2005 Record Poll Editor's Choices 2005 list Readers' Choices 2005 list "The quartet deftly navigates Pavone's charts
with tightly knit rhythmically charged ensemble heads and spacious solo
sections. Pavone also rearranges two compositions by the late Thomas Chapin...They
honor Chapin's legacy and fit comfortably alongside Pavone's originals,
demonstrating how he continues to explore musical approaches they developed
together, while maintaining his compositional identity." Pavone's and Wilson's groove is like quicksand seemingly
firm yet ready to suck in the careful listener...Malaby and pianist Peter
Madsen are surefooted as they negotiate this rhythmic quagmire, drawing
inspiration from its complexity rather than being stymied. [Pavone] seems
to be giving voice to an inner ritual drummer. That beat sets the tone
for yet another fine session under his leadership. ...veteran bassist Mario Pavone has been producing
a body of work acclaimed by the jazz cogniscenti, though it doesn't receive
as much attention as it deserves...this set is a fine example of what
contemporary jazz should be about. Best of 2004 list Best of 2004 list If anything, Boom is among the most melodically delightful,
musically proficent works issued on the Playscape label... Pavone writes pieces full of smart angular swagger
and the group nails them with assurance, collectively stretching them
with an elastic sense of free swing. [His] stalwart bass provides is in
evidence throughout, voicing the themes, playing counterpoint to piano
and reeds, and stepping out for trenchant solos. Here is a band steeped
in the tradition from bop to freedom, with the smarts and originality
to make music that grabs the listener from start to finish. Favorite Recordings of 2004 List. Top 10 New Releases of 2004 List Pavone’s originals are a well-turned lot, but
the knockout performance is a scorching cover of “Bad Birdie”,
one of two previously unrecorded Thomas Chapin tunes included in the program.
Boom is Pavone’s latest on Playscape, featuring
the bassist in a quartet setting with the dazzling Peter Madsen holding
down the piano chair, alongside saxophonist Tony Malaby and drummer Matt
Wilson. The bulk of the set highlights Pavone’s compositional skills—pieces
that foster group interplay as they gnaw on underlying melodic fragments
with unpredictable metric shifts, substantial collective creativity, and
a sense of humor...another strong release emerging out of Pavone’s
fruitful partnership with Playscape and this select group of exceptional
instrumentalists. They chip in and put all the pieces together so compactly
that it would be hard to imagine any other band reaching in and reacting
to the music as marvellously as they have done. To tip the hat to that
cliché, Pavone wears a coat of many colours. He writes with an
ear for melody, but it is his intuition in adding the breadth and the
scope, in the constant reshaping of the song, that makes his music so
exceptional. Mario's powerful acoustic bass is at the center, pushing
and pumping as the piano and drums swirl around him tightly and Malaby's
great soprano and tenor dance above performing a number of inspired solos.
Both Tony and the extraordinary pianist, Peter Madsen, are gifted soloists
and are spirited throughout. Another year and another classic gem from
Mario Pavone! What makes Boom remarkable and, ultimately, strangely
appealing, is its combination of a freer sensibility with a rhythmic approach
that usually maintains something resembling established time. Wilson's
time may be loose, but it is still impeccable. A thrilling combination
of the oblique and the clearly-stated, Boom is another fine offering from
Pavone, who continues to move the tradition forward with every record.
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