Sean Noonan
"The Aqua Diva"
CD Release Shows
ShapeShifter Lab 8/2
Barbes 8/9
Sean Noonan The Aqua Diva
CD Release Show
Thursday, August 2nd 8pm
ShapeShifter Lab
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(between 1st and Carroll Streets, off 4th Ave)
(646) 820-9452
Sean Noonan drums/vocals/compositions,
Alex Marcelo piano, Peter Bitenc bass
Music Charge $10
Sean Noonan The Aqua Diva
CD Release Show
Thursday, August 9th 10pm
Barbes
(corner of 6th Ave.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
347 422 0248
Sean Noonan drums/vocals/compositions,
Alex Marcelo piano, Peter Bitenc bass
Music Charge $10
Noonan is a veteran of more than 20 albums, all of the un-classifiable variety. It might be accurate to state that the albums could be classified with a series of hyphens. The performer is influenced by a variety of sources, and his overall vision for the current project is that of a soap opera with characters named “Aqua Diva,” “Bubbles,” and Butterflies.” The songs on half the CD detail the relationship between the three characters that culminates in a jealous Butterflies murdering Bubbles and the title character. It is not clear that this is exactly what happens without some help from written documents about the album.
Other songs on the album include a track written about late actor Don Knotts, “Elijah Rocks,” and “Smoking Man” among others.
But at its core, the album is fun. The world music elements gives songs gravitas that might be pure whimsy otherwise. At times, jazz elements a moody and nimble bass line for example, reminds listeners that this is, in fact jazz.
The song, “When My Band Goes with Me on the Road,” goes so fast, it practically spins. Noonan’s singing is fast, too, and the instrumentation gives the feeling of a children’s song, as if the challenge is in how fast the song can be sung without messing up the words.
The first song, “A Sunny Day,” begins with a strident piano motif and drums that crash and get louder, more present with each measure until the half-spoken lyrics begin. The rhyming poetry of Noonan’s lyrics plus the instrumentation transports listeners to other places. The middle is marked by an aggrieved dragging of a bow across bass strings while off-kilter drum beats work their way into a shimmer of cymbals, and on top of that busy soundscape, a piano plays notes in its highest register. The end plays on the theme of that soundscape, but the actual sound is more lively, less strident.
There is genius here. Noonan takes listeners on a wild ride, though those who are new to the performer’s work might not know how to take it. “The Aqua Diva” could require multiple spins before the story(ies) of the CD make themselves clear. The elements of jazz are present, but this isn’t smooth or classic jazz for dancing. It is art for consideration and perhaps on some level, boundary-pushing.
“The Aqua Diva” will be available June 1, 2018.
1. A Sunny Day 06:51
2. When My Band Goes With Me On The Road 03:15
3. As The World Spins Around Me 05:00
4. Butterflies Away 03:26
5. Don Knotts 04:52
6. Elijah Rocks 05:01
7. Smoking Man 05:52
8. The Aqua Diva 07:10
9. Where Would I Go 06:15
10. Make Her Great Again 03:23
Sean Noonan, drums / vocals / composition / producer
Alex Marcelo, piano
Peter Bitenc, bass
Media Contact
im Eigo
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