reviews
Jazz Journal 2019
December Stu Vandermark
Boston Jazz Scene (http://bostonjazzscene.blogspot.com)
The successful musical relationship between Melissa Kassel and Tom Zicarelli goes back to the 1980s. Most of the early gigs occurred at the now long-defunct Willow Jazz Club, the nursery for an extraordinary quantity and range of new music (as well as straight-ahead stuff). The audiences were not large, but fortunately the two of them stuck to it and built a reputation among fellow musicians. I emphasize the importance of the other musicians because the attraction of their music meant that a number of the better musicians in the Boston area wanted to perform the Kassel-Zicarelli music. If you have challenging and engaging music performed by top-shelf musicians, then the results in performance have a greater impact. The solid results really began to take off about a decade ago at the Lily Pad, where the group continues to perform. The functional continuity exists because of the presence and direction of Tom and Melissa. The rest of the band on any given night comes out of a pool of about a dozen veteran Bostonians and presents itself usually as a quintet. The malleable ensemble consists of interchangeable but not identical parts. In other words, the band works no matter who shows up, but the musical personality of the band shifts from week to week (or rather from lineup to lineup). But, because any combination seems to work quite well, that fact inevitably raises the question: Is there a mix of Kassel-Zicarelli musicians that works better than any other? The answer probably is “no.” But I found myself saying “yes” 12/8 at the Lily Pad. At one point Bruce Gertz was “supporting” a Phil Grenadier solo and wandering to some realm he was carried to by the music. Phil, thinking quite reasonably that the bassist was supposed to be sticking to the chord cycle (or facsimile thereof), turned to Bruce in mild frustration and said, “Bruce, where are you?” The outburst was understandable. Sometimes things are pushed just a bit too far. But not resulting in any negative heat. I suspect that Phil and Bruce had a good laugh about the incident at the end of the evening. But there’s another factor. As a member of the audience I did not have to face Phil’s problem. For a moment I had the Cagean experience of hearing a mistuned AM radio that was presenting two completely different stations at the same time, two different musics that somehow “clashed” beautifully as I heard anchors in the piano and the drum kit, Gary Fieldman keeping everything together, calmly looking like he was doing the laundry. I realize that all of this sounds like a left-handed compliment. But I’ll take this band without hesitation, and I have not even commented on the fifth voice in the band, Melissa Kassel. She was suffering from some sort of lung infection and complained that her voice was terrible. Why is it that some musicians (some of the better ones) always take the music to another level under duress? The vocal part of the quintet was especially beautiful 12/8, articulating the music that is beyond mere notes. As in the case of all of the Kassel-Zicarelli performances in memory, most of the music consisted of original material, except for the final work of the second set, Cole Porter’s “Every Time We Say Goodbye.” It was a perfect closer for the evening.
August 2019 Stu Vandermark
Boston Jazz Scene (http://bostonjazzscene.blogspot.com)
It was the first gig for vocalist Melissa Kassel and sound engineer Steve Barbar since their marriage in June (followed by an extended tour-of-Europe honeymoon). Not surprisingly, people in the band--Tom Zicarelli, Phil Grenadier, Max Ridley, Gary Fieldman, and Melissa--and the audience were still in a celebratory mood. It showed in the music, filled with originals by Tom (music mostly) and Melissa (lyrics mostly) and a few perfect standards. As always, the solos all around were searching, revelatory, ear-grabbing. Few “mainstream” bands anywhere include instrumental talents whose solos get so far inside the music and ultimately bring out so much on each song as Phil, Tom, and Gary. There were a couple differences in the 8/18 Lily Pad performance. They were bonuses. The first bonus, a substantial one, was bassist Max Ridley. I never had heard his music. It was a tough assignment. The band leaders consistently call upon some of the finest bassists anywhere for these gigs. Because of scheduling problems, the “usual suspects” were unavailable. On the suggestion of Gary, Max Ridley was the sub. No doubt it was a daunting assignment for the young--unless my eyes deceive me--bassist, but he brought enthusiasm, chops, ears, wonderful timing, and an ensemble sound that (without mimicry) called to mind the work of Scott La Faro. It was a fine Kassel-Zicarelli debut, and his future is yet to reveal itself. The other surprise was the opening of the second set by Sammy, a long-time student of Melissa who is on the way to take his performance skills to Syracuse University. The freshman, with solid band support, gave his rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon”, a work that is deceptively “simple”, easy to screw up. He’s a trooper, marching right through his nerves, nailing the notes, and (most important) convincing us of the story he sang. And with no gimmicks. The fundamentals--the hard part--are there. If Syracuse gives him a bit more stage presence coaching and opportunities in front of audiences, Sammy may find that his biggest problem is handling the groupies. The set continued until an upbeat “dance”, closer suggested by Phil. The superb performances all around would have had the audience humming and dancing on the way home. But instead Melissa chose to follow that with a more poignant closer, a rhyming song she wrote for her now-deceased father. It became the final statement of a ‚”family”, catalog of birth (i.e., young musicians), marriage (Melissa and Steve), and the passing of family members and friends. The life cycle. The band cycle continues at the same location in October.
