THE MICHAEL PEDICIN QUINTET - EVERYTHING STARTS NOW...(2007)
Michael Pedicin, tenor saxophone
Michael Sarin, drums
Chris Colangelo, acoustic bass
Johnnie Valentino, guitar
Mick Rossi, piano
pelican
this way out
l.a. to philly
one of us
contours
after the rainbow is over
concatenation
another day
later
everything starts now
more tracks can be heard on Vinilemania's Radio Channels
Review by Paul J. Youngman - KJA Advocate for WWW.VINILEMANIA.NET
The Michael Pedicin Quintet has a new CD, Everything Starts Now, on the Jazz Hut label. With a title like that you may think that this is a debut CD, this is Pedicin’s eighth recording as a leader. The quintet is new; the musicians are all accomplished, well seasoned pros with numerous recordings to their credit. The compositions are written and arranged by Johnnie Valentino, who handles the guitar playing duties with rhythmic authority and also lends credible production skills to the project. The project is a delightful blend of jazz harmony and melody, cast over ten exquisite tracks that delve deeply into a post bop, kind of blue’s feel - care of Pedicin’s beautifully melodic tenor saxophone, a majestic tone.
Mr. Pedicin’s mellow tone opens the recording as the intro to the first track “Pelican.” An up tempo, dynamic song that pushes the beat forward strongly with straight eight style drumming by Michael Sarin. The bassist, Chris Colangelo and pianist, Mick Rossi provide a solid foundation for some breakout rhythm guitar by Valentino that has Pedicin responding with smooth, flowing saxophone lines.
“L.A to Philly” the longest track on the recording at ten and a half minutes is a song that allows the members of the quintet to stretch out. The song, for the most part played in a ballad format, hi-lights the guitar playing of Johnnie Valentino. Mr. Valentino lays down full sounding, bright chords of rhythmic splendor and when called upon lets rip with blazing guitar licks of fortitude.
The most touching song of the album “One Of Us” by Eric Bazilian, has a melancholy feel. The song is treated to a fresh arrangement with passionate playing that makes it sound eerie and evokes imagery of past heroes that have walked amongst us, especially images of great saxophone players.
The skillful piano playing of Mick Rossi is a pleasant feature on the tune “Contours” a marching rhythm care of drum rudiments by Sarin that builds to a bluesy romp through many contours. The exciting guitar playing of Valentino shifts to a laid back extended piano feature for Rossi that is smooth, passionate, dynamic and expressive, before giving way to syncopated, punchy chords that accent Mr. Pedicin’ sax lines. Pedicin bobs and weaves with melodic abandon through to the finale of the song.
And so it goes, song after song, Everything Starts Now…; The Michael Pedicin Quintet is just getting started with their new CD featuring ten tasteful compositions that have great saxophone, piano and guitar playing - along with, masterful acoustic bass playing and superb drumming.
