Peter Brendler Quartet - Jon Irabagon, Zach Lapidus, Mark Ferber

On his excellent debut outing for Positone, bassist Peter Brendler got arguably upstaged by the intrigue inherent to the frontline pairing of tenorist Rich Perry and trumpeter Peter Evans. With Message in Motion much of the novelty has worn off, replaced by a full embrace of the confidence that comes from two players who share an encyclopedic command of their respective instruments. Vinnie Sperrazza returns on drums and Brendler also taps guitarist Ben Monder to bolster the band to quintet size. Brendler leads with his usual blend of instrumental prowess and careful consideration toward crafting collaborative surroundings that stress his colleagues’ strengths. Derek Taylor Dusted Magazine

New York bassist Peter Brendler has been a rising figure in the city's jazz mainstream for the past decade or so. He recently released Message in Motion (Posi-Tone), his second album as a leader (not counting a 2013 duo recording with guitarist John Abercrombie, The Angle Below). It's another knockout, working solidly within postbop orthodoxy while pushing against its strictures, thanks largely to the strong players with whom the bassist surrounds himself— and none contribute more powerfully than trumpeter Peter Evans. In fact, it's Evans who pretty much transforms the album from a strong postbop session into a recording that's stunned me—when I listen to it, I alternate between laughing at the trumpeter's nonchalant audacity and falling speechless at his ability to work inside the tradition, leaving it a sere husk in his wake. Peter Margasak Chicago Reader

One of the most impressive features of The Angle Below is the way in which the interplay between Brendler and Abercrombie develops within each tune. There are unison passages but for the most part the two musicians work as a lead and rhythm duo. While that might suggest a traditional partnership with the guitar taking on the melody and the bass establishing a rhythmic foundation this collaboration finds both men moving between the two. Abercrombie's "Jazz Folk" is an especially fine example of this interplay, but it's a common motif across the album. The switches between roles are achieved so smoothly that it takes a few seconds to realize that they've happened, a testament to the relationship that the players have on this beautifully-recorded and rewarding album. Bruce Lindsay All About Jazz

Peter Brendler’s recent projects include an austere collection of duets with guitarist John Abercrombie and a couple of wild and wooly albums with intrepid saxophonist Jon Irabagon. That broad spectrum made it difficult to guess how the young bassist would shape his debut as a bandleader. Outside the Line answers the question with a two-horn quartet sans piano or guitar.

Normally it’s bad news for a leader-composer when the covers are all better than the originals. But here it is less a problem with the new material and more the virtue of Brendler’s shrewd choices and the quartet’s inspired renditions. Chet Baker’s “Freeway,” most notably performed with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, was one of the more frenetic songs in the cool-jazz school, and Brendler’s similarly instrumented group embarks on a spirited ride with tenor saxophonist Rich Perry and trumpeter Peter Evans pushing the pace both solo and in tandem. The moment you hear Brendler plunk out the iconic bassline of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” against the brushed shuffle-beats from drummer Vinnie Sperrazza, you wonder why the piece isn’t a jazz standard by now. Evans and Perry both take pleasant rubato turns with the melody and refrain. Last but never least is the foursquare boldness of Ornette Coleman’s “Una Muy Bonita,” with the strutting horns and strumming rhythm section at high alert on parallel planes.

Brendler’s nine originals provide a fair bit of variety against the challenge of writing for a chordless ensemble. They range from the vintage, Bird-esque bebop of “Pharmacology” to the splayed semi-free improvisations comprising “Openhanded.” In the end, Outside the Line may not be as daring as its title implies, but there is a hunger and diligence that keeps the music taut. Britt Robson Jazz Times

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