April 2019 Stu Vandermark
Boston Jazz Scene (http://bostonjazzscene.blogspot.com)
It was a fascinating prospect. Phil Grenadier, one of my favorite trumpet players, was scheduled to perform 4/7 on two very different back-to-back gigs at the Lily Pad and the Outpost. Except for one piece near the end of the evening, the Lily Pad audience was respectfully quiet. The band--Melissa Kassel, Tom Zicarelli, Phil Grenadier, Bruce Gertz, and Gary Fieldman--was its superb self, even though Melissa claimed she was recovering from pneumonia. The group now is at the point at which almost everything is telepathic. Phil split his time fairly evenly between trumpet and flugelhorn. All solos from everywhere on the stage were outstanding.
February 2019 Stu Vandermark
Boston Jazz Scene (http://bostonjazzscene.blogspot.com)
In the post-Ayler era of jazz in surviving/thriving centers for the music we fans are spoiled for a variety of reasons, among them the quality of new music (as opposed to most of the quality of the current straight-ahead stuff) and the seriousness of audiences. A lot of fans and even musicians (accustomed to quiet and rapt audiences at hangouts such as The Stone in New York or the Outpost here) are skeptical whenever I bring up the fact that audiences for new jazz today may be smaller than at mid-century but are far more serious listeners than their ancestors. If you think I’m exaggerating, pick up a recording of one of those early 1950s live gigs--before the advent of tight micing--and listen to the clinking glasses, ringing cash registers, chatter, and incongruous laughter taking place in front of the stage. Yes, there always have been serious listeners at clubs and dance halls, but a vast majority of those fans were other musicians dropping by to see where the music was going. And their numbers were few. Today the numbers still are few, but people looking for sonic wallpaper do not show up. Thankfully. Therefore my experience with a couple guys chattering in back of me at the Lily Pad 2/10 was particularly annoying, perhaps to some extent because I was not sure how to handle it. I tried giving them the “Hey, be considerate of the rest of us” look. Nothing. I suspected that alternatives probably would have resulted in even greater interference with the music. I did enjoy the music provided by Melissa Kassel, Tom Zicarelli, Phil Grenadier, Bruce Gertz, and Gary Fieldman, but at times I strained my auditory system to catch it all. Fortunately the loud talking duo did not hang around for the second set. But the incident caused me to think about the problem and why it might occur with this band. I’m not sure, but I think it might have something to do with the fact that the band’s music includes several “older musi” hooks, such as chord changes. On most gigs the band even includes a few jazz standards throughout the evening (although not on 2/10). Of course, that’s not a slam at the music. There is nothing wrong with straight-ahead jazz, except for how poorly it is played by most bands these days. My complaint is that the “conventional” elements of the band’s music tend to bring out good-sized audiences and--unfortunately--a few people in need of sonic wallpaper. The problem has occurred before with this band over the years, even as far back as gigs in the late 1990s at Sandrina's in Somerville, but rarely. The strength of the band is how far it pushes the jazz conventions into challenging sonics. Superficially it brings to mind some sort of fantasy amalgam of the mature Abbey Lincoln ensembles and Joe Maneri’s composed microtonal vocal works. It is a terrific combination of story-telling--both verbal and melodic--and ear-stretching music. All band members participate during solos and during instrumental polyphony/heterophony. On 2/10 Melissa was pushing the band as a unit farther in that direction. At times there were unison voices and at others each band member was taking an independent (but contextually coherent) improvisation. Something like early polyphonic jazz before Louis changed everything and including a nod to Ornette’s harmolodics. It’s that kind of band--telepathic, supportive, and superbly creative. I show up for the sonic challenge and a few show up for the wallpaper. Maybe the best part is that most people who show up seem to like the music.
