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01/25 Wednesday
9:30 PM PLUNGE: Mark McGrain, Tom Hall, & Marty Ballou
Mark McGrain & PLUNGE featuring Mark McGrain, trombone; Tom Hall, saxophones; and Marty Ballou, bass.
Trombonist and Composer MARK McGRAIN, returns to New England to perform in trio with saxophonist Tom Hall and bassist Marty Ballou and special guest drummer Rakalam Bob Moses
Sets at 9:30 and 11
Jon Garelick, music writer for The Boston Phoenix, describes McGrain's music this way: "Plunge is about a lot of jazz things. You could start with the tension between composition and total freedom exemplified by [Eric] Dolphy's landmark 1964 album [Out To Lunch], as well as the strain of contrapuntal jazz writing on that album that goes all the way back to Jelly Roll Morton and extends up through the Gerry Mulligan-Chet Baker Quartet, the Jimmy Giuffre 3, and beyond . . . a certain kind of avant-garde small-ensemble writing — one that combines free jazz, swing, mixed meters, contrapuntal lines, and complex harmonic schemes — in other words, that tension between a nearly classically-composed modern music and total freedom."
All three of Plunge's critically acclaimed albums, Tin Fish Tango, Dancing on Thin Ice, and Falling With Grace have ranked in the National CMJ-Jazz Radio Top-10. Plunge has also been featured on NPR's - All Things Considered and reviewed on NPR/PRI'sMonitor Radio and included in DownBeat Magazine's Blindfold Test and Hot Box sections receiving consecutive four star reviews.
What the critics have said:
“With Wynton Marsalis stumping the traditional New Orleans swing sound in a manner that could be described as nearly monomaniacal, it’s good to hear some music coming out of the Big Easy that is in touch with what’s happening today . . . music of the people, not dumbed down for the masses, but spoken with street eloquence.”
--Tim Madison, MuzikReviews (5 stars)
“Plunge is among the best post-Katrina jazz developments in New Orleans music . . . They generate moments reminiscent of music as various as the Jimmy Giuffre trio’s folksiness, 1960s free experi- mentalism, and that long march to the cemetery uptown or out by the lake.”
--Doug Ramsey, Rifftides - ArtsJournal “It takes a great deal of poise and confidence to make music this deft and new.”
--Paul de Barros, DownBeat Magazine (4 stars)
“Tenor and trombone create a scrupulously pristine musical pastel, reminiscent of Stan Getz and J.J. Johnson, perhaps, but with a far more risky and adventurous agenda.”
--John McDonough, DownBeat Magazine (3 stars)
“There’s a spare yet rich sound from this trio, more mischievous and daring -- The distinction of this progressive jazz trio is in their ability to play together without any grandstanding, as equals in a complete, whole partnership. Yes, it’s cliché to suggest you take the plunge listening to this bold new music — but you should.”
--Michael G. Nastos, AllMusic.com
“Plunge is one of those trios operating with style and bravado beyond all expectations . . . wonder- fully courageous and risky jazz. It is unsafe in the best of ways and features a group in full command of their art”
--Jordan Richardson, Blobcritics.org
Mark McGrain has lived and performed in New Orleans since 1996. During that time, he has appeared with Irma Thomas, John Boutte, Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Medeski, Martin & Wood, and many others. His resume also includes scoring for PBS, private commissions and commercial ad spots; a long-time faculty member at Berklee College of Music, author of the textbook Music Notation (Hal. Leonard pub.).