Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Colin Stranahan: Transformation

153

Colin Stranahan: Transformation

By

Sign in to view read count
Colin Stranahan: Transformation
Dramatic modern mainstream jazz pours forth from Colin Stranahan's dynamic quintet, with exotic melodic stanzas flowing in many directions at once. His cohesive band interprets this program of originals directly with a positive force. It's a composer's forum. Saxophonist Remy Le Boeuf contributed three pieces and his eighteen-year-old twin brother, pianist Pascal Le Boeuf, contributed two. Bassist Dominic Thiroux contributed two, and the leader contributed two more. Colin's father, Jim, who plays alto on his contribution, wrote "It's Not Always About You.

Most of the program drives with an intense presence that features one or more horns. This is an ensemble affair. The members of Stranahan's organization work together all of the time, tending to support each other fully on solo sections. Trumpeter Greg Gisbert lends a graceful, yet subtle presence to the program for several selections. Vibraphonist Mark Clifford gives "Out of Reach a gentle harmonic flavor that allows its overlapping layers to spread wide.

At the drums, Stranahan prefers to lead from the back of the room. His band works as a collective unit, merging its instrumental voices into a whole. The leader peppers selected phrases with a variety of percussive textures, but he remains at arm's length most of the time.

His "Moods of Perpetual Motion drives as strongly as the rest of the program, but closes the session with a flurry of activity buoyed by individual solo sections. Periods of relaxed ease alternate with driven majesty as the ensemble fights to keep its momentum going strong. The music ebbs and flows in a natural progression. Stranahan's Transformation focuses on a collective ensemble voice over individual expression.

Track Listing

Song for Briana #3; Casa Zimbabwe; You Are; Piece of Mind; The Search; No thanks; Sisyfus; Out of Reach; It's Not Always About You; Moods of Perceptual Motion.

Personnel

Colin Stranahn: drums; Michael Bailey: tenor sax; Remy Le Boeuf: tenor and alto saxes, flute; Pascal Le Boeuf: piano; Dominic Thiroux: bass; Special guests: Jim Stranahan: alto sax (9); Greg Gisbert: trumpet; Mark Clifford: vibes.

Album information

Title: Transformation | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Unknown label

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

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

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