september 2018 Stu Vandermark
Boston Jazz Scene (http://bostonjazzscene.blogspot.com)
It had been far too long since I had witnessed the Kassel-Zicarelli Group in performance. Though I was able to catch only the first set 9/30 at the Lily Pad, I was glad to have what I could. This version of the band was a quintet--leaders Melissa Kassel and Tom Zicarelli featuring the work of Phil Grenadier, Bruce Gertz, and Gary Fieldman. These five excellent musicians know each other well musically and are well versed in the challenges of the material and its unique demands. All the musicians are well-grounded in mainstream jazz and excel at such performances. That grounding is essential for the realization of this music. But that is merely the beginning. These charts and the “unwritten” requirements of interpretation result in music that has conventional footing but operates with open, flexible parameters for both solo and support roles. In a conversation at the end of the first set, Bruce enthused about the marvelous tension and interpretive freedom inherent in the music of the band. Band members are attracted to performances with the band because they know what to expect--the unexpected, the beauty of anticipating and diving headfirst into surprise. The ensemble works so well to a great extent because each musician is quite comfortable in completely free musical settings. So “last minute” changes are taken in stride as another surprise on the journey. Gary has played with the group so long (and he’s such a respected musician in other contexts) that superficially he offers the image of a drummer who’s just chugging along in a pleasant walk. But for good reason I heard two band members at different times on a break rave about ‚”how much” Gary hears and creates on the bandstand. His partner in all this of course is Bruce, who relishes that interpretive freedom the bassist participates in beautifully and helps create. Phil on the break talked about an upcoming trip he and other folks from Berklee will be taking to Shanghai. They will teach with three performances scattered throughout that visit. I could not help thinking how lucky the students will be to hear just how wonderful a trumpet in the right hands can sound. All this fine music 9/30 is born and nurtured out of the core duo of Melissa and Tom. They are the band’s visionary source, time and again leading by example. They write, perform, and improvise inspiring surprises. Audience members with ears and band members are the lucky ones.
september 2017 Stu Vandermark
Boston Jazz Scene (http://bostonjazzscene.blogspot.com)
Melissa Kassel and Tom Zicarelli returned to their Inman Square haunt 9/18 and brought familiars Phil Grenadier, Dave Clark, and Gary Fieldman with them. I was late to the Lily Pad event at least partially because of the charismatic presence and engaging commentary of Joe Burgio and John Voigt during a rehearsal of Joe’s wonderful ensemble and supporting musicians. It was difficult to walk out on such fine people/artists. The quintet at the Lily Pad was performing quite well when I entered the gallery and fortunately saved a lot of good stuff for me and the other fans. I missed Tom’s horn, but it is difficult to argue against his always creative and compelling piano work. The rest of the band has performed for years with Melissa and Tom and seems to be evolving into a stable ensemble. If so, that’s good news. Dave has decades of experience with Boston’s best mainstreamers and beyond. Other band members can go anywhere and be sure that he will not get lost. Gary is so in demand in Inman Square that I tend to think of him as everyone’s house drummer. If that’s not enough, Phil and Gary have a Monday duo gig ongoing at the Lily Pad. Phil is one of my favorite living trumpet players, and there are a ton of fine ones in jazz venues around the world. But in Phil’s case I find myself running out of adjectives. I hear other players--fine ones--approaching the kinds of things he does, but they all sound like they’re trying to play like Phil. He’s the one who gets it right. And Melissa gets it right. She’s out front, setting the context, choosing the material, calling upon each musician’s special skills, vocally challenging all the other people to bring their best game. And they do
April 2017 Stu Vandermark
Boston Jazz Scene (http://bostonjazzscene.blogspot.com)
I hadn’t seen the band in a while. One of the leaders of the Melissa Kassel & Tom Zicarelli Group has been sidelined for a couple months recovering from foot surgery, and she will be hobbling for a couple more weeks. Melissa is feeling good and obviously had a ball at the Lily Pad 4/24. The entire band--also including Phil Grenadier, Dave Clark, and Nat Mugavero--was another matter. After the layoff there was some rust on the wheels, and it took a bit of time to get going. But a few bars into “Spring forth Joy” the band was purring like a new Rolls. By the time the tune was completed, one almost could hear some fantasy Don Pardo character announcing, “The band is back!” And welcome back.
