Podcast 436: A Conversation with Mario Pavone

Straight No Chaser - A Jazz Show

Bassist/Composer Mario Pavone will kick off his celebration of 50 years in music with a three night Mini Festival at The Cornelia Street Cafe, July 10-12. Mr. Pavone will be featured on all nights (bass & compositions) with the following top-notch players:

Thursday, July 10, 8:30 & 10 PM: Quartet Arc, featuring Gerald Cleaver (drums), Ellery Eskelin (tenor saxophone) and Dave Ballou (trumpet);

Friday, July 11, 9 & 10:30 PM: CD celebration for the release of Pavone's new CD, Street Songs (on Playscape), feat. Pavone's Nonet - Adam Matlock (accordion), Julian Shore (piano), Carl Testa (bass), Steve Johns (drums), and a Brass Quartet featuring Dave Ballou (cornet, flugelhorn), Leise Ballou (french horn), Peter McEachern (trombone) and Gary Buttery (tuba); and

Saturday, July 12, 9 & 10:30 PM: Pavone's Pulse Quartet with Gerald Cleaver (drums), Ellery Eskelin (tenor saxophone) & Michael Pavone (guitar).

It’s always a pleasure to see Pavone work in a variety of different formats. The bassist has collaborated with both legendary innovators and today's most respected young musicians to consistently define the cutting edge of jazz for the past 40 years. He has anchored the trios of Paul Bley (1968-72), Bill Dixon (1980's), and the late Thomas Chapin (1990-97), and co-led a variety of notable ensembles with Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, Marty Ehrlich, and Michael Musillami.

I first discovered Pavone around 1980, when he began an 18-year musical relationship with Chapin, which would lead to a number of collaborations, most notably Chapin's seminal trio with drummer Michael Sarin. Mario has been working with filmmaker Stephanie Castillo on a film she is making about Chapin’s too-brief life and career, most recently playing a fundraiser at the City Wintery in Manhattan with John Zorn, Dave Douglas, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Matt Wilson, Steve Bernstein, Marcus Rojas, Pablo Aslan, and more

Podcast 436 is my conversation with Mario, as he prepares for the residency, and features tunes from a number of his CDs, including "Miro" from Trio Arc; "Elkna" and "Alban Berg" from the new Street Songs; and "Don't Mind If I Do" from his tribute album to Thomas Chapin, Remembering Thomas - Nu Trio.