Michael Musillami/Mario Pavone Quintet
Pivot

Michael Musillami, guitar/composer Mario Pavone, bass/composer George Sovak, saxophones Art Baron, trombone George Schuller, drums 1) Swedish Fish 2) Sequence 3) Bella at Six 4) Drop Op 5) Pivot 6) Halos 7) Trio 8) En Tandem 9) Parallels 10) Swedish Fish Anthem

Reviews:

"Musillami and Pavone share a certain approach to jazz in which the straight-ahead tradition of swing, changes, and song arrangements receives high priority. Yet at the same they constantly strive to stretch the rules and break down boundaries. The give and take is where the sparks fly."—AllAboutJazz

"While mostly tonal, the frames that Pavone and Musillami set up make plenty of room for improvisation both with and without chords and certainly encourage ideas that stray from the map. A restrained, funky vibe is guided by George Schuller's steady hand at the drums and the quintet's skill at listening, reacting, and working toward collective goals."—NewMusicBox

“This is certainly one of the year’s most riveting modern jazz releases and this ensemble has played the Knit’s Old Office in the past year, so I wouldn’t miss them next time they appear there. In the meantime, you can grab this immensely exciting disc!”—Downtown Music Gallery

“Made up of a series of post-bop excursions, written, except for one group improvisation, by the bassist or guitarist, this CD lives up to its appellation as do the musicians. Fearful types shouldn't be frightened by talk of experimentation, since nearly everything the five play here has a buoyant, swinging base. But at the same time it's done at the highest level of professionalism, so that the 10 numbers won't turn off the most committed musos.”—Jazz Weekly

“The musicians are most definitely up to something here via an abundance of strong soloing spots, ascending movements and an airy, group sound.”—All Music Guide

"Pivot is the perfect title for a jazz disc that is powered by stellar playing that takes numerous risks with odd time signatures and wild changes of direction. On the whole, Pivot is packed with tasty bits of extemporaneous playing. Its beauty, though, is in the fiery grooves and boisterous rhythms.”—Boston Herald

“This witty quintet fronted by guitarist Michael Musillami and bassist Mario Pavone evince as joyful precision as they toy with tradition. This is a band that delivers the fundamental satisfactions of swinging jazz, even as they defy its conventions.”—Boston Phoenix

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