Nick Mazzarella

[Larry Kart]

Monday night caught (alto and soprano saxophonist -- the soprano a recent addition) Nick Mazzarella with Jason Adasiewicz, Tim Daisy, and electric bassist Ray Montana at Elastic (in Chicago). Nick keeps getting stronger and stronger. When he’s at his most heated and most inspired, he reminds me of (Japanese altoist) Akira Sakata — that sense that the instrument and one’s brain are close to melting and that the resulting emotional state is more or less jovial and uplifting. Not surprisingly Nick mentioned that his favorite Parker recordings were the quartet tracks from “Bird D.C.-’52,” though I wouldn't say that those were jovial.