- Presented by BlueStem Jazz
- Garver Feed Mill Patio, Thursday, October 8, 7pm
- Paul Dietrich…………Trumpet
- Mark Siegenthaler….Piano
- Bradley Townsend….Bass
- Michael Brenneis……Drums
Executive Tea Set is a tea set for the discerning executive. Stylish and functional; the correct accoutrement for the most discerning; an asset to any high-society luncheon where affairs of business are conducted–where confidential transactions are afoot. Actually, Executive Tea Set is a jazz band that plays playful and compelling original music with deftness and humor. You’ll like it, probably–unless you’d prefer to be screamed at for 90 minutes. We won’t scream at you for 90 minutes. We will play our music with grace, abandon, and humility. We’re the best at humility!!!
The History of Executive Tea Set
By Michael Brenneis
I conceived of Executive Tea Set in 2004 as a foil for Tomato Box, the other major project of mine at the time. Initially it was to be a jazz quartet with the front line of vibraphone and guitar. This was a purposeful challenge: how to distinguish the guitar from the vibraphone in this context. Arguably not an easy task. And this was the instrumentation during the early, formative period.
I met Brad Townsend on a wedding gig in 2005, shortly after he arrived in town. It was clear from his playing, and our conversation off the bandstand, that we would be successful collaborators. Brad has an unmatched command of the bass, a deep musical well, and is unflappable. Bringing him into ETS had the added benefit of introducing me to Mark Siegenthaler. Brad and Mark had just finished up graduate studies at the University of Michigan, so their rapport was at-the-ready. Mark has a unique and fascinating voice on the piano. I don’t know anyone who plays with the same transcendence as Mark in these here parts.
So the idea of guitar was retired, and ETS became a vibraphone/piano quartet, which actually presented some of the same compositional challenges. Geoff Brady, of course, played vibraphone. A long-time collaborator of mine (Tomato Box, The Active Percussion Duo, various other projects), he and I seem to have a telepathic connection on stage, and I had ultimate confidence in his musicality and ability (plus he’s fun to be around.) These were players who could play anything, and were game to try.
Before we hit on this lineup, I had envisioned the band as something of a jazz repertory ensemble that could play well-heeled events for top dollar (ha,ha) with a smattering of originals thrown in. Once this lineup was established it was clear that we should abandon this initial plan and dig into the new tunes that I’d been writing. These had challenging meters, freakish melodies, and often inscrutable harmonies. Mark, Brad, and Geoff also brought a few masterful pieces of their own.
In 2018 we welcomed Paul Dietrich into the fold when Geoff left to focus on some of his own projects. I met Paul, when he first moved to town, at the New Breed Jazz Jam, where young lions come to test their mettle, and, certainly in Paul’s case, show the geezers a thing or two. After getting to know Paul, the music of his myriad projects (The Paul Dietrich Large Ensemble, Quartet, and Quintet), and his top-notch interpretive skills, it was clear that he was the right player for the job.
Paul’s installation as trumpeter necessitated a re-arranging of the entire repertoire. I had to re-think my reliance on a more percussive approach to the music. It was a challenge, but it opened doors in the process, and led to a slate of brand new tunes inspired by this new lineup.
And that is what we now bring to audiences–and will present on October 8th on the Garver Feed Mill Patio.