Slide Gate: An Epic Journey of Transformation and Conflict Through Pavees Dance’s Experimental Jazz Rock

Drummer and composer Sean Noonan, celebrated as a 'Rhythmic Storyteller,' unveils his latest release, Slide Gate, marking the third installment from the jazz-rock ensemble Pavees Dance. Leading the way into Slide Gate, Noonan is joined by the original Can vocalist, Malcolm Mooney, the legendary bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma (Ornette Coleman's Prime Time), and the guitarist Ava Mendoza (Unnatural Ways).

Slide Gate embarks on a storytelling adventure, revolving around an Android's quest to reclaim its humanity, guided by the mysterious Slide Gate. Within this mystical realm, the Android confronts an illusion of its human past, symbolizing a sanctuary of self-discovery.

Key Album Credits:

Drummer, vocals, composer: Sean Noonan Vocalist, lyricist, visual artist: Malcolm Mooney Bassist: Jamaaladeen Tacuma Guitarist: Ava Mendoza Songwriter, co-producer: Guenter Janovsky

As the narrative unfolds, a profound conflict surfaces between the Android and the Human, embodied by characters like Accabadora (Death) and the Holy Goat (Life). It's a journey akin to navigating the proverbial "Devil in the Deep Blue Sea," culminating in a dramatic confrontation. Accabadora and the Holy Goat vie for control over the Android's destiny, while the Android strives to return to its original human state.

The pivotal moment arrives as the Android emerges from the portal, undergoing a profound transformation with the triumph of the Holy Goat over Accabadora. The Android enters a secret valley, experiencing a rebirth that returns it to its human origins. Subsequently, the Human embarks on a journey back to the Slide Gate, completing a full circle of self-discovery and transformation.

Meet the Visionaries Behind Slide Gate

This collaboration within Pavees Dance serves as a bridge between generations, where experimental pioneers Mooney and Tacuma pass the torch to their innovative counterparts. Slide Gate stands as the electrifying outcome of this convergence, co-produced with the Bavarian songwriter Guenter Janovsky, who is credited for compositions, song titles, and the album title. Slide Gate masterfully weaves a captivating narrative of self-discovery, conflict, and ultimate transformation, all brought to life through the musical artistry of Sean Noonan and Guenter Janovsky.

Sean Noonan's Bartalk: A Monodrama for Speaking Drummer and Large Ensemble

Sean Noonan, the celebrated drummer and composer known for his innovative 'Rhythmic Storytelling,' proudly unveils his latest and most ambitious project to date, 'Bartalk,' live in concert at St. Giles Church, London. This captivating live double album embarks on a journey that explores the profound themes of isolation and confinement, delivered through a unique fusion of new music, free improvisation, and rhythmic storytelling.

A Collaboration of Visionaries In "Bartalk," Sean Noonan takes his artistry to new heights by joining forces with the renowned Ligeti Quartet, a U.K.-based ensemble dedicated to modern composers and groundbreaking programming. Alongside this extraordinary quartet, Noonan is joined by a stellar cast of musicians, including the fearless improviser Matthew Bourne (Fender Rhodes and church organ), Alex Ward (clarinet, guitar), Helen Vidovich (flute), and Otto Willberg (bass). The text of Bartalk was written in collaboration with Guenter Janovsky with co-lyrical contributions from Malcolm Mooney.

A Journey into Isolation The context of the pandemic lockdown provides a poignant backdrop to "Bartalk." During these challenging times, individuals across the globe grappled with isolation and its far-reaching effects. In "Bartalk," Sean Noonan takes center stage, delivering an intimate performance through a series of episodes that seamlessly weave together new music, free improvisation, and Noonan's signature rhythmic storytelling. Using his four limbs and voice, Noonan ingeniously blends rhythm and narrative to craft a profoundly moving experience.

