There are certain musicians that you can say, with confidence, could play a pair of shoes if it had strings. Jessica Pavone is certainly one. In fact, I’m pretty sure Pavone could get good tone out of Velcro’d clogs if she so desired. Thankfully, Pavone sticks to her viola rather than footwear, for she has gigantic composing and improvisational skills and a marvelously coruscating imagination to boot (NO pun intended!).
The superb violist has established herself quietly over the past two decades with her solo and ensemble recordings and LOTS of group and individual collaborations (JOBS, Mary Halvorson, Anthony Braxton). After making solo viola work her métier for the past several years, Pavone will release a new album composed specifically for a string quartet (two violas, two violins).
J. Pavone String Ensemble’s Brick and Mortar is out October 4 on Birdwatcher Records. Joining Pavone in her quartet are fellow violist Joanna Mattrey and Erica Dicker and Angela Morris on violins. The album can be pre-ordered here.
Brick and Mortar tracklisting:
01. Hurtle and Hurdle
02. Lullaby and Goodnight
03 Brick and Mortar
04. Sooner or Later
05. By and Large
Upcoming live performances:
09.09.19 - The Festival of New Trumpet Music @ The Jazz Gallery #
09.15.19 - New York, NY - El Barrio Art Space $
10.04.19 - New Haven, CT - Firehouse 12 %
10.07.19 - Brooklyn, NY - Roulette %
10.31.19 - Berlin, Germany - Gropius Bau ^
# Part of Samantha Boshnack’s “Seismic Belt”
$ Solo viola show with Catherine Sikora (solo)
% Brick and Mortar record release shows
^ Part of Anthony Braxton’s Sonic Genome
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