DR. MiNT
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DR. MiNT

| INDIE | AFM

| INDIE | AFM
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"Review of "Visions and Nightmares""

From: http://www.twangtownusa.com/cgi-bin/NewsScript/newsscript.pl?record=4691

Dr. Mint - Visions and Nightmares
Talk about having a jam session in your living room! The debut from SoCal's Dr. Mint is true improvisational jazz/rock fusion, with trumpet and sax explosions as if Al Hirt and Charlie Parker rose from the grave and went insane. Joining the insanity is diverse guitar ejaculations, wild bass licks, potent rhythms and surreal sampling. Ranging from kick-back-and-close-your-eyes mellow to blow-you-backwards-over-the-chair intense, you never know what is coming next from this Dr. That is one of the most refreshing aspects of this ear opening music. URL: http://www.myspace.com/drmintmusic

- http://www.twangtownusa.com


"Review of "Visions and Nightmares""

Sometimes an album comes along that really surprises you. pfMentum is a jazz-orientated label which has regularly appeared here. MR MiNT Visions and Nightmares (pfcd49) arrived, identified as a one take, no edit recording of five people (whose initials are capitalised in the name) on drums, bass, guitar, sax and trumpet. The mind thinks groovy or edgy is the norm for this sort of ensemble. But what we get is closer to rock - in fact it was King Crimson - both the first incarnation and Larks Tongue in Aspic that came to mind while listening to this

the album is broken into two suites, which were each recorded in a single take, with further subdivisions for ease of listening based on changes in the music. A few general points before diving into this maelstrom

These are people who can actually play - rather than being interested in squeezing noises out of their instruments.
They have a great understanding of dynamics and have structured these pieces amazingly well, and have allowed the 'correct' balance of instruments take the running
At heart this is rock to me - the drumming is full on percussive and the guitar solos burn
The bedrock is the rhythm supplied by the drum and bass - I may not mention them much as we go through, but they are the driving force and a constant throughout the changes
The first piece is called Visions and Nightmares and opens with First light, a slowly emerging bass, some light guitar and bell-like percussion, with a little squonky sax. This builds through Gathering with more wind, some guitar and then a wind duo through to a long balanced group explosion in Fire flight. Here a lovely sax solo slips into a burning guitar piece and then a group, especially wind, crescendo that is let down into a soft bass solo. As this runs though into Submerge gentle trumpet and then sax provide a lacunae of quiet before a second explosion in Duel in the deep. The duel is between the wind, getting very wild before the guitar rings in again to take us into another blazing solo. The balance is restored with Breach where subtle sax and slow bass wevae around a cycling percussion and a hypnotic scrunching noise - the first obvious tape effect, which sounds like someone trudging through gravel. Some long held tones appear before Waiting which starts with fast percussion and then gives way to some brass repeated riffs before a fade. A nice surprise as with a set like this you might expect a big bang conclusion. What reminded me of Crimson? The intensity, the rhythms, the changes, the sax sound, the guitar - not fripplike but similarly powerful. This piece got my blood pumping.

And straight into Apocalyptica, and my one complaint about this album. These are two separate works that need to be absorbed individually. A short break between the 2 suites would allow a much more considered listening. OK you can turn it off, pause, whatever - but I think the experience would have been improved by a short break (see my review of Jeffrey Roden for more on this issue).

Prophecy is a short burst of group noise to kick things off before a bass solo, with a bit of guitar support and a touch of percussion (Soma) and there is perhaps more of a jazz feel. In Chasing dreams the brass joins the others, blowing long tones, building into a sax solo, segueing into a trumpet solo and then a melodically driven band excursion. The excitement eases to the rhythm unit and a percussion solo at the start of Rift - into which the guitar sidles and the hits a fiery wild solo, joined by the brass to burn some more before again dropping back to rhythm and choppy guitar. The brass come to the fore again in Dance of the fire reign, initially with some blowy noises, then squalling and puttering into a mix of solos and duets, building until the sax slithers though with the drum and bass into The horseman rides. Here sax and trumpet exchange parallel smooth lines, with some guitar trills that together with some long sax lines, emerges from a group blow into a very KC/Fripp like solo as the wind flutters around. A Wasteland shows us another of the eletronica-loops as a dislocated space of gentle sounds, subtleties provides a springboard into the final Summon of the shadow sun. Another jazzy brass period builds, sirens playing to match the trumpet, out of which another huge guitar solo leverages a group crescendo whose climax breaths into the silence.

