Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Michael Musillami Trio w/ Mark Feldman: The Treatment

172

Michael Musillami Trio w/ Mark Feldman: The Treatment

By

View read count
Michael Musillami Trio w/ Mark Feldman: The Treatment
Violinist Mark Feldman may be the link between John Abercrombie's The Third Quartet (ECM, 2007) and Michael Musillami's The Treatment, but there are as many differences as there are similarities between these two guitarists' projects. Abercrombie's group leans more towards a chamber jazz approach that, while not without its occasional edges and unmistakable freedom, is sparer and, at times, ethereal. Musillami's trio—together about as long as Abercrombie's quartet—featuring bassist Joe Fonda and drummer George Schuller, swings harder and, when it heads towards the outer limits, does so with greater assertion.



Feldman may be a guest (albeit a relatively regular one) with Musillami while being a permanent member of Abercrombie's group since its inception, but you'd never know it. He winds his way through Musillami's knotty head on the modal "Brooms like he's been playing it forever, and there's the same kind of magical interaction with the rest of the trio when he solos. Not since the late Zbigniew Seifert (1946-1979) has there been a violinist as capable of Coltrane-esque fire and reckless abandon, while remaining equally comfortable with Musillami's lyrical ballad, "Stark Beauty.



Musillami's guitar and amp may create a monochromatic tone, but his attack makes it anything but. His generally warm sound turns sharper, much like Larry Coryell, when he weighs down more heavily with his right hand. And while he's a melodic and economical player on "Stark Beauty, he takes a more angular right turn on the irregular meter of "Human Conditions, where his repetitive pattern, in support of Feldman's solo, leads into his most impressive solo of the set. Rapidly moving from elliptical and gradually evolved motifs to quick tremolos, intervallic jumps and sharp chordal passages, Musillami manages to create a sense of freedom without the kind of aggressive behavior that might alienate those disposed to a more mainstream approach.



The perennially undervalued and stylistically broad Fonda and Schuller, both leaders in their own rights, are not only as dynamically simpatico rhythm partners, but they're just as adept as soloists, demonstrating a similarly selfless concern of working for the material rather than the other way around. The closing "Beijing to Brooklyn, centered around a single pedal tone that's nevertheless milked for all it's worth over the course of thirteen minutes, finds the quartet keenly attuned, as Musillami's nuanced solo leads to another tour de force from Feldman.



A DVD, recorded live a few days before the CD recording session, finds the quartet stretching Musillami's material even further, in most cases nearly double the length of the studio takes. "Brooms is, again, another highlight, with the energy ratcheted up a few more notches. Musillami may not have Abercrombie's cachet, but The Treatment is his best record yet, and the chemistry of his trio—with or without Feldman—makes it one that more people need to hear.

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.

Album information

Title: The Treatment | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Playscape Recordings

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.