They play around with tape loops, free jazz, found sound and odd time signatures. But for the trio known as Peanuts, improvisation is the ultimate
Story and photograph by Thomas Crone
It’s not as if the members of Peanuts do things by accident. They wind up at the same place at the same time for a reason: to compose, record and play music—some beautiful, interesting and challenging music, at that. But you also get the impression that there’s no three-years-out master plan at work for Jeremy Brantlinger, Eric Hall and Nazeer Sadeeq Holmes. Instead, they allow for an off-the-cuff originality, which is a hallmark of both their live stints and, by extension, their recordings.
Live, you’re most likely to find Holmes behind a Gem keyboard, while Brantlinger’s seated amidst his modest drum kit. Hall, meanwhile, is surrounded by banks of electronics and a host of acoustic, percussive toys; both are collections that he adds to regularly. But just as that’s the probable setup, it’s also possible that Brantlinger’s working out a drum loop on a sequencer, while Holmes slips away from his piano to dabble in auxiliary percussion or to play baritone sax. Hall, meanwhile, could be anywhere onstage, even slipping into the audience, playing just about anything he can touch.
Asked to tackle the group’s sound, all of the members touch on similar themes.
“Spontaneous and patient,” says Hall of the group’s sound.
“Spontaneous and organic,” offers Brantlinger.
“It works really well when we’re jelling together,” adds Holmes.
If a “jazz feeling” is what you’re getting from these comments, the members wouldn’t dissuade you from that, as all have grounding in that art form, particularly Holmes, who leads the Art Ensemble Creative while holding a regular slot in the Brian Sullivan Quartet. Brantlinger and Hall touch on jazz projects and also work in a performance duo called Fatoush, but it’s when the three come together that something special clicks.
“It’s pretty much an exchange,” Hall says, “people picking up on each other’s ideas. Sadeeq will go into some crazy stuff that he wouldn’t have picked up on outside of this.”
Playing settings as diverse as closed bars and scrap-metal yards, along with clubs, Peanuts will offer up occasional dates throughout the next year, not only in St. Louis, they hope, but also around the U.S.
“I’d like to see if we could do more shows, maybe even a small tour,” Holmes says.
“We’ve definitely got some people in Chicago waiting to see us,” says Hall.
And while the Windy City waits, St. Louisans are lucky enough to have a trio this original and daring. They’re not out working the boards every weekend, so each set is a special thing unto itself, and the potential for a mind-blowing night is never out of the question.
Hall and Brantlinger’s new label, Echolocation Recordings, has just released A_BIM_CS_BTR_CS_FS_C_B, a collection of live recordings from Mad Art, The Tap Room, the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center, CBGB and KDHX 88.1 FM. The disc will be available at local record stores, myspace.com/echolocationrecordings and snocap.com. For more information on Peanuts’ upcoming gigs, visit myspace.com/ehallstl.
