“…it’s safe to say that you’ve never heard music like this before…will have you wondering why Sean Noonan isn’t a household
name.” – Mark Saleski, Blogcritics.org

Saleski’s comments apply equally towards A Gambler’s Hand where Noonan composes music for string quartet as if its an extension of the drum set uniting avant-garde jazz and classical forms where currently he is composing a set of 39 „Improv Canons“ and other works.   Deeply inspired by American rhythm experimentalists Henry Cowell and Conlon Nancarrow, Sean’s evolving drum language and varied compositional interests, and his inclination to stir diverse elements together into something wildly imaginative often turns out to be unexpectedly coherent.

From Brockton, Massachusetts the “City of Champions” and Rocky Marciano, Noonan is a Berklee College graduate in Music Education and Masters in Music Composition from the Aaron Copland Music School.  In 1999 Sean Noonan first came to the public’s attention as the drummer of The HUB, one of several underground bands that emerged from the Knitting Factory scene.  As with the jazz-punk trio THE HUB, Noonan formed a duo project (CHiPS) with Aram Bajakian and in 2003 after recovering from a near-fatal car wreck in Italy Noonan decided his next project would combine his two musical loves of Jazz and African rhythms.

Noonan has has performed over 500 concerts in over 15 countries in numerous prestigious venues, cinemas, theaters, jazz and rock venues and international festivals such as London Jazz Festival, Bergen Natt Jazz , and Jazz Liege to name a few.  As a producer, Noonan has independently released over 19 albums casting some of the finest musicians such as Marc Ribot, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Mat Maneri, Susan McKeown, Abdoulaye Diabate, Malcolm Mooney, Aram Bajakian, Tim Dahl (The HUB), Matthew Bourne, Kirk Knuffke, Momenta Quartet, Shanir Blumenkranz, Norbert Buerger, and Alex Marcelo.

„The drummer and composer Sean Noonan approaches postmodern jazz and world music from the same angle of self-discovery ….he manages to make his pieces speak coherently, and in a unified voice.“ The New York Times

„The drummer is a musical terrorist at heart…well-conceived and expertly arranged and performed pieces that reveal not merely an inner logic, but an external one as well. “ Thom Jurek-allmusic

„This is not the typical release but an experience. A dynamic and virtually flawless execution of art at an apex of creativity few can match.“ Brent Black @CriticalJazz

„Menacingly surreal, often assaultive, a feast for fans of dark, challenging music…it’s a category unto itself – and one of the best albums of 2012 in any style of music. Scary Stuff from Sean Noonan.“ Lucid Culture

„Sean Noonan’s A Gambler’s Hand is a further step forward in his evolving blend of music and narrative.“ – All About Jazz

„The drummer and composer Sean Noonan approaches postmodern jazz and world music from the same angle of self-discovery ….he manages to make his pieces speak coherently, and in a unified voice.“ The New York Times

“ ….he succeeds at bridging the gap during the preponderance of these fascinating arrangements, constructed upon a multicultural array of cadences. Here, jazz vernaculars and birthrights are fused into a bold and beautiful chain of musical events, often enamored with vigor and finesse.“ www.ejazznews.com

„Stories to Tell,“ the new album by drummer Sean Noon’s group Brewed by Noon, is a funky feast of music …..bursting with talented musicians and interesting sounds ….“ All About Jazz New York

„Drummer Noonan’s notion of conflating ‚bardic and griot traditions‘ has juice. The Celtic tunes and African grooves retain their singularity, even when surrounded by flashes of fusion.“ The Village Voice