Unveiling the 'Unknown' As the narrative unfolds, Sean Noonan immerses himself in the persona of the 'unknown,' delving deep into the emotional impact of isolation and solitary confinement. The journey takes form through episodic soliloquies, with the ensemble serving as a conduit for the 'unknown's' auditory hallucinations. The composition treats the ensemble as an extension of Noonan's limbs, resulting in a mesmerizing tapestry of polyrhythmic, polytemporal, and polymetric expressions, all inspired by the essence of the drum kit.

Recording Details: Sean Noonan (drums, voice and composer), Ligeti Quartet Freya Goldmark and Salomé Rateau (violins) Richard Jones (viola) Val Welbanks (cello), Helen Vidovich (flute), Alex Ward (clarinet, guitar), Matthew Bourne (Fender Rhodes / church organ), Otto Willberg (bass), Guenter Janovsky co-lyricist on track 2,3,6,8,11,15,16,18, Malcolm Mooney co-lyricist on track 7, 14, Sean Hargreaves (Producer), Seb Truman (Engineer), Michal Kupicz. (Mixing), Matthias Gleixner (Album Artwork )

Genre: New Music/Creative Jazz/Experimental Chamber Music Label: seannoonanmusic recordings Catalog: SNMR1012 Release Date: December 9, 2023

Sean Noonan Releases Silo: Episodes for Speaking Drummer – A Bold Exploration of Neo-Primitivism in Music

Sean Noonan, a celebrated drummer and composer known for his innovative "Rhythmic Storytelling," is back with his second solo release, Silo: Episodes for Solo Speaking Drummer. The album draws inspiration from neo-primitivism, a musical movement that challenges traditional Western forms, and is set to redefine the boundaries of contemporary music. Neo-Primitivism Reimagined

Neo-primitivism takes inspiration from the idea that "nearly all primitive music" is sung with percussion accompaniment. It creates a new form of polyphony, where each part is independent but must end together, often featuring rapid rhythmic changes, syncopations, polyrhythms, and cross-rhythms. Noonan embraces these features to craft a wild and raucous style that seamlessly blends with soft and soothing elements, resulting in a truly ritualistic musical experience.

Zappanation Furthers Expands the Scope of the Eclectic Musical Offerings From the Drummer, Composer, and Rhythmic Storyteller

The world of Zappanation, is a particularly outrageous one even for Sean Noonan, whose past works have related tales of a street-smart boxer and of an Irish gambler trapped inside a wall. Here, the story refracts Mozart’s brothel-set opera The Abduction from the Seraglio through the bawdy humor and musical inventiveness of Frank Zappa and the percussive abstractions of Edgar Varèse.

Zappanation (whose title mashes together Zappa’s name with the title of Varèse’s most well-known composition “Ionisation”) was commissioned by Italy’s Sant’anna Jazz Festival and had its Italian premiere in 2016. Noonan had never met the members of the vocal quartet prior to the festival, so he was thrilled when he discovered their vocal abilities and willingness to experiment.

From the drum kit, Noonan plays a young boy abandoned by his embittered war veteran father to grow up in a swingers’ club. As he pays back the old man’s debts by playing in the club orchestra, the boy meets a variety of zany characters portrayed by a virtuosic and fearless Sardinian a cappella choir: soprano Alice Madeddu, mezzo-soprano Eva Pagella, tenor Matteo Siddi, and bass Manuel Cossu.

“It’s fun to collaborate with musicians that come from a different place and tradition,” Noonan states, “These singers have done everything from opera to musical theater to rock music and folk singing. As a drummer it gave me absolute freedom to express myself, and as a composer I could take various kinds of risks and they, in turn, enjoyed the challenge.”

Ironically, Noonan had never been a Zappa acolyte, despite parallels between the two iconoclastic and self-sufficient composers. “I never really checked out Frank Zappa extensively until Zappanation was commissioned,” the drummer admits, “but especially when I play in Germany and England, people always tell me that I’m just like Zappa. The connection I feel to him is really because, like me, he did everything on his own. He was really a workaholic.”

