April 14
SPECIAL SHOW – 9PM – $10 donation
Michael Musillami Trio
with Joe Fonda/George Schuller
On Saturday, April 14th at 9:00 p.m., veteran jazz guitarist/composer Michael Musillami and his longstanding trio, featuring bassist Joe Fonda and drummer George Schuller, will celebrate their sixth Playscape Recordings release, Mettle, as well as their 10th anniversary as a working unit, at Robinwood Concert House in Toledo.
“Musillami’s trio, his alliance with his longtime friends and collaborators, bassist Joe Fonda and drummer George Schuller, is a superb, finely tuned unit, empathetic, swinging and dramatically expressive of emotions sweeping from joy to sadness,” explains the Hartford Courant‘s Owen McNally in his recent feature article. “More impressive than longevity, however, is the trio’s remarkably tight, cohesive unity. Nurtured by Musillami’s celebratory music, the band functions as a musical family, a democratic clan in which everyone expresses himself.”
Critics have called the group’s music “truly original” (Michael G. Nastos, AllMusic.com), “challenging and adventurous” (Bill Beuttler, Boston Globe), “scintillating and provocative” (Bill Milkowski, The Absolute Sound) and “honest, frequently surprising and consistently exciting” (Ron Wynn, JazzTimes). “Working on an almost telepathic level,” adds Cadence reviewer Troy Collins, “they have developed an innate familiarity with each other that enables them to second guess abrupt tempo changes and harmonic detours with split second timing. Although the trio certainly doesn’t need any help navigating Musillami’s compelling tunes, they are occasionally joined by a few guest soloists, always to remarkable effect.”
Musillami’s career spans more than 25 years and includes extensive work as a performer, bandleader/composer and educator. In addition to his trio, which has performed across Europe and North America and released five other recordings since 2002, he has earned international acclaim as the leader of groups ranging from duo to octet. When not working with his own bands, he also teaches at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, and manages Playscape Recordings, the highly regarded independent label he founded in 1999.
Learn more at http://michaelmusillami.com and http://playscape-recordings.com
Anthony Poretti/Josh Beatty opens the night
Josh Beatty holds a Bachelor of Musical Arts degree from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA where he studied saxophone performance and composition. He has also studied with Bert Wilson and Ken Vandermark. Josh moved to Chicago in 1999 and has played a variety of different styles of music including jazz, rock, soul, R&B, improvised and experimental music. He has recorded with Beatty/Poretti, The Flabby Hoffman Trio, Microcosmic Sound Orchestra, The Soul Papas and Undertow. Undertow’s latest album, The Elmhurst Sessions, was featured as part of the soundtrack for the movie Jesus Fish. Currently, Josh is focused on improvised music and is active in Chicago’s rich creative music scene.
Robinwood Concert House
2564 Robinwood
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