Breaking Stretch
Patricia Brennan Septet
Breaking Stretch
by Patricia Brennan Septet
Label: Pyroclastic Records
Recorded: September 16 & 17, 2023 at Power Station Berklee NYC, New York, NY
Release Date: September 6, 2024
On Breaking Stretch, Patricia Brennan takes yet another bold step forward, reaffirming her place as one of Jazz’s most innovative voices. This adventurous third album continues Brennan’s expansive exploration of rhythm, sound, and cultural identity, bringing together a stellar septet that includes Jon Irabagon on sax, Mark Shim on tenor sax, Adam O'Farrill on trumpet, Kim Cass on bass, Marcus Gilmore on drums, and Mauricio Herrera on percussion. The result is an intricate, immersive blend of Jazz, contemporary classical, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and folkloric Mexican influences.
With Breaking Stretch, Brennan pushes both herself and her bandmates to their creative limits, demanding a delicate balance of tension and release in every note. “I wanted to push the music and the musicians almost to the breaking point,” she explains. The album’s title reflects this ambition—Breaking symbolizes the intense creative drive, while Stretch hints at the elasticity and range that Brennan’s compositions explore.
Brennan’s vibraphone and marimba, supplemented with electronics, guide the group through shifting moods and complex textures. Her playing is equal parts ethereal and grounded, blending melodic lines with percussive force to create a rich sonic landscape. The horns, which were added to the core quartet from her previous album More Touch, seamlessly integrate into her vision, expanding the music’s scope without losing its rhythmic core. Tracks like Los Otros Yo explore the multifaceted nature of personal identity, while the closing piece Earendel looks outward to the farthest reaches of space, influenced by Brennan’s passion for astronomy.
The album oscillates between deeply introspective moments and outward bursts of energy. The interplay between the horns and Brennan’s vibraphone creates sharp melodic phrases that give way to intricate polyrhythms. Irabagon, Shim, and O’Farrill bring bold, dynamic voices to the mix, adding layers of complexity and power to the already dense arrangements. Percussionists Gilmore and Herrera are vital to this rhythmic framework, ensuring even the quietest moments pulse with energy.
Tracks like Earendel and Los Otros Yo are testaments to Brennan's intellectual curiosity. Her compositions blur the lines between the mathematical and emotional, with the interplay of tension and release reflecting her belief that great rhythm, like any well-constructed equation, strikes a delicate balance. “Every good rhythm,” Brennan asserts, “strikes a balance between consonance and dissonance.”
Yet beneath this intellectual structure lies a deep emotional core, enriched by Brennan’s reflections on her Mexican roots. As Breaking Stretch coincides with the 20th anniversary of her move to the United States, she confronts feelings of nostalgia and displacement. “Where am I really from now?” she wonders. This introspection lends the album a poignant, soul-searching undercurrent that resonates throughout the music.
Ultimately, Breaking Stretch is a thrilling display of virtuosity and creativity, where Brennan's daring compositions stretch the boundaries of contemporary Jazz, creating something at once deeply personal and universally evocative. It’s an album that demands—and rewards—deep, attentive listening.
Personnel
Jon Irabagon • alto and sopranino saxophones
Mark Shim • tenor saxophone
Adam O’Farrill • trumpet (with electronics on tracks 1, 3 and 9)
Marcus Gilmore • drums
Mauricio Herrera • percussion
Kim Cass • bass
Patricia Brennan • vibraphone with electronics, marimba
Tracklist:
1. Los Otros Yo (The Other Selves)
2. Breaking Stretch
3. 555
4. Palo de Oros (Suit of Coins)
5. Sueños de Coral Azul (Blue Coral Dreams)
6. Five Suns
7. Mudanza (States of Change)
8. Manufacturers Trust Company Building
9. Earendel