Michael Musilami Trio w/ Mark Feldman: The Treatment (2007)

Elliott Simon

CD/DVD Reviewer since 2001

Elliott enjoys music with energy, chops and tension; whether it be from the mainstream or the outermost fringe.

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Published: October 9, 2007

Michael Musilami Trio w/ Mark Feldman: The Treatment

Guitarist Michael Musillami's trio with bassist Joe Fonda and drummer George Schuller previously released two "worldly CDs for Playscape: the debut, Beijing (2002), and the vigorously creative Dachau (2005). With The Treatment, the trio invites master violinist Mark Feldman to join them for a soaring presentation of Musillami's music. As a guitarist, Musillami kisses up against free jazz and beautifully floats down the mainstream, sometimes within a single phrase. Feldman is a violinist of awesome technical and improvisational abilities, bringing a singular mixture of classical and avant to any project with which he is involved. Fonda and Schuller provide both depth and breadth—Schuller has never been so delicate without sacrificing his trademark intensity and Fonda is a sonorous glue, plucking and bowing all over his bass.

While both Musillami and Feldman have ties to multi-instrumentalist Thomas Chapin, until this release, they had not recorded together. On these six elegantly complex pieces, five of which were written specifically for this quartet, they mesh flawlessly for in-tandem guitar/violin themes that break apart for breathtaking solo work.

In addition to the studio CD, there is a 45-minute concert DVD. Shot in glorious high-definition, the music and musicians explode into your living room for extended versions of three tunes. Recorded in concert on Musillami's home turf at Lakeville, Conn.'s Hotchkiss School, where he is the head of Jazz Studies, the wooden stage and walls of the acoustically superb Katherine M. Elfers Hall make for a delightfully warm sound. This suits the nuances of Musillami's guitar and the rich timbre of Feldman's mic'd violin for an exceedingly intimate experience. As his ponytail and goatee have lengthened so has Musillami honed and formed his sound: idiosyncratic melodies, flawless technique and an energetic attack set against unusually-metered rhythms.

Track Listing: CD: Brooms; The Treatment; Stark Beauty; Human Conditions; Mezz Money; Beijing to Brooklyn. DVD: Human Conditions; The Treatment; Brooms.

Personnel: Michael Musillami: guitar; Mark Feldman: violin; Joe Fonda: bass; George Schuller: drums.

Record Label: Playscape Recordings
Style: Modern Jazz