An amazing album - each listening has emphasised it's strength to me, and provided more highlights. One hell of an ride.

(OK, enough of the KC comparison - but this makes me think what they could have been if the Red era continued with some influence from the first. And am I seeing too much in Dance for the fire reign as being a composite of Return of the fire witch and The dance of the puppets from In the court? Or Summon the shadow sun as relating to the line 'summon back the fire witch'? - probably. Let alone the fact they don't name check KC on their myspace page, and there - Ampersand Etcetera


"Review of "Visions and Nightmares""

Visions and Nightmares
DR. MiNT
pfMENTUM

www.pfMENTUM.com

The name of this act is made by arranging the last names of the members minus the 'I'. They formed in late 2007 and are dedicated to 'spontaneous composition' which they say is "an intuitive group improvisation focused on fluid and cohesive musical construction." On the album we have two such improvisations 'VISIONS AND NIGHTMARES' and 'APOCALYTPTICA'.

The members are:

Daniel Rosenboom, Trumpet and piccolo trumpet
Gavin Templeton, Alto saxophone
Alex Noice, Electric, guitar and vox samplinga
Sam Minaie, Electric, bass and effect loops
Caleb Dolister, Drum set

" Visions and Nightmares" and "Apocalyptica" are two entirely improvised suites that were recorded in two consecutive takes on August 26, 2007. This album is unabridged, uncut, and unedited. The music ranges from experimental, pseudo-classical, Avant-garde, to blues metal or acid, in places reminiscent of say Edgar Winter or somewhat Stevie Ray Vaughn. It is hard to describe this large operatic sensed project. It is a whole production and recalls an old project based on the book of Revelation by the country-gospel rockers DANIEL AMOS circa 1977, that is similar in scope. The guys in DR MiNT are very talented musicians though and the music ranges from the slow and mysterious to fiery blasts of electric guitar that paints a whitish noise on the mind...and everything else in between. It is wide ranging and probably won't appeal to all tastes.

pfMENTUM in association with PLOTZ! Music and Sonic Nation Productions delivers this project that introduces us to some very creative and eclectic sounds from guys that have played with a long long list of bands and artists across all genres. This is a venture into a different musical soundscape that I recommend.

Review Copyright 2008 A.Canales - Fanofgold@Yahoo.com
Critical Review Service
PO Box 3593
El Paso, TX 79923 - Critical Review Service


"Review of "Visions and Nightmares""

Visions and Nightmares
Dr. Mint | pfMentum (2008)
Website
By Glenn Astarita
Broken into two parts "Visions and Nightmares" and "Apocalyptica," the West Coast-based aggregation's music is all improvised. And as the brief liners disclose, this outing signifies their inaugural meeting, which features an assortment of an acoustic-electric driven avant/jazz-rock, executed with a noticeable degree of raw firepower. Here, electric guitarist Alex Noice shreds metal into tiny fragments amid the dual horn attack's conveyance of the jazz element, over the top. In some instances, it would seem that the ensemble had worked out some of these motifs in advance, but the music was performed on-the-fly during the course of two consecutive takes.

The quintet's muse is rooted in an evolutionary framework, abetted with stark contrasts via heated opuses marked with soaring solo spots and thematic expansion. The artists offer a cohesive and highly listenable program that teeters along the borders of free-form jazz and ballsy, off kilter rock. It's a sojourn that should overwhelmingly whet the appetites of progressive-jazz/rock aficionados. The music is fresh and invigorating, whereas the musicians go for the proverbial jugular throughout. A charismatic endeavor, indeed... - Glenn Astarita

Daniel Rosenboom: trumpet and piccolo trumpet; Gavin Templeton: alto sax; Alex Noice: electric guitar and vox sampling; Sam Minaie: electric bass and loop effects; Caleb Dolister: drums - ejazznews.com


"Review of "Visions and Nightmares""

Visions and Nightmares
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=28552
by Troy Collins

Dr. Mint (an acronym formed from the first letter of each member's last name) is a fledgling quintet of young West Coast improvisers. Executing a pair of spontaneously composed long-form suites with the assurance of seasoned veterans, these twenty-somethings conjure a testosterone fueled fever dream on Visions and Nightmares. Caterwauling horns, scorching metallic guitar and a thrashing prog-metal rhythm section alternates bone-crushing intensity with introspective passages and dark cinematic ambiance.