May 2015 - Stu Vandermark
Boston Jazz Scene (http://bostonjazzscene.blogspot.com)
Two young ladies entered the Lily Pad 5/7 in the middle of the first set of music by the Melissa Kassel-Tom Zicarelli Group. One of the women is a student of Bruno Råberg. The other was carrying a three-month-old child. As the music played, the mother and child danced to the fine sounds. I thought how lucky the infant was to hear live such wonderful sounds. A variety of research has demonstrated that opening a child’s ears during the first three months of life is the most important time for such activity. And I’m sure that music programs in elementary schools help also. The group that the listening trio and others were witnessing included Melissa Kassel, Tom Zicarelli, Jeff Galindo, Bruno Råberg, and Nat Mugavero. Jeff is the most recent addition to the ensemble, and what he brings to the music is outstanding. His supporting lines and joyously aggressive solos are so convincing that one might believe the material performed was his own. Most of the compositions were written by Melissa and Tom, but there were exceptions. At the suggestion of Nat (a Boston area favorite who was having an especially fine evening with the kit), Melissa sang the swing era hit, “This is Always.” Given the historical reference, I found myself thinking of Frank Sinatra in the Tommy Dorsey band and how much Dorsey knew about singing and breathing. Those musical conversations came to mind as I heard the great trombone support for Melissa’s vocal and the subsequent eloquent trombone solo. Of course, this group is a real band with great support all around. It was a joy to catch the intense focus of Bruno’s student who no doubt was taking lessons. But it is always a good idea to keep focussed on Bruno’s playing, even if you are not a student of bass performance. After years of paying attention, I remain unable to quantify what it is that causes him to come up with the decisions he does, that ability to make any band--no matter the style--work better. Tom Zicarelli always impresses, but if he’s ever soloed any better than he did 5/7 I never have heard it. A final word about Kassel-Zicarelli decision making is in order. There are some wonderful arrangement changes to perennial Kassel-Zicarelli compositions--primarily rhythmic--that have been made. It was quite noticeable, even on the first two pieces of the evening. On the “happier” pieces the tempo has been picked up and even the time signatures modified so that, when Melissa sings about joy, there is an exhilarating bounce to the word…
January 2014 - Stu Vandermark
Boston Jazz Scene (http://bostonjazzscene.blogspot.com)
The Melissa Kassel & Tom Zicarelli Quartet continues to bring in regulars and new fans to their monthly gigs at the Lily Pad. And for good reason. Partially it is a matter of the quality of what is going on. To some extent quality is an attraction for at least some music fans. But the other factor is that this is a straight-ahead band, and most jazz fans still are enamored of straight-ahead jazz exclusively. But this quartet is a rather strange example of a straight-ahead band. For example, at one point 12/5 at the Lily Pad Melissa mentioned that she was about to sing the only work she has written that incorporates conventional rhyme. Considering that this ensemble performs mostly Kassel- Zicarelli originals, one gets some idea of how non-straight this straight-ahead ensemble is. In other words, people who show up for Kassel- Zicarelli gigs get mainstream vocal-instrumental music, but they also don’t. And it gets worse. This is not a comfortable ensemble. It does not matter whether the musicians are performing “Tea for Two” or a challenging original, the listener cannot expect business as usual. Everyone in the quartet pushes the envelope. It may be the bombs from Nat Mugavero landing in various places on the bandstand. Or it might be Bruno Råberg always carrying the ground of the band but throwing out sonic flares everywhere to keep soloists alert. Even though they are used to being poised for the unexpected. Tom Zicarelli is not a pianist who accompanies in the usual sense. In fact, I was among audience members who were surprised that he offered no tenor sax commentary on this outing. Yes, at the piano he provides solid grounding that buoys the rest of the band, but his solos are full of lightning bolts and staccato lines that constructively surprise and shake up listeners and subsequent soloists as well. If that were not enough, Phil Grenadier, who split time fairly evenly between trumpet and flugelhorn, gave others on the bandstand challenging supporting lines and solos that seemed to cause the earth beneath us to crack and quiver in sympathy with his tectonic probing. Vocalist Melissa Kassel in multiple ways is the voice of the group, tackling the off-kilter vocals, passing along information to the audience, and urging everyone else in the band to take the dangerous leaps that she does. But she, looking and sounding fitter than ever, is no Spartan task master. In fact, it is the joyous party atmosphere that she and everyone in the band exhibits as they play music--taking chances into areas that most musicians fear to tread--that defines the character of the group. Party on. Party on…
April, 2013 - Stu Vandermark
Melissa Kassel showed up 4/4 at the Lily Pad with regulars Tom Zicarelli, Bruno Råberg, and Phil Grenadier as well as veteran drummer Nat Mugavero. Nat, with occasional asides from Phil for help, worked his way through the often tricky charts smoothly. Tom switched back and forth between piano (mostly) and reeds as a sort of front line with Phil’s brass. Tom is a sage but agile anchor in the group. Bruno’s shoulder is recovering nicely (“about ninety percent”), and his contributions to the group continue to astonish. He had just returned from several days in Japan where he did some playing but mostly teaching--“hard-working, enthusiastic kids.” He obviously had a great time. Phil played some of the most beautiful trumpet and flugelhorn I’d ever heard from him. He’s been one of my favorite brass players for years, and somehow he always seems to get better. He was enthusiastic about an upcoming couple of nights at New York’s Village Vanguard with his brother Larry (yes, that Larry Grenadier) and friends. Lucky New Yorkers. Melissa was at the top of her game. Voice in control. Pushing herself and band mates to reach higher, farther. And her combination of repertoire choices and sequence was in my experience the best she’s ever offered. It just keeps growing and surprising...
