Leaney, Aaron

Three

Label: SOCAN Country: Canada

"Aaron Leaney Three features four new compositions from Leaney. The music is full of emotion and spontaneity which fully captures the essence of this group, a merging and blurring of the lines between composition and improvisation. The group draws upon the free-jazz approach of Ornette Coleman, the intensity of John Coltrane, the intuitive qualities found in Steve Lacy's music. Leaney, with his long imaginative lines, is the featured soloist on Tenor and Alto saxophones, as well as clarinet. Golub's acoustic bass playing dives deep into extended technique, and Dadge's drum kit is mixed with found objects and electronic noises. Each member's individuality is blended together to make a distinctly organic sound.

Aaron Leaney, born December 5, 1983, is a Canadian jazz saxophonist and composer who has been performing since the late 1990's. He has worked across a great variety of genres, from avant-guard improvised music to alt rock. He is an experienced and trained jazz musician but by no means does he choose to remain limited in one genre of music. His musical personality finds him foremost as an improviser; he treasures the immediacy of a spontaneous moment and what the results achieve. But his appreciation and deep investigation in composition allows him to be free within any given form and yet never detached from it.

In 2005, a live radio broadcast performance resulted in the inclusion on 'Alive From CJSW' a CJSW 90.9FM double CD. This performance included three of Leaney's "Compositions for Saxophone & Drums" pieces, of which No. 2 is featured on the recording. His first LP recording entitled 'Duo' released in October 2006, highlights his exploring spirit and ability to play completely spontaneous improvised music. The music was recorded live in Calgary and released independently. In late 2005 he began performing with the Toronto alt rock group, The Postage Stamps. In the summer of 2006 they recorded a full length record 'This Ugly Arrangement.' Although the music was completely written prior to the recording session the saxophone parts remained improvised and were recorded direct off the floor with the band; a coinciding Eastern Canada tour took place at the beginning of 2007.

Compositionally, Leaney brings a long list of influences to his recordings, among others, Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk, reggae icon Bob Marley, producer Daniel Lanois, Brian Blade, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Icelandic vocalist Björk. As a saxophonist, he has been influenced by the music of John Coltrane, Steve Lacy, Sonny Rollins, Fela Kuti, Ken Vandermark and New Yorkers David Binney and Chris Potter."-Aaron Leaney Website