Denman Maroney Quintet Drop A Heavy Handed Jazz Album
- R.A.G.
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
Denman Maroney is very well known as a pianist for his technique and approach to performance, which many consider and call "hyperpiano". His latest release is his third, and it is titled Umwelt.
The album consists of nine tracks, heavily jazz-oriented but scattered in different directions, along with beautifully robust instrumentation via his quintet.
This includes Denman himself on the piano, along with writing the compositions, Robin Finker on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Guillaume Orti on alto and soprano saxophone, Scott Walton on bass, alongside Samuel Silvant on drums.
This is a brilliant record with so much liveliness, vivacious approaches, colorful overtones, and hooky melodies running through its veins that you can't turn away from it.
It puts together elements of classic and contemporary jazz with a fresh approach, along with this sort of intense live performance kind of energy that puts you there in the moment with the songs.
Each one of the songs has something new to offer, but a lot of them have these great hooks, whether they're played on piano, saxophone, or otherwise.
Everyone in this quintet is on the same page. They all understand the mission, and they are all in. These guys are the kind of outfit that you want to go see live. Listening to this record makes you want to go check out a live performance simply because of how they're able to capture this kind of aesthetic on record so well.
A lot of it has to do with the fluctuation of energy throughout the record. It certainly does feel and sound exactly like it was all recorded right there, live on the floor.
Everyone involved must have been feeding off of each other's energies the entire time to capture something so well placed.
You can hear overdubs, doubles of saxophone parts, and all kinds of stuff, but all in all, it still could have been performed live, seeing that there are two saxophonists.
This Album weighs absolutely no time coming in with its first track "Andale/Simplexity" which is a riveting piece of music that gets you hyped up because you're feeding off that energy yourself.
The whole performance is infectious right from the start.
Amazing drumming that just feeds into that energy even more, along with how well these guys perform together.
All of that is given to you right in the first track.
Now, there are smoother songs that are not so fast-paced as well, like "Isotrope", which gives you some nice room to breathe, has a bit of a silky tonality to it, and everyone just gives their all, in terms of clicking with each other and creating a different atmosphere for this one.
There are loads of gems on this album, but listening to the whole thing is the only way to go. If you are a fan of jazz, this is not a record that you want to miss, simply because it throws a lot at you and it is a bit intense at times.
There's a lot of danceable flavor coming at you throughout this record and it's something that gets in your bones.
Listening to this record makes you feel alive and ready for just about anything. It's a feel-good sort of release, packed with classic and fresh Jazz approaches come amazing performances, especially on the piano, but really from everybody, and brilliant compositions.
It feels like certain attributes may be improvisational, as a lot is in jazz music in general, but the compositions are all solid.
The hooks come right in and perfect places, the saxophonists bounce on top of each other perfectly and with a sort of uplifted and vibrant approach, and the piano and percussion are in sync at all times, giving you this series of flash in the pan kind of moments that you have to go back and listen to again because your ears didn't quite soak it all in the first time.
This was a brilliant set of songs, and for anyone who loves jazz, this is one that you absolutely cannot miss.
Denman proves that he can compose some beautifully strong pieces of music and pay attention to all the little details that go into them.
It's not just the performances, it's the arrangements and the compositions that really matter here.
The thought that went into the creation of these tracks is amazing, and when you listen to them, you'll see exactly what I mean.
You'll also hear that live performance energy coming at you, and you won't be able to stop listening.
Definitely check this out as soon as you can and turn it up because it's more fun that way.