John Wolf Brennan

John Wolf Brennan (b. February 13, 1954, Dublin) is an Irish pianist, organist, and melodica player based out of Switzerland.

Brennan's family moved to Switzerland when he was seven years old. He took piano lessons from age eleven, but played bass guitar in a rock band in 1970 before returning to keyboards in 1974 to play in a jazz rock group. In 1977 he founded the free jazz group Freemprovisations, which featured Peter Schärli among its members; he formed Impetus in 1979. He studied at the University of Fribourg (late 1970s), Swiss Jazz School in Berne (1975-79), the conservatory in Lucerne (1979-84), and the Academy of Church and School Music (1985-87).

From 1980 to 1984 Brennan played in the Mohrenkopf Afro-jazz band, and worked in Triumbajo with Prem Usham and Barni Palm in 1980-82. Between 1982 and 1989 he worked extensively with Urs Leimgruber, and in the 1980s also worked with Corin Curschellas and Christy Doran. In 1988 he worked in New York City for six months, then played in Pago Libre the following year. Early in the 1990s he worked with Daniele Patumi in several ensembles, established a Sinfonietta ensemble in 1991, and worked with a sextet called HeXtet, which set poems by Seamus Heaney, Edgar Allan Poe, and others to music.

In addition to his work in jazz music, Brennan composes for the art-music world as well, particularly songs and pieces for theater.

Discography

*"Mountain Hymn" (L&R Music, 1985)
*"Entrupadas" (Creative Works, 1985)
*"An Chara" (L&R, 1986)
*"The Beauty of Fractals" (Creative Works, 1986)
*"Henceforward" (Core Records, 1988)
*"M.A.P. (Music for Another Planet) (L&R, 1988)
*"Irritations" (Creative Works, 1988)
*"Polyphyllum" (L&R, 1989)
*"Ten Zentences" (L&R, 1993)
*"Text, Context, Co-Text & Co-Co-Text" (Creative Works, 1994)
*"The Well-Prepared Clavier" (Creative Works, 1995)
*"MinuteAge" (For 4 Ears, 1998)
*"HeXtet:Through the Ear of a Raindrop" (Leo Records, 1998)
*"Momentum" (Leo, 1999)
*"Moskau-Petuschi: Felix Szenen" (Leo, 2000)
*"Momentum 2: The Laws of Refraction" (Leo, 2001)
*"Momentum 3" (Leo, 2002)
*"Flugel" (Creative Works, 2002)
*"Zero Heroes" (Leo, 2003)
*"Momentum 4: Rising Fall" (Leo, 2005)
*"Pictures in a Gallery" (Leo, 2006)
*"Shooting Stars and Traffic Lights" (Leo, 2006)
*"En-Tropo-Logy" (For 4 Ears, ?)

References

*Simon Adams, "John Wolf Brennan". "Grove Jazz" online.
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0zfixqy5ldae~T1 John Wolf Brennan] at Allmusic