“One of the best surprises of the year came in December, when bassist Casey O’Brien announced a new recording that includes Nathan Hanson on saxophones and Davu Seru on drums.On “Ghost Dance,” the trio performs eight original compositions by O’Brien, the house bass player for the soul and R&B label Secret Stash. On the album’s moody and flowing tracks, the musicians produce sounds that dance in the air.”
David Cazares – MPR
Tag Archive for: Casey O’Brien
“Because this came as such a sweet end-of-year surprise. It almost didn’t make the list; I learned about it second-hand and listened at the last possible minute. (It wasn’t officially available until December 14. The CD release is set for January 5 at Icehouse.) So glad I did, because it’s a beauty. O’Brien on bass, Nathan Hanson on saxophones and Davu Seru on drums play eight of O’Brien’s original compositions. This is music of seeking and finding, pensiveness, tenderness, and a spirituality reminiscent of Charles Lloyd. Even when the tempo speeds up, it takes its time.”
Pamela Espeland – Bebopified
Casey O’Brien // Ghost Dance
Given his background and recent projects, as well as his cohorts on the new recording, it’s reasonable to expect the unexpected on Ghost Dance. Overall, the mood and collaborative interactions suggest ECM has set up a Minnesota outlet; the all-original music (written by O’Brien) flows like a series of incantations. The Gods must be pleased.
“Sawai” provides a brief opening with just bass and drums, as if an introduction to a dance suite. Even in the short span, Casey conjures guitar and bass with two distinct lines, perhaps using a looper. Nathan Hanson adds soprano sax to “Dayton,” melodically wandering but not aimlessly, rather truly exploring the terrain, which is largely gentle with some valleys created by O’Brien’s bass lines. “Ghost Dance Part 1” (separated from Part 2 by several tracks) is marked by a constant, bubbly bass vamp and alternating clicks and clangs from Seru. The composition is like an African folk dance; Hanson (on soprano) is a talented storyteller creating multiple voices, O’Brien unwavering, Seru the energy source. “Part Two” has a similar yet distinctive bass vamp covering a wider range of tones, creating a more ominous feel, a more urgent storyline with more assertive percussion. Hanson’s adventure kicks up more sonic (cosmic?) dust as if climbing a mountain, reaching a point where the Gods are closer, only to stop in awe, falling somewhere between Coltrane and Lloyd.
“2 Bells” is simply beautiful . Hanson (on tenor and maybe more) suggests Chris Potter’s most recent work. O’Brien’s solo creates bell tones against the gentle slapping of Seru’s brushes. A dark energetic bass introduces “Mpls,” with soprano sax singing atop what becomes a vamping bass in cahoots with the gentle tapdancing of drums. The energy gradually builds, O’Brien taking over as rhythmic storyteller in multiple voices, closing with Hanson’s final prayer. “So” finds Hanson back on tenor, with more acrobatic lines from O’Brien, and you can visualize the elastic movements from Seru. The closing “Polyhistor” benefits from a steady bass and varied percussion effects over Hanson’s tenor. It’s a relatively lively work that feels like a spontaneous improvisation among three kindred spirits
Andrea Canter – Jazz Police
Read more
The Casey O’Brien Trio Series will feature unique combinations of talented improvisers, performing original music and interesting standards every Thursday in July at the Red Stag.
Thursday July 11.
Park Evans | Guitar
Pete Hennig | Drums
Casey O’Brien | Bass
Thursday July 18.
Ted Godbout | Piano
Greg Shutte | Drums
Casey O’Brien | Bass
Thursday July 25.
Ted Godbout | Piano
JT Bates | Drums
Casey O’Brien | Bass
Please join us on Thurdsay, June 20th and Friday June 21st at The Red Stag Supper Club for a night of original creative music with some of the twin cities most talented musicians. Bringing together three unique voices, The Casey O’Brien trio will explore original compositions by the members.
