Details: Michael Pagán documents five original compositions and three arrangements of tunes by some of the most celebrated masters of the post-bop era. - Paganova the new album from the prolific pianist/composer Michael Pagán, who has become a fixture of the Kansas City jazz scene over the past two decades, documents five of his compositions and three arrangements of tunes by some of the most celebrated masters of the post-bop era. While the instrumental format of two saxes and rhythm section, a pillar of the jazz lexicon, may call to mind such seminal works as the Lennie Tristano Quintet featuring Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh, the Cannonball Adderly Quintet in Chicago, and the Tribute to John Coltrane: Live Under the Sky featuring Wayne Shorter and Dave Liebman, Paganova's front line breaks ground in that it's reed men, David Chael and Michael Herrera, switch instruments between tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones throughout the entire set, resulting in a breath-taking showcase in the art of sax doubling. - Bassist Louie Pagán, an independently established composer and producer in his own right, crosses the genreline to join his father's group on electric and upright bass, adding an exciting flare particularly to the Latin and straight-eighth note offerings, while renowned veteran drummer Ray DeMarchi (who appeared on Pagán's 2010 Capri release Three for the Ages) wraps the entire ensemble in sophisticated, experienced drumwork that is at once warm, hard hitting, and heart felt. As Pagán's steady, virtuosic hands testify to the accolades he's received over the years as a versatile mainstream pianist, clearly his compositions and arrangements and the front line of David Chael and Michael Herrera are at the center of Paganova, a release sure to please any fans of double sax quintets.

Michael Pagan - Paganova (CD)