"Apocalyptica" and the titular suite were both recorded live in the studio, in a single unedited take. An endlessly fluctuating web of throbbing bass ostinatos, churning guitar riffs and pneumatic vamps serve as the foundation for free-wheeling excursions. Brief interludes offer shadowy atmospherics that eschew traditional strategies, unfolding with fluid, rubato pacing.

With unswerving focus and expansive vision, the quintet demonstrates keen interplay and adroit improvisational skills. The unofficial leader, trumpeter Daniel Rosenbloom recently released his debut album, the highly regarded Bloodier, Mean Son (Nine Winds, 2006). Drummer Caleb Dolister studied at the University of Nevada, boasting a lengthy list of sideman gigs. Saxophonist Gavin Templeton, guitarist Alex Noice and bassist Sam Minaie are all 2008 CalArts graduates.

Revealing impressive listening skills and an affable rapport, the quintet navigates abrupt shifts in tempo, timing and dynamics. Alex Noice's howling acidic guitar spurs the rhythm section into a bracing clip on "Fire Flight." Kicking into overdrive, they unleash a blitzkrieg of astonishing aural violence before seamlessly downshifting into a bruising cadence.

Providing supportive accompaniment to each other on "Chasing Dreams," the clarion horns of Daniel Rosenbloom and Gavin Templeton spar with vigorous intensity on "Duel in The Deep." With vivacious brio, Templeton's circuitous alto on "Fire Flight" mirrors Rosenbloom's fractious trumpet on "Dance For The Fire Reign."

Sam Minaie and Caleb Dolister augment primal rock rhythms with jazzy elan and a nuanced touch. Demonstrating dynamic versatility, they wax nostalgic on "Waiting...," while Minaie offers a supple, melodic bass solo on "Soma," with Dolister providing sensitive accompaniment.

Dr. Mint present a thoroughly modern view of jazz informed, but not limited by, a dark and sometimes menacing future. Visions and Nightmares is an impressive debut recording, regardless of style or genre.

Visit Dr. Mint on the web.


Track listing: Visions and Nightmares Suite: First Light; Gathering; Fire Flight; Submerge; Duel In The Deep; Breach; Waiting...; Apocalyptica Suite: Prophecy; Soma; Chasing Dreams; Rift; Dance For The Fire Reign; The Horsemen Ride; Wasteland; Summon The Shadow Sun.

Personnel: Daniel Rosenbloom: trumpet and piccolo trumpet; Gavin Templeton: alto saxophone; Alex Noice: electric guitar and vox sampling; Sam Minaie: electric bass and effect loops; Caleb Dolister: drums.

Style: Modern Jazz/Free Improvisation | Published: February 28, 2008 .. EDITORIAL END --> - AllAboutJazz.com


"Review of "Visions and Nightmares""

DR. MINT - Visions and Nightmares (pfMentum 049; USA) Featuring Daniel Rosenboom - trumpet and piccolo trumpet; Gavin Templeton - alto sax; Alex Noice - electric, guitar and sampling; Sam Minaie - electric, bass and effect loops; Caleb Dolister - drum set. Nope, I must admit that I haven't heard any of the members this quintet before hearing this disc. Since I have enjoyed everything I've heard on the LA-based pfMentum label, I was eager to hear this disc. 'Visions and Nightmares' is broken into two suites, one is self-titled and the other is "Apocalytica". "Visions and Nightmares" opens spaciously with drifting sounds. By the second part, "Gathering," the quintet is jamming with the two horns sailing on top of the strong twisted groove. Alto saxist, Gavin Templeton, takes the first solo and sounds great burning over the slamming rhythm team with Alex Noice's sly electric guitar. Alex then takes a great, fast fusion-like guitar solo that is hard to beat and over-the-top! Trumpeter, Daniel Roseboom, takes an impressive, soaring solo on "Duel in the Deep" while the rest of the band rocks hard. Dr. Mint sounds as if they have been playing together for a while as they move from one section to another often seamlessly. On "Soma," their electric bassist takes an impressive solo while the drummer builds the groove below. The band gets into a great 70's like jazz/rock groove with great playing from each member with a round of smokin' solos from the guitar (Holdsworth-like but heavier) plus the trumpet and sax together swirling powerfully around one another. If I didn't know better, I would've thought that this was some long-lost progressive gem from the late-seventies. But we do know better and this is still a gem today so let's not let it be lost or unrecognized. Buy it direct, buy it collect, but please buy it today!

