazz big bands. The prolific drummer/composer's progressive slant has been at the core of The Claudia Quintet's For (Cuneiform, 2007) and Semi-Formal (Cuneiform, 2006); music marked by enigmatic ideas of swing, modern chamber music and wider influences. Like his first large ensemble recording A Blessing (Omnitone, 2005), Eternal Interlude documents Hollenbeck's inventions on grander scale ...
Continue ReadingJohn Hollenbeck: Rainbow Jimmies
by AAJ Italy Staff
Rainbows Jimmies (The Music of John Hollenbeck) - sottotitolo forse un po' pomposo ma esplicativo - è la documentazione più attuale ed esauriente dello stato dell'arte del John Hollenbeck compositore piuttosto che del valente batterista o leader del Claudia Quintet. Vi è in Rainbows Jimmies la visione aperta sul mondo, futurista, ricca di suggestioni e di qualche piccola contraddizione, allergica alle convenzioni, di una testa pensante che ama esplorare i territori in(de)finiti della composizione, della forma, della libera improvvisazione, della ...
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