http://www.criticaljazz.com/2014/04/peter-brendler-outside-line-posi-tone.html
Peter Brendler Outside The Line Posi-Tone 2014
The most under rated bassist in improvisational music…
Brent Black / www.criticaljazz.com
Peter Brendler is no newbie. Peter Brendler is a critically acclaimed bassist held in high esteem by his contemporaries but he does find himself in an overly crowded field in the jazz mecca of the world thus he probably doesn’t grab the more global ink he so richly deserves. Outside The Lines is a chord less quartet comprised of some forward thinking visionaries that are obviously on the same harmonic page as Brendler. The sound is fresh, open and with a vibrant raw edge of improvisational that pushes both Peter and the band to a more creative level of expression that with most 4tets.
This is not necessarily unfamiliar harmonic territory as it as been done before, it just hasn’t been done this well in about thirty years or more. Two of the three covers can or should immediately grab the attention of most listeners. The late Lou Reed classic “Walk On The Wild Side” is part of the Holy Grail of rock and roll and Brendler’s reharm is nothing short of spectacular. Peter Evans turns in some magnificent solo work while Brendler assumes the subtle soul pumpkin anchor that blows the dust off a timeless classic and turns the tune into something far more special than simply a “cover.” The Ornette Coleman tune “Una Muy Bonita” is deconstructed to a more organic rhythmic groove with a syncopated synergy of lyrical swing. Tenor saxophonist Rich Perry and rising star drummer Vinnie Sperrazza engage in their own melodic conversation which slowly morphs into a smoldering exploratory of rhythm and groove.
Peter Brendler seems to have found a new sense of swing. An open ended improvisational exploratory with a meticulously laid out groove that is the perfect bridge between the more traditional straight ahead sound and the more experimental sound commonly associated with the some disingenuous term “free jazz.” Outside The Line is an apt title for a release where expect the unexpected might be the perfect subtitle. Sophisticated, adventurous yet wildly accessible finds Peter Brendler’s coming out party with his Posi-Tone debut a resounding success!
Tracks: Freeway; Blackout Reunion; Pharmacology; Lawn Darts; Walk On The Wild Side; Blanket Statement; Una Moy Bonita; Openhanded; Drop The Mittens; Indelible Mark; The Darkness; The Golden Ring.
Personnel: Rich Perry: Tenor Saxophone; Peter Evans: Trumpet and Piccolo Trumpet; Peter Brendler: Bass; Vinnie Sperrazza: Drums.
