░█
████ ░░▓██░▓██░▓█ ███
█ ▓███ ███████████████████ ██░█ █████
██ ▓██ ░▓▓█████░███▓███░░░████ ██░ █ ██ ████
█▓ ▓███ ▓██████████▓████░ ░░███ ██▓ ██ █████░ ████
██░ ▓███░▓█▓██░▓████░ ░░░░░░░███▓ ██ █░ █░░ ███
█▓██░ ▓██████░███░ ░░░███████░█▓░░█ ███ ███ █░ █░ ██
██░██░ ▓▓██░███░ ░░█████░███████░██ █░█░ █░█▓ █░░ █░░ ██
██ ██░░███████░ ░░██████░█▒█▒████▓█ ██░█▒ █ ██░ █░░░░████░ ██
█▓ ██▓█ ░██░ ░░████▓░░▓███░█▓▀████ █░ █▓ █ ░█▓ ██████▓█ █░
██░▓██ ░█░░████▓░ ░██░ █░ ██ ██░ █▓ █ ██░██░ ██░ ███░ ██░
▓█▓█ ░░░ ░████▓░ ▓█░ █ █░ █▓ █ ░█▓█░ █░ ██▓██░ ██▓▒
░██ ░▄███ ██▓▓░ ████░ ░███▓███ ██░ █▓░█ ███░ █░░██▓▓░█░░░██▓▒
██ █▓ █ █▓░ ░█ ░▓███░██░ ░▓██ ██░ ████ ░██░ █░██▓▓ ▀████▓▓
▓██ █░ █░ █░ █ ░▓██ ▓██ █░ █░░ ███▓▓ ▓▓▓▓▓
░▓███░ █▓ █░ █░█░░ ░ ░▓█ ██░ ████ ██░ ██▓▓
░▓█████░ ██▓░░▄ ░█ ██▓░ ░█░ ░████ █░ █▓▓█ ░█░░ ██▓▓
███████▓ ███░ ░██ ▓███▒░░ ░▒████████ ██░ █▓░█ ██░░██▓▓
████████▓░░ ░██ ░░▓███████████▓████▓██ █░ █▓ █ ░████▓▓
███▓ ░▓████░░░ ███░ ░█████████████░ ▓██░ ▓█ █░░ █▓ █ █▓█▓▓
▓░ ▄████░██████▓░ ░████████▓ ░▓█░ ▓███░█ █████████▓ ██████████▓▓
░ █▀ ▓█░░ ████░ ░▓▓▒▒░░ ░▓████░ ░█░██▀ ░▒▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ ▓█▒░░░▒█▓▓
█ ▓██████▓ ██ ▓▒██░ █▓ █████ ░█████▓▓
░ ▀██▄ ▓█▓█▓░ █▀▀█░ █▓ █▓ ▓██ █ "HiGH ░▒▓▓▓▓ iNTELLiGeNCE tRoLLS"
▀█ ██░ ▓▒▒░▒▒▓ ██░ ██ █▓░ █▓░ ░▓█░ ██ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄
▄███▀ █▓▒ ░░██░ █░░ █░██▓░░ ░▓██░ █▄ █▀░ ▀██ ▀█ ▄██▄
░ █▀ █▓▒ ░███░ ░░▓█░ ██░█████████░ █▓█ █░ █▓ █▄█ ░█░
█ ░░ █▓ ░▒█░ ▒▒ █░░ ████████████░░██░▓█ █▓▒░██ █░ █▀ ░██▓
█ ░ █▓▒ ░▒░ ▒ ██░░░ ██░ ▀████ ░▓ ▀████░ █ ███▓
▀█▄ ██▓ ▓░ ▒▓ ██████░ ░░░░░░ ░▒█ ▄█░ ███ ███▓▓
▀█ ██▓ ░ ░█ ░▓██▓▓▓▓██ ░░░▒██ ▄█ █████░ ░██▄
▄█ ██▒░ ░██░░ ░▒▓███▓░░ ░▓███████ ▄█░ ██▀ ▀█░ █▄ ░█▄
░░▒▓▓▀ ██▒░ ░█████████▓░ ░▒▓█ █░ ▀ ▄█░ ███ ░█▄
░[PR] ████▒░ ▓░░░░░░░ ░▒█ ▀█▓░ ▄███▓░▄█▓ █ ░█░
████▓▓▒▒░ ░▒▒▓██░ ▀█████▓▓▀███▓▓ ███▓
██████████████████████▓ ░▓▓▓▓ ░▓▓ ░▓▓▓
a r t i s t : Mario Pavone
t i t l e : Sharpeville
d a t e : 2000
l a b e l : Playscape
g e n r e : Jazz
r l s. d a t e : May-2005
t r a c k s : 10
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 55,9 MB
_______________________________________________________________________
Mario Pavone: bass
Marty Ehrlich : alto/soprano sax, clarinet, flute & alto flute
Thomas Chapin: alto sax, flute & bass flute
Pheeroan Ak Laff: drums
Mark Whitecage: alto sax (on #6 only)
Peter McEachern: trombone (on #6 only)
John Betsch: drums (on #6 only)
recorded 1985
Mario Pavone's Sharpeville was originally released in 1988 by
his Alacra label, and reissued by Playscape in 2000. The
lineup is something of an all-star affair, a meeting of some
of the finest minds in avant-garde jazz: Pavone on bass,
Pheeroan Ak Laff on drums, and both Marty Ehrlich and the late
Thomas Chapin on assorted wind instruments, including alto
sax, clarinet, flute, alto flute, and bass flute. While the
music is bracingly free and "outside," Pavone's compositions
have a coherence that is readily grasped by the attentive
listener. His unaccompanied solo piece, "Aku," for instance,
has a beautiful and crystal-clear melodic essence. The sounds
and rhythmic concepts vary widely from track to track, keeping
the music in motion and the interest level high. The title
track, recorded live in 1985, features Mark Whitecage on alto
sax, Peter McEachern on trombone, and John Betsch on drums.
