THE CLAUDIA QUINTET
Semi-Formal (2005)

It is true that John Hollenbeck's 3rd release with the Claudia Quintet works mostly with a jazz passport. But there's much more to this record than that: compositions weave in and out of contemporary concerns with space, repetition and minimalism, often sounding like chamber music experiments with a rhythmic drive, or otherwise explore melodic construction in a manner reminiscent of classic RIO strategies. The precise, hard-edged pulses that structure most of the album sometimes verge on dnb but, despite the album's accessibility, invariably manage to escape the pièges that haunt other experiments of the kind. This in part results from the interplay between freer forms, compositional intricacy and the warm, rich arrangements that recurrently underlie the harmonic spectrum.

John Hollenbeck - Drums, Percussion, Piano, Keyboards, fan.
Drew Gress - Acoustic bass, Pedal steel guitar, Electric guitar.
Matt Moran - Vibraphone, Keyboards, Baritone horn 
Ted Reichman - Accordion, Guitar, Keyboards
Chris Speed - Clarinet, Tenor saxophone, Piano, Casio SK-1.


Released by Cuneiform Records in 2005.

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