I've been studying West African dancing and drumming since 1996. Within that tradition, there exists the title "master", meaning the artist has belonged to one of the official national companies (such as Les Ballets Africains from Guinea) or is a griot (a birth-right and birth-duty position of lifetime oral historian). We use and receive the word "master" a little more loosely here in the United States-- with nothing more than the trust that there are credentials to back up the title. ....
In the world of jazz, Brannen Temple's ability and talent on a drum kit is nothing less than one of a master. Credentials to follow, but first......
I saw him play in a trio most recently-- the Brannen Temple Express? The Temple Underground? Brannen Temple is not so official at times-- doesn't push band names or CDs for sale. He likes to show up with a tip jar and play. Simple and perfect. He plays with so many musicians, how could he keep up with the CDs or create a band name for each time he sits down with a new mix of players? ....
Forgive me if the names are not perfectly correct-- bass player Dee Mathers and floutist Philip Vieux joined Temple.. in an increasingly packed bar on a Saturday night in Austin. Purely blissful improvisation and composition.. the compositions belonging to Temple, and a few borrowed. These three guys read each other, take each other places, sit out when appropriate, and can choose to tie it in a bow, evaporate, or melt it. Liquid Temple. ....
Brannen Temple is both a bandleader and a composer. If he's playing the part of timekeeper, don't get fooled. If you get lulled to a rhythmic comfort zone, he will smack your ass and wake you right up with syncopated chops that you never saw coming--and they will disappear as fast as they came, possibly leaving you feeling slightly insane-- "did i just really hear that? and if i did, where did it go?"....
Witnessing a drummer lead a group of musicians for an extended time is permanently impressive-- it just turns the nature of the instrument on its head..
Temple can take something familiar and blend it into something you never knew possible-- as proven by his covers of Miles Davis, Busta Rhymes, and briefly, Rick James. We heard a number of originals that night too, including "Boogie's Boogie", a piece written for his son.....
Brannen Temple's name is one i wish I heard more often around Austin-- perhaps it's because this is a city steeped more in blues, country, and rock.. not jazz. Jazz is certainly respected here-- it's just proportionately less represented. He's not exactly an unsung hero-- he's not exactly unknown here-- but I wish he got more official mad props, as both improvisationalist and composer. Maybe it's because he is so busy running around (see next paragraph), or maybe it's the nature of being a drummer, sitting in with so many different players whose names are attached to the stage.....
The credentials.. so many to name, and most are listed on his Myspace page, but I'll throw in some highlights here. (And when you visit that page, you can see him in action in a few different settings-- with the Ephraim Owens Quartet my first thought was "Max Roach".) Temple's official bands are Blaze and Hot Buttered Rhythm-- if that gives you a sense of the musical poetry and funk within his repertoire-- and he's worked with Chaka Khan, Eric Johnson, Carrie Rodriguez, James Cotton, Bob Schneider, The Austin Symphony, Con-Funk-Shun, Alejandro Escovedo.. and many others.. this gives you an idea of the range of styles he's capable of.. AND years of being on the Jazz Studies faculty at the University of Texas.. I think that counts as a credential too. Maybe what UT means by "Drum Specialist" is "Master".
And if you see his name in the paper listed next to an Austin venue, that's likely when he's showing up with a few choice players, no official band, and just letting it fly. Some unpremeditated jazz-funk magic. Damn straight! Go fill that tip jar-- or let the bills fly West African style onto the stage-- he likes that too. ....
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