Sean Noonan has never been one to hold back his thoughts. From his innovative musical suite exploring his life in a basement apartment where he communicated to his mysterious and anonymous neighbour, to other types of unconventional and experimental experiences...
Sean Noonan truly dances to the beat to his own drum. These stories might be told, but don't think they're easy listening. Working with a core band that includes Marc Ribot, drummer Sean Noonan doesn't make his music particularly accessible, with sharp shards of guitar and erratic lyrics the performance was almost impenetrable.
“Don’t tap dance on thin ice!”
The project's musical configuration is also unique, as a newcomer to Bonington Theatre and jazz music in general I was left feeling rather perplexed. In this most recent project, Memorable Sticks, Noonan demonstrates of how the composer views and perceives himself and his environment as well as others around him. He frequently mentions famous railroad engineer Casey Jones of 1899, who “likes to drive trains as fast as he can” as well as an experience he had at the nearby swimming pool, referring to individuals as “Aqua Divas” as well as his “best and only friend” that only eats ketchup.
It's a record that very much pursues Noonan's vision, complex and twisted as it is, and there can be beauty in the chaos, though it is not for casual listeners, it's a record that demands attention from your ears and brain, one that falls outside any definition. In a good way.
Besides the Irish-American drummer, Noonan had alongside him Jonny Richards on the keyboards and Michael Bardon on the bass; the Trio was formed after the 2016 album release Memorable Sticks.
Noonan adopts a magical scepter to dig the depths of the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland, revealing Hidden Treasures, and the treasures he finds along the way are filtered through his distinctive vision to become the unpredictable and far-ranging sounds of Noonan’s wide-spectrum music.
In the spirit of those traveling African storytellers, Noonan wanders the world gathering stories, legends, and folklore, in a punk-jazz manner. The rhythmic storyteller composes and conducts with a pair of drum sticks and original multi-stylistic music, fusing his discoveries from harmolodic jazz rock and avant-garde chamber sounds.
Noonan’s wide-spectrum genre combines the stories of an Irish bard with the raw physicality of a street-smart boxer. The Memorable Sticks trio performs mostly in electric bass/keyboard configuration and all audio excerpts are from Noonan's diverse song book.
Sean Noonan Memorable Sticks Trio played Bonington Theatre on Thursday 14 September
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