The Paintbrush Orchestra

Never have I see a group that truly allows the listener to witness the composition being spontaneously created (and sometimes force the listener to be a part of that composition) the way Paintbrush Orchestra does.  The Paintbrush Orchestra is directed by composer Yeonathan Shachar who uses the compositional language of soundpainting, which was born out of the work of Walter Thompson.

The ensemble includes Andres Fonseca (drums), Oren Yaacoby (guitar), Marika Galea (bass), Roman Maresz (piano), Laura Hamel (marimba), Zach Baldwin-Way (violin), Shachar Ziv (French horn), Carlos Llerena (tenor saxophone), Joe Ricard (trombone), along with other musicians and dancers as well.  Stylistically their music lies somewhere between contemporary jazz, serious/concert music, and the avant-garde.  Trying to describe the band's sound brings to my mind something I heard Chick Corea say in a clinic about improvisation, which was something along the lines of, "the best compositions sound improvised...and the best improvisations sound pre-composed".  The Paintbrush Orchestra somehow manage to accomplish sounding like both simultaneously.

The first time I saw the Paintbrush Orchestra was for a show I was actually on the same bill for.  It was a Halloween show at at the Foxhole in Cambridge.  The overall vibe was eerie and tense - and at times I actually felt uncomfortable (but in a good way). What took me the most off guard was the way the audience was a part of the composition.  There was one time where someone arrived late while the set was going on and Yeonathan had the whole ensemble stop playing, point, and laugh at the newcomers who had no idea what was going on - which was equally awkward and tense as it was funny (or at least funny for the rest of the audience).  There were plenty of surprises, from moments where 5 or more different languages where being spoken simultaneously, to where Yeonathan would point towards the audience and give cues to us which we could follow.  Perhaps in the spirit of Halloween at times it sounded like a seance conducted by Luciano Berio, but then at other times the ensemble would burst into irresistibly funky grooves that sounding more like a celebration.  

I next saw the Paintbrush Orchestra at the Lilly Pad in Cambridge.  This time the ensemble added two dancers - whose addition added a whole new layer in the multi-media experience.  This performance was longer, more pastoral and often extremely beautiful, while still remaining mysterious.  There were moments in this performance which felt like a dream - where one dancer was literally running up a wall, the rhythm section was grooving like their lives depended on it, and the horns were playing something dissonant and gnarly.

What is perhaps the most appealing part of this group is that you have no idea what’s in store every time you see them, which for me will keep me coming every time they are in town.  Both times I saw them were among the best shows I’ve seen in 2013 and I very much look forward to seeing where they take things in the near future.