Mario Pavone Sextet NYC 7/16/11

[Steve Reynolds]

Mario Pavone Sextet @ Cornelia Street

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9:00PM & 10:30PM MARIO PAVONE: ARC SUITE MUSIC

Tony Malaby, tenor sax; Dave Ballou, cornet; Craig Taborn, piano; Michael Pavone, guitar; Matt Wilson, drums; Mario Pavone, bass, compositions

All except Michael Pavone who was replaced by....

A guy walks up to the stage and we noticed a second tenor saxophone and since we didn't see Dave Ballou the thought was that there may be a second saxophone in place of the trumpet. Well Dave showed up and there was no guitarist. I asked the guy at the next table if he recognized the guy and the answer was not a clue and the guy I asked was a known supsect who attends many fo these shows - I find out later huis name if Felipe (sp?) and I kept forgetting his last name and his son ended up being the only table close to our side of the tiny stage than us.

I still don't remember his last name - to cut to what is important/

First two tunes are OK with the band trying to settle in as they have never played these tunes before - I think maybe Taborn and the aforementioned saxophonist were very unfamiliar with the charts - and new saxophone guy (who is probably 50 something!) takes a nice freeish energy solo during one of those tunes and it works nicely - by the third track which I think is called Poles the band starts hitting it's mark - ensemble is tighter and the horns and especially the pianist is playing nicely within the confines of what are sometimes a bit cumbersome compositions. They played a great softer piece towards the middle of the first set and Matt Wilson unique non-traditional seemingly non-swign style starts to fit the band. Malaby played a few nice things - especially on soprano during the quieter piece. The the NSG (new saxophone guy) takes what intially seems like a free jazz solo that may be out of contect but he gets Wilson and Taborn really going as well as the wonderous Dave Ballou - the band fucking is ignited.

great end to the first set - can't wait for more

second set starts slowly with a simple tune that features Ballou on a nice solo - my wife's interest is ti a cornet or a trumpet? short and fat or long and thin - Dave confirmed TRUMPET - no EAR TRUMPET needed for my wife....

Next tune is another slower subdued thing that feature what I now know to call the *great* Craif Taborn on piano - only drawback is that no one can see the keys as the piano is facing the audience - we simply see his face but we hear an incredible mind numbing solo.

Then they play the tune of the night - might have been 20-25 minutes (more?) with a dicey head that is a bit out of Pavone's compositional box so to speak - the band enjoys it immensely and as he is not wont to do - all the band members play solos (with great band interplay by horns, bass and drums throughout - starting with the NSG - and now he takes it to a whole new fucking level - jumping around and screaming through the horn - he is all over it and he gets the other horn players to break their poker faces and he gets Matt Wilson to really crank up the energy - Ballou comes in the play together and then Dave takes off - steaming and precise - and then Malaby *finally* for me plays a the kind of tenor saxophone solo that I have waiting to hear from him live - dissonant, melodic and tension filled with everything going on within the strucjture of the tunes that one could want of hear from a tenor saxophonists - in my mind it actually reminded me of Evan Parker playing within a melodic structure as the tension was biting and extreme and the power was supremely evident - I guess the NSG inspired him - wow.

great little short tune to end the set and they were done after 45 minutes for the second set.

great atmosphere and a great night of music.

Dancer's Tales, baby