Dedicated to the victims of the Sharpeville Massacre,
perpetrated by the South African government on March 21, 1960,
the ostinato-driven work is a haunting, sobering salute to
dignity in the face of injustice.
~ David R. Adler in http://www.allmusic.com
It's great to have this disc back again; even better for me
who never did get the original Alacra LP recorded in 1985 and
released in 1988. Pavone creates a magical soundworld through
what for some other artists might be called chamber jazz, but
Pavone makes his own ôschoolö here, as it is neither ethereal
nor cool.
The bass player constructs pieces with different rhythms, but
whether because of the compositions or the players, all of
them masters even then, itÆs about timbre, shading, and voices
in interplay. Yeah, I guess it is chamber music after all.
Chimera, for example, finds Pavone opening with a grinding
arco, Pheeroan ak Laff doing rhythmic patterns so subtlely yet
pointedly, and the various reeds of Marty Ehrlich and Thomas
Chapin interweaving so connectedly that the listener is held,
indeed, suspended.
The opener, Bi Cycle, isn't program music a la Leroy Anderson,
but rhythmic wheels are set in motion and they don't always
seem to be at the same speed; very exiting. Double is a solo
bass piece; at first I wondered with whom he was duetting, but
realized Pavone was listening so closely to himself that he
became his own rhythmic foil. ItÆs a beautiful piece, with
lots of woody sound. Ark Two is constructed of reappearing
Ornette-type heads which then disappear, but the body of the
piece is all Pavone, who also offers a long, emotionally
moving solo.
The title track, actually the entire disc, is inspired by the
violence in the Sharpeville Township, South Africa, during
what then would seem the never-ending apartheid. The music,
happily, does not take the easy way out by appropriating
township rhythms, just some of the sounds of South African
jazzers; this is top-drawer jazz improv. ôSharpevilleö was
recorded live at St. Peter's Church with personnel different
from the rest of the disc: Mark Whitecage on alto, Peter
McEachern on 'bone, and John Betsch on drums. It's an
especially strong piece, with an interesting head, and the
always on-it Whitecage shows how one can suspend time in a
wailing whine that doesnÆt have to also sound like Albert
Ayler.s
Throughout, one is reminded of akLaff's ability to create
rhythms which on the surface are simple, but so intricate, and
under his control, that one doesnÆt notice his anchoring the
music; it just seems...tasty.
This reissue is dedicated to the memory of Thomas Chapin. No
music has been added to these wonderful forty minutes, which
seem perfect as is, except I usually find myself hitting the
play button again for a second go-round. Pavone has written
new brief, informstive and warm liner notes. Alacra discs
often suffered from good audio and bad vinyl whoosh. ItÆs good
to have this winner silvered. Thank you, Playscape. ItÆs time
for me to dig out my other Pavone Alacra LPs and New World
CDs, now obviously too long neglected.
~ Steven H. Koenig in allaboutjazz.com
ôUnusual among bass players, Mario Pavone has an extremely
well-developed sense of melody as well as harmony and rhythm.
He exercises this musical fluency at the levels of both
composition and improvisation on Sharpeville. Recorded fifteen
years ago during the dark days of apartheid, this disc makes
explicit reference to the particularly outrageous events that
occurred in the South African Sharpeville Township. Pavone
originally released Sharpeville in 1988 on Alacra Records, his
vinyl-only label. This reissue brings the recording to the
digital format for the first time.
Sharpeville features all-Pavone compositions in a (mostly)
quartet format. Pavone's musical sense defies easy
categorization. Whether swinging, pulsing, or flying free, the
tunes on this disc make effective use of the broad musical
vocabulary of the quartet. Pavone stands at the apex of a unit
which alternately thrusts forward and twists free. The twin
voices of saxophonists Thomas Chapin and Marty Ehrlich
(separated by stereo channel) display obvious respect for
formal structure and harmony, while at the same time remaining
open to timbral exploration and angular improvisation. Drummer
Pheeroan Ak Laff assiduously protects the beat, while at the
same time lending rich tonal color to support the lead voices.
And of course, Pavone himself steps out of the rhythm section
on a regular basis to emphasize melodies, offer counterpoint,
or participate in free improvisation.
Sharpeville represents yet another high point in Pavone's
strong discography. While his work as a sideman has been
consistent, his unusual fluency and creativity shine on
outings as a leader.
~ Nils Jacobson in allaboutjazz.com
_______________________________________________________________________
01-Bi Cycle [05:21]
02-Bass Ballad [01:17]
03-Three M [01:35]
04-Double [03:15]
05-Two Flutes [03:15]
06-Sharpeville [05:09]
07-Chimera [06:52]
08-Aku [03:20]
09-Ark Two [05:15]
10-4 Up, 1 Down [04:06]
-------
39:25 min