SIGNAL TO NOISE- Spring Issue 2008
"Sunship flies high and burns brightly on it's maiden voyage."-Tom Djll
THE STRANGER, DECEMBER 2007
"Sunship is one of the few groups that not only plays in a space, but plays with space."--Chris Delaurenti
EARSHOT JAZZ, SEPTEMBER 2005
Half of the powerful, late-and-lamented Stinkhorn has reemerged as Sunship – named, of course, for the mighty John Coltrane Quartet album of the early 1960s. The guitarist from Stinkhorn, Brian Heaney, and the horn player, Michael Monhart, have teamed up with bassist Andrew Luthringer and drummer David Revelli (Grassy Knoll) for a new lineup whose outstanding range and imagination is royally announced on the EP, Sunship.--
Peter MonaghanA recent review of our Ep on the web site-- http://www.seaoftranquility.org
Sunship: Sunship (EP)-- Now this is the way modern jazz should sound. Sunship is a new band featuring sax player Michael Monhart and guitarist Brian Heaney from Stinkhorn, drummer David Revelli from Grassy Knoll, and bassist Andrew Luthringer. This ensemble throw all commercial and "smooth jazz" characteristics out the window, and instead have created a churning cauldron of avant-jazz in the grand tradition of Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane. Led by the squonking sax of Monhart and the blazing guitar runs of Heaney, Sunship plow through five fairly short jazz burners, leaving the listener breathless and wanting more, much more. Check out Monhart's soaring sax work on the opener "Psalm X", supported by the nimble drum work of Revelli, who then gives way to a screaming guitar solo from Heaney, before Revelli comes back again for a powerful solo in the tradition of Art Blakey or Billy Cobham. These players are litterally on fire here, constantly searching and playing off each other, seemingly ready to go far out into space before coming back and weaving complex lines around each other. Monhart blows some somber Coltrane inspired lines on the dark "Her Name is Danny", while "Fuzzy Logic" is raging avant-garde jazz at its finest with all players exploring and blowing with reckless abandon. Npw all they need to do is put together a full-length release and take this formula to the next level. Fans of the Cuneiform roster should eat this stuff up. --- Pete Pardo
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Thanks for the friendship. Brotzmann 2009 USA Tour begins this week. Seattle, Houston, Austin, Grinnell, Chicago, Milwaukee, Lexington, Detroit, Philadelphia, DC, New Haven, Baltimore, NYC
