“Emergence” (2017) by Brennan Connors & Stray Passage
available via setola di maiale (Italia).
Brennan Connors & Stray Passage (Madison, WI) is a free/outside jazz trio from America. Their improvised music is directly linked to the atmosphere in the room and energy of the audience. Stray Passage is a jazz trio that embraces free and structured improvisation, original compositions, groove based experiments and sound exploration. The breadth of a performance ranges from focused minimalism to fiery high energy music, all while maintaining a sense of narrative organization and compelling ensemble interplay. The group is led by Brennan Connors on tenor and soprano saxophones, Geoff Brady provides orchestrated drum and percussion textures and Brian Grimm who rounds out the trio playing cello, contra-cello, and electric bass. Their debut album, “Emergence” was recorded live in front of a live in-studio audience on March 18th and 19th, 2016. Tracked, mixed and mastered by Steve Gotcher at Audio For The Arts studios in Madison, WI.
For booking inquiries, contact Brennan Connors: connorsbrennan@yahoo.com
For press inquiries, contact GrimmusiK Records: grimmusik@gmail.com | (262) 347-9590
PRESS QUOTES
“For those who seek to shake themselves out of musical complacency, there’s Stray Passage, an improvisational jazz trio that explodes boundaries, playing off the energy in the room and audience. The group, led by saxophonist Brennan Connors, includes master percussionist Geoff Brady and Brian Grimm on bowing cello, contra-cello and electric bass. The album they’re releasing on an Italian label was recorded live by Steve Gotcher at Audio for the Arts.” — Isthmus Daily Page
Tone Madison Top 20 Madison Records of 2017:
www.tonemadison.com/articles/the-top-20-madison-records-of-2017
“After several years of performing regularly in Madison, saxophonist Brennan Connors multi-stringed-instrumentalist Brian Grimm, and percussionist Geoff Brady managed to capture the essence of a Stray Passage experience. The energy they harness on their live-recorded debut album, Emergence, is spatially, dynamically, and emotionally visceral. Stray Passage hone in on the ideals of composition-in-performance and have a knack of suggesting acute awareness in structure as they perform, as if structural decisions are, in fact, predetermined. That said, as the band discussed with us ahead of the album’s release, Emergence is all about improvisation. All three members weave in and out of freely tumultuous passages and desolate spaciousness, achieving a collective, convincing direction that challenges the listener’s understanding of the passing of time in live composition.” — Emili Earhart, Tone Madison
Interview with Scott Gordon of Tone Madison:
“Brennan Connors & Stray Passage embrace the absence of formula”
bit.ly/2yGGFe9
PHOTOS (click on image to scroll, download full size via bottom right of image page “view full size”)
