Michael Musillami is a performer, bandleader/composer, educator and founder/director of the
Playscape Recordings label, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2009.
He has earned critical notice as the leader of all-star groups ranging from duo to octet, but his flagship ensemble is his trio with bassist Joe Fonda and drummer George Schuller, which has performed in the U.S., Canada and Europe and released five recordings since 2002.
That group's latest release is Old Tea, which documents a book of 11 new compositions Musillami wrote in the months following the death of his son Evan in March 2009. "Expressing his emotions in music beyond words," writes AllAboutJazz.com's Troy Collins, "Musillami plays with a concentrated intensity that is unassailable. Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding its conception, Old Tea, a heartfelt and poignant work, stands tall in Musillami's discography."