Casey O’Brien
Casey O’Brien is a bassist, producer, composer and performer based in the Twin Cities. Casey’s unique and distinguishable style of playing along with his versatility make him standout performer in a variety of musical fields and styles.
Casey has appeared on over 30 recordings and his discography includes notable albums with with Eyedea (Rhymesayers), Kr
Casey can be found performing regularly around the Twin Cities with artists and bands such asColoring Time (FIX), Sonny Knight & The Lakers (Secret Stash), James Patrick (Timefog), Graham O’Brien, JT Bates, Nathan Hanson, Davu Seru, John Keston (O / K / O). He also leads a number of jazz, and R&B oriented ensembles under his own name.
Davu Seru
Davu Seru (b. 1978, Minneapolis, MN) has been involved in one or more of the arts (legitimate and otherwise) for most of his life. Music won over his attention only after he was introduced to “jazz,” a moniker which he feels—despite being presented here in scare quotes—is worth arguing over. He has a deep affection for jazz, one which, he believes, is made even richer by his capricious sense of race pride. He also believes that sincerity is heroic and improvisation is its ritual.
His cohorts, past and present, include Milo Fine, Andrew Lafkas, Jaron Childs, Charles Gillett, Elliot Fine, Paul Metzger, Jack Wright, Elaine Evans,Anthony Cox, Dean Granros, Dean Magraw, Wendy Ultan, Evan Parker, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Adam Linz, Luke Polipnick, George Cartwright, Stefan Kac,James Buckley, Taylor Ho Bynum, Jim Baker, Robbie Lynn Hunsinger, Tatsu Aoki, David Boykin, Nicole Mitchell, Harrison Bankhead, and Rafael Toral. Currently he plays in the bands Merciless Ghost (with George Cartwright and Josh Granowski), Body Omara (with Joseph Damman and Tom Reichert), and Take Acre. He is also a PhD candidate in African American literature at the University of Minnesota.
What he would like to convey and by whatever means: life is suffering and it ain’t nobody’s fault but ours. We should laugh and often, even if not that deeply. Dancing ain’t bad neither.
Nathan Hanson
Soprano and tenor saxophonist Nathan Hanson has performed in venues from concert halls to prisons, churches to train stations, debutante balls to Soviet fallout shelters in places ranging from St. Paul to Slovenia; Paris to Pittsburgh; Milano to Milwaukee; and Rome (both Italy and Georgia). He is a graduate of Newberry College, and the University of South Carolina.
Hailed as an “extraordinary performer with a beautiful tone and concept” (Cadence Magazine), Mr. Hanson makes his home in St. Paul, MN since 2006 following a residency in New York from 1998 – 2006. His playing has been called “seductively pithy” (Marc Medwin, Signal to Noise), “unexpectedly tasteful and dignified” (Improjazz) and “immediately accessible without sacrificing musical smarts” (Jeff Jackson, Destination: OUT) with “tinges of Jan Garbarek and Albert Ayler” (Glen Hall, Exclaim!).
Mr. Hanson is a primarily associated with Fantastic Merlins, whose 2010 CD How the Light Gets In was a featured album on Radio France and whose 2007 CD Look Around was named a Grammy Semi-Finalist. In addition, he has maintained a longstanding duo with bassist Brian Roessler and is part of the quartet that signaled the triumphant return of legendary French drummer Jacques Thollot. He has performed with a long list of luminaries including George Cartwright, Viv Corringham, Pablo Cueco, Mark Dresser, Harris Eisenstadt, Liberty Ellman, Douglas Ewart, Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Hymas, Darius Jones, Elliot Humberto Kavee, Daniel Levin, Tony Malaby, Didier Petit, Mirtha Pozzi, Reuben Radding, Cecil Taylor, Claude Tchamitchian, Jacques Thollot, Matt Turner, Federico Ughi, Michael Zerang.
Awards include grants and commissions from New Music USA, The American Composers Forum, Meet the Composer, City of St. Paul Cultural STAR, The Jerome Foundation, The Southern Theater, and the National Performing Arts Convention.
