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Michael Bisio: Inimitable
by John Sharpe
Although unaccompanied recordings certainly had a moment during the pandemic, bassist Michael Bisio's Inimitable was actually recorded a few weeks before Covid upended the world. While he is a bandleader of some accomplishment, with a string of excellent albums from his quartet in the mid-2000s, and recent dates which include Row For William O (Relative Pitch, 2016) and Requiem For A New York Slice (Iluso, 2019), he may be best known for his association with two free music stalwarts, pianist ...
Continue ReadingMichael Bisio & Matthew Shipp: The Flow of Everything
by John Sharpe
Bassist Michael Bisio and pianist Matthew Shipp have enjoyed a near symbiotic relationship, ever since the former joined the latter's trio in 2009. The Flow Of Everything constitutes their third recording as a duet, following on from Floating Ice (Relative Pitch, 2012) and Live In Seattle (Arena Music Promotion, 2016), and maintains the preternaturally high standards they have set in the interim. Unsurprising as the pair represent two of the supreme stylists on their respective instruments, united by a go-anywhere ...
Continue ReadingJoe McPhee, Michael Bisio, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Juma Sultan: The Sweet Spot
by John Sharpe
Making music with one's neighbors was one way of getting by during the pandemic. Of course, it helps if your colleagues are all of the caliber of the foursome assembled on The Sweet Spot, all of whom reside in the Hudson Valley, a couple of hours north of NYC. But it is not just geographic proximity which promotes the special chemistry in evidence on the set. Saxophonist Joe McPhee and bassist Michael Bisio go back to the mid-'90s, and have ...
Continue ReadingMichael Bisio Quartet: MBefore
by Karl Ackermann
In the dark days of Covid and the lingering return to normality, only a handful of musicians managed to be prolific. Fewer remained relevant. Bassist & composer Michael Bisio is among the more productive artists, with half a dozen releases during the pandemic. Add to that collection MBefore, with the bassist's new namesake quartet. The album was recorded at Clubhouse Studio in Rhinebeck, New York, in March 2021, and includes liner notes by Matthew Shipp. The group comprised some top—if ...
Continue ReadingMichael Bisio, Erik Fratzke, Lisa Ullen & Barber Mouse
by Maurice Hogue
This episode is packed with music from some terrific new releases you should check out— St. Paul guitarist/bassist Erik Fratzke's Fake Accent, Gordon Grdina's Arabic-flavoured Haram, Mostly Other People Do The Killing, bassist Michael Bisio's excellent Mbefore , and European trios led by Sweden's Lisa Ullén, Germany's Felix Hauptmann, and Italy's Barber Mouse with a novel take on Thelonious Monk. Playlist Fear Of Faces “The Mismeasure of Man Part I" from The Mismeasure Of Man (SATA) 00:00 Fear ...
Continue ReadingMichael Bisio: In His Own Words
by Mark Corroto
If you happen to be a liner note geek you probably have noticed the name Michael Bisio mentioned frequently on album sleeves. Whether the author is the session leader or analyst, the general consensus is the bassist is the cornerstone upon which great music is built. His playing allows a fellow musician to access not only other player's innovations, but also their own wellspring of creativity and imagination. The bassist was quite busy in 2021 with an abundance of albums ...
Continue ReadingMichael Bisio/Matthew Shipp: The Flow of Everything
by Karl Ackermann
In his definition of jazz, Wayne Shorter says “It's not...required to sound like jazz." It's a viewpoint to keep in mind when considering over-analysis of the bold activities of collaborators Michael Bisio and Matthew Shipp. Throughout their frequent partnerships, the pair have raised the bar on improvisation to a level that suggests an exceptional symbiotic form of structure. The relatively new Polish label Fundacja Słuchaj issues The Flow of Everything, Bisio and Shipp's third duo album and their first in ...
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