o3

a little housekeeping:

First off, check the Gigs page for my schedule. I know of some dates I can’t share with you just yet. This is shaping up to be an epic year. 

now: 

there’s a new page above: o3. 

You may have seen the video on Facebook by now. It has been viewed 884 times in two days. I don’t know if that’s a lot, but it looks like a lot!

This concept was born out of two defining moments: first, my time at the Hartt School; second, three years off the horn.

The two people I probably played with the most were Matt Dwonszyk and Corey Garcia. Matt was in the class above me; Corey was three classes below me.  

Matt’s ears and heart are always on display. He has played bass with pretty much everyone who has ever come through Hartford since 2009. His harmonic choices are clear, his beat is huge, and he can adapt to any scenario.  In addition, he’s a great composer and educator, and one of the most sincere and sweet people on Earth. I’m honored to know him.

I met Corey on my way out of town. From the minute I heard him, my ears perked up. He was playing the mess out of the drums when he was 18, and we quickly bonded over the music of Roswell Rudd and Anthony Braxton. In addition, we share an overt goofiness. I can safely say Corey is one of my best friends, and another one of my favorite people anywhere on Earth.

During the three years of vocal cord dysfunction, I was writing, but I couldn’t play any of it. I wanted to hear what this new music sounded like, but I couldn’t even play any of the melodies. I was relegated to imagining how the compositions would sound, and who would play them. 

Not too long before that whole saga began, my senior recital had happened. It was, in a word, baller, and more explosive than I dreamed it would be. I had hoped to continue playing with that crew. Unfortunately, with the delay in my life, I couldn’t keep track of them. Understandably, they have all been very busy in the last five years.

I wanted to recreate some of the moments from that gig.  There’s one part of The Bear, during Andrew Renfroe’s solo, where Renfroe, Dwonz and JB are moving simultaneously, but still together in time. That was probably what I wanted for the whole gig. I realized I could synthesize that sound with only three people, and I wanted to focus on that dynamic.

Of course, with that jarring transition to the edges of society just after school, I changed. I probably mellowed out. I realized that music and life are best when shared with your friends. It was only logical that I would share my music with Matt and Corey, once I believed I was ready.

The original rehearsal was fun. I didn’t send them any of the music ahead of time. I wanted to see how they would react with zero preconceived notions, and zero idea of how I wanted the music to be played. We covered a wide range. We continue to develop a means of communication, but the way we play was already developed as a result of our time in Hartford. They know what I’m going to do, and I have some idea of what they’re going to do. Off the bandstand, we’re open, humorous, and emotionally transparent. It makes sense in pretty much every way. 

We have some upcoming performances to announce. There might be some surprising elements within each announcement. I don’t know. I do solemnly swear that I am up to no good. 

Hope you join us on this exploration. 

 

Sincerely, 

Brian Simontacchi