- BLG

CD $12 - Downtown Music Gallery


Discography

Visions and Nightmares - pfMentum (PFMCD 049)
A New Symphony - SNP Records (SNPDM 001)

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Bio

“With unswerving focus and expansive vision…Dr. Mint present a thoroughly modern view of jazz informed, but not limited by, a dark and sometimes menacing future.”

- Troy Collins, AllAboutJazz.com


DR. MiNT is dedicated to the art of spontaneous composition. This process involves a combination of improvisation and spontaneous music notation in an effort to create coherent, concert-length works of art. Critical Review Service says DR. MiNT’s music “ranges from experimental, pseudo-classical, Avant-garde, to blues metal or acid,”, and is “fresh and invigorating,” according to eJazzNews.com. Cadence Magazine calls the DR. MiNT experience ”exciting and inspired throughout…a thrilling rush akin to riding a roller-coaster without proper restraints.” DR. MiNT has recorded several of their epic performances, as these are unique artistic experiences, impossible to replicate.

DR. MiNT”s debut recording, Visions and Nightmares, released on pfMentum in 2008, has received international critical acclaim and is turning heads around the world. “An amazing album - each listening has emphasized its strength to me, and provided more highlights,” says Ampersand Etcetera. Recorded in two consecutive unabridged, unedited takes, the album documents the group’s inception. “The performances and pacing are top notch…a wonderful trajectory…that almost denies the idea of it being completely improvised…I can't wait to hear what happens next,” says Jay Batzner from Sequenza 21.

In late 2008, DR. MiNT released their highly anticipated follow-up album, A New Symphony, boldly presenting an alternative view of symphonic form. Recorded in a single 53+ minute live performance, DR. MiNT weaves a multi-movement, epic improvisation that truly ebbs and flows like a symphony. AllAboutJazz.com characterizes DR. MiNT’s sound as “Caterwauling horns, scorching metallic guitar and a thrashing prog-metal rhythm section alternate bone-crushing intensity with introspective passages and dark cinematic ambiance.”

After Visions and Nightmares and A New Symphony, DR. MiNT began to experiment with a new process. By physically notating themes and phrases during live performance, DR. MiNT has opened exciting new possibilities in the construction and organization of large-scale musical works, while maintaining the group’s dedication to spontaneous composition. This process is documented on DR. MiNT’s third album, recorded in October 2008 and due for release on SNP Records in early 2009.

DR. MiNT is passionate about music education. Having received their educations from some of America’s leading musical institutions, including the Eastman School of Music, California Institute of the Arts, University of Nevada, Reno, University of California, Los Angeles, and the Interlochen Arts Academy, and the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, the members of DR. MiNT appreciate the value of higher musical education. Each member of DR. MiNT is a working musician, composer, entrepreneur, clinician and private music instructor, and as a group DR. MiNT offers amazing clinics on their approach to spontaneous composition, the climate of the music industry, and music making in general. Some of the topics and concerns discussed in a DR. MiNT clinic include:

• Spontaneous Composition – Why is it different than simply improvising or jamming?
• Counterpoint – Composing, playing, and listening as a group
• Melting Pot – Using the totality of one’s stylistic influence
• Sound and Silence – Using all the colors of one’s dynamic palette
• Time – Moving in and out of groove and tempo, but always moving forward
• Sonic Spirit – Accessing one’s inner spirituality and a collective conscious through improvisation
• Live Performance vs. Recording – Balancing deep listening and introspection with extrovert enthusiasm for your audience
• Running a Band and Producing Records
• The Ever-Changing Industry – Caleb Dolister and Daniel Rosenboom run the label SNP Records and are always watching new trends in media distribution
• Interactive experiences and improvisation experiments with brave music students.

For more information, please visit our website at:
www.drmintmusic.com

For booking, contact Daniel Rosenboom at:
phone: 661-714-7186
email: drmintmusic@gmail.com