Recommended: Mario Pavone – “Blue Dialect”

 

Mario Pavone - "Blue Dialect"Mario Pavone has a new album out.  The veteran bassist can always be relied upon to present challenging music that directly engages the listener, refusing to allow the ear to fall into a state of passive listening.  Blue Dialect keeps that reputation intact.  Adopting a classic piano trio formation, Pavone is joined by drummer Tyshawn Sorey and pianist Matt Mitchell.

There is a Monk-like tunefulness to much of this music, with a melody that bounces crisply along the surface of unconventional and aggressive rhythms.  Hints of a hurried swing cut between percussive attacks that skitter right along with a rapid-fire pulse or those where each of the trio members express the tempo through their own point of view before coalescing near a song’s conclusion.

There aren’t any sit-back-and-bliss moments on this recording.  Tempos keep to a brisk pace and melodies are to the point.  The compositions provide a nice framework for dialog, and improvisations don’t stray too far from the pack.

A solid recording from an artist whose catalog you should spend some time exploring.

Your album personnel:  Mario Pavone (double bass), Tyshawn Sorey (drums) and Matt Mitchell (piano).

Released on Clean Feed Records.

Jazz from Connecticut.

Available at:  eMusic | Amazon