Zappanation will be released both on CD and digital and includes a bonus video performance of the entire German premiere concert of Zappanation, which took place on May 12, 2018, at Alte Kaserne, Landshut, Germany.

Zappanation is a surreal rock opera composed in the provocative and inventive spirit of Frank Zappa and Edgard Varèse. It began in 2016 at the Sant’Anna Arresi Jazz Festival in Sardinia. The story refracts Mozart’s brothel-set opera The Abduction from the Seraglio through the bawdy humor and musical inventiveness of Zappa and the percussive abstractions of Varèse.

Norbert Buerger as "Evil Papa" (guitar/beat box) Alice Madeddu as “Bubbles” (soprano) Eva Pagella as “Butterflies” (alto) Matteo Siddi as "Jesus" (tenor) Manuel Cossu as "Tad, aka The Aqua Diva”
Mandhira de Saram (violin 1) Patrick Dawkins (violin 2) Richard Jones (viola) Val Welbanks (cello) Harry Saltzman (saxophone) Johnny Richards (keyboards) Michael Bardon (bass) Sean Noonan as "The Boy" (drums/vocals/composer)

Sandy Sokoloff original painting Archangel Chamiel’ Malcolm Mooney art advisor malcolmmooney.com Matthias Gleixner graphic design Michal Kupicz CD mixing/mastering engineer

Studio Recording at TY Studios London September 4, 2016 Video on May 12, 2018 at Alte Kaserne, Landshut, Germany

Watch video of Zappanation live in Germany in 2018 Here https://seannoonanmusic.com/zappanation Password: WelcometoZappanation

All compositions and lyrics by Sean Noonan SPNoonan ASCAP Noonanmusic - NM1010

Drummer/composer and rhythmic storyteller Sean Noonan releases Knott Tones features new compositions for drumkit and strings featuring the U.K.-based Ligeti Quartet

Drummer and composer Sean Noonan has long preferred the term “Rhythmic Storyteller” to describe his audacious, genre-defiant artistry. As a modern-day sonic griot he combines the most ancient of traditions with forward-seeking experimentation; as a kind of post-modern wandering minstrel he gathers irreverent folk tales and offbeat inspirations from various cultures and translates them through his own singular worldview.

Knott Tones is a collision of new music composition and free improvisation, written for string quartet and drum kit and inspired in part by comedy legend Don Knotts.

“I always want to take a listener or an audience on a journey into new worlds,” Noonan says of his always-unpredictable output. “I try to constantly explore different topics and new places.”

Knott Tones features the U.K.-based Ligeti Quartet. An acclaimed string ensemble devoted to modern composers and innovative programming, the quartet features violinists Mandhira De Saram and Patrick Dawkins, violist Richard Jones, and cellist Valeria Welbanks (with guest violinist Alicja Pilarczyk stepping in for De Saram on Knott Tones).

Knott Tones, meanwhile, is an outgrowth of “Don Knotts,” a Noonan composition originally recorded on Drumavox. A self-described “member of the Three’s Company generation,” Noonan composed the piece based on a 12-tone row and dedicated to the late comedian – an unlikely inspiration for such intricate music, but perhaps Noonan recognized the stellar grace and timing essential to any successful physical comedian.

The five pieces on the album employ polytemporal rhythmic ideas from composer Conlon Nancarrow’s “Studies for Player Piano,” a key source of inspiration for Noonan. “Nancarrow is one of one of my favorite American composers,” Noonan says. “I spent a lot of time studying his output of music for player piano.”

The unconventional instrumentation on Knott Tones – drumkit and string quartet – allowed Noonan to reimagine the narrative and melodic potential of his rhythmic ideas. “I treat the quartet like it's an extension of the drum kit,” he explains. “My two legs and two arms are almost like the cello, viola and two violins. So I tried to visualize ways that the quartet’s playing could come out of what I would be naturally playing on the drum set. Sometimes that means transcribing my rhythmic language, though often it’s more abstract than that.”