Tim Price Bloggin' For Rico- Have you heard Brian Landrus? Well you should!

Have you heard Brian Landrus? Well you should!

~ Rico artist and NYC saxophonist Brian Landrus has released two extraordinary studio albums- both strikingly different from each other but with a core of personal originality that demands your attention. Hearing Brian in these two settings only only further emphasizes my joy and urgency for him to gain a wider audience.

To me, on a first listen each band plays with a combination of logic, trust, and emotion. The key then is how important Brian's leadership, playing and composition takes hold.His playing is lively and intelligent, and contains a lot of excitement. Also emotional and intelligent.He can play anything from swing to be-bop,his roots are there way more than many these days, and his sound on his horns is a knock out.
Those above mentioned skills are a perfect foundation for long lasting attention to his recent recordings.

To describe them review style is one thing. Let me say this- buy them both now ok. Then come back and re-read this blog and you'll see why I'm raving about him.
First off, he cared to do this right, the band still sounded inspired,the inspiration is flowing and his technical facilities are in full force.His new material, at this point is like a fresh breathe and that ups the ante considerably.I'm sure in a live performance these compositions are juggernauts,with jumping off points for a band finding inspiration in the elasticity of the material.

What I noted also was Brian's quest for something original. Open ended blowing, and telling story's.I marvel at how many great ideas, directions his improvising on his horns takes,he is about today.NOW! This is the source of that wellspring coming from him as a player.

On one track “Soul and Body,” his solo improvisation functions as an intro to the standard “Body and Soul”, in which the band rejoins. This to me speaks volumes.Hear him, don't just read my words, buy these CD's and support this man in his creative career. Another point is on The Landrus Kaleidoscope, the electro-acoustic CD "Capsule" Landrus plays baritone sax, bass flute and bass clarinet on Capsule,which was released October 25. This recording beckons air play by radio stations. I'd love to see what would happen if some programming was adjusted to fit just one track in of this disc! Ditto the "Traverse" will hold it’s own,go ahead jazz radio programmers make my day- play these CD's and watch the results.

This playing, music and commitment is very hip. And very modern, not in the sense of being different for the sake of difference or weird, but with the collective mastery and freedom which comes from knowing the form via the music so thoroughly that you can go all the way out with complete confidence that you can come back.

You need to experience such joy and maturity for yourself.Hear Brian Landrus now.

Till next week, strive for tone and remember, in the end it is all about love, giving, and gratitude.

Tim Price




PS- Amazon has them right here ;

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=brian+landrus&x=10&y=22