Mario Pavone The Tampa Quartet - Isabella (June 2021 clean feed records)

Mario Pavone recorded two albums in the final stages of a cancer that he fought for 17 years, when 2021 was starting: “Blue Vertical” (Out of Your Head Records) and this “Isabella”. Now that Pavone isn’t with us anymore, the second of these two final editions has a special significance: it’s a pungent tribute to his granddaughter Isabella, who died in 2020 when she wasonly 23 years old and whom, he said, «stole my heart since her birth». The feelings involved are deep and they’re reflected in the inner tissue of the music. Pavone had one thing in mind: «My joy will be in re-uniting with her.»

This is the antecipation of that joy turned into music. An autodidact double bassist with very personal techniques (firstly shown to the world when he joined Bill Dixon and Thomas Chapin) and a rich musical mind needing the collaboration of others (Marty Ehrlich and Steven Bernstein in the past) to put it on paper, this time he had trumpeter Dave Ballou as the arranger and accomplice in translating his ideas to a group sound. With his son Michael playing guitar and with friends Mike DiRubbo and Michael Sarin, Pavone created the most beautiful suite about the noblest of all emotions, love, and about how love survives even death.

1. Twardzik 06:45

2. Philosophy Series 06:20

3. Blue Vertical 07:27

4. Isabella 07:05

5. Good Treble 07:43

6. OKWA 05:03

7. 2/3rds Radial 04:59

8. Double Elkna 01:07

Michael Pavone guitar

Mike DiRubbo alto saxophone

Mario Pavone double bass

Michael Sarin drums

All compositions by Mario Pavone (Pavo Publishing/BMI) | All arrangements by Dave Ballou

Recorded on February 28 and March 1 at Springs Theatre, Tampa, Florida | Recorded and mixed by John Stephan | Mastered by David Zuchowski

Produced by Mario Pavone | Executive Producer Pedro Costa for Trem Azul | Design by Travassos

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Joe Magnarelli - Three On Two (2015)

BY S. VICTOR AARON / somethingelsereviews

Last year trumpet ace Joe Magnarelli put forth his first album under the Posi-Tone flag, but this was hardly the first time around the block for this respected veteran sideman and bandleader. Three On Two, out earlier this month, is his second for the label and also marks twenty years of leading his own dates.

As the title suggests, it’s a three horn/two-part rhythm section setup, but a little bit different than what you might think it’d be. Once again, the eminent Steve Davis is by Magnarelli’s side on trombone and Mike DiRubbo joins the two on alto sax. Rudy Royston is on drums and instead of bass, Brian Charette completes the quintet on organ. His handling of both the keyboard and the bottom (via bass pedals) chores effectively expands the ensemble to a sextet and few are better qualified to simultaneously lock down the low end and mix it up with a large front line of crackerjack horn players than Charette.

And in spite of this being a straight-ahead blowing affair in the finest Posi-Tone tradition, there’s quite of bit of mixing it up, starting with the title tune, with shifty rhythms and maximal, articulate trumpet playing by the leader. DiRubbo keeps the good vibe going and Charette put a soul-leaden cap on the solos run. Straightforward swingers abound on this collection, too, like the crisp, uptempo Coltrane number “26-2,” which features DiRubbo’s lively sax and some seriously sizzling outpouring of notes from Magnarelli. The guys show they can play it cool, too, on another Trane tune, “Central Park West,” where Magnarelli lays his soul bare and delivers a pretty solo on flugelhorn.

There’s even some fresh funk on this record: Magnarelli’s “NYC-J-Funk” gets down with a sly mixture of contemporary, almost hip-hop beats (led by Royston) and the soulful genius of Art Blakey’s Messengers; here, Charette syncopates his organ and bass pedal lines with easy equanimity.

The way Joe Magnarelli’s band members are pitted against — and with — each other through a solid blend of originals and covers makes Three On Two a gratifying way to experience mainstream jazz. Just like Magnarelli’s last release.

01. Three On Two

02. Easy

03. The Step Up

04. NYC-J-Funk

05. 26-2

06. Clockwise

07. Paris

08. Central Park West

09. Outlet Pass

10. My Reverie

Joe Magnarelli: trumpet

Steve Davis: trombone

Mike DiRubbo: alto saxophone

Brian Charette: organ

Rudy Royston: drums

BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

VÍCTOR