A speaking drummer and composer whose music enthusiastically defies category, Sean Noonan prefers the title rhythmic storyteller – an apt description for a modern-day sonic griot who spins imaginative yarns in the ancient tradition of wandering minstrels while weaving captivating narrative tapestries via his unique polyrhythmic language.
Noonan merges the voice with the drum kit, providing a 'fifth limb' to the four-limbed practice that exists today. It steals and stretches the responsibilities of both the drummer and narrator into one. His compositions treat ensembles as an extension of the drummer's limbs by orchestrating rhythmic language derived from the drum kit.
Noonan has released over 30 albums that are informed by an eclectic variety of influences, including rock opera, avant-garde chamber music, and improvised jazz-rock. His projects have featured artists such as Marc Ribot, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Malcolm Mooney (CAN), Matthew Bourne and Abdoulaye Diabaté to name a few