January 2013 - June Wulff
Boston Globe (editor’s pick)
Melissa Kassel improvises new versions of old standards. Standards, blues, improvisation, and original songs will be performed by the Melissa Kassel & Tom Zicarelli Group with trumpeter Phil Grenadier, bassist Sean Farias, and drummer Austin McMahon. Jan. 3, 7:30 p.m. $12. Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 617-395-1393, www.lily-pad.net
October, 2012 - Stu Vandermark
The Melissa Kassel & Tom Zicarelli Group 10/4 at the Lily Pad... with hand-in-glove regulars Melissa, Tom, and Phil Grenadier bolstered by Brooke Sofferman (becoming comfortable in the role and offering deft, subtle inspiration for all) and Sean Farias. I have been of the opinion that this ensemble is one of the most difficult bands in town to sit-in with for the first time. If you’re not listening carefully, it could pass for a typical jazz vocalist-with-trio-support gig. Yawn. But, of course, it’s anything but that. The level of communication and free-wheeling but subtle nature of the improvisation/support tends to mask just how in-your-face and difficult this music is. So it was interesting to see how the young but well experienced bassist Sean Farias dealt with it all. Wisely he tip-toed into the fray. Soon he was well on his way into the group, eventually taking appropriately off-the-wall solos. Harvey Diamond has been a first-call pianist since long before Sean was born. He sat in and replaced Tom at the piano for the last few pieces of the second set, allowing Tom to devote more time to the tenor sax. At one point in the closing minutes of the evening, Tom offered a brief reference to the classic Kind of Blue album with alert band mates diving in (and out) with him. As fans of the quartet know, Bruno Råberg for years has been a major contributor to the group. He is recovering from a shoulder injury, weathering some painful therapy. We look forward to his recovery and continued significant contributions to the Boston jazz scene...
February, 2012 - Stu Vandermark
Boston Jazz Scene
Sometimes mishaps are great haps. At the last minute the Melissa Kassel-Tom Zicarelli Group was without a bass player. A replacement bass player was on call, but he could not arrive until after the scheduled start time 2/2 at the Lily Pad. Problem? Not really. The drummer in the band is Gary Fieldman, and he knows how to provide a functional cushion. The opening “Honeysuckle Rose” was so comfortable that Tom Zicarelli decided not to take advantage of the chordal possibilities of the piano (i.e., filling the “void” left by the absent bass), and picked up his tenor sax to solo and converse with the trumpet of Phil Grenadier, who was having a great time with all the space left over. Piece of cake. Then master bassist Bruce Gertz showed up. He seemed excited to have the opportunity to dive right in. And dive he did. This is no easy journey for a bass player who is not a band regular. Most of the tunes are originals, and somewhat tricky at that. And yet, a top-notch bass player should be able to read his way through the charts. It goes with the territory of being a pro. And that would have been fine. But Bruce is not merely a top-notch bass player. He’s a writer, an on-stage creator who just can’t help himself if the music is genuinely challenging (as the music of this band always is). He just had to support everyone else and put his solid stamp on the material as well. A perfect example by Bruce and everyone in the band of spontaneous problem-solving on a jazz gig. At the highest level...
October 05, 2011 - ToDo List - by Milva DiDomizio
The Boston Globe
Standards bearer: You may think you know “Honeysuckle Rose’’ and “Bye Bye Blackbird,’’ but Melissa Kassel will make you hear them anew. The innovative jazz vocalist brings her band to Cambridge for a fall show. The poster promises: “Singing, improvisation, conversation, comfortable chairs; What more could you ask for?’’ Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m. $12. Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 617-395-1393, www.lily-pad.net
August 4, 2011 - The week ahead…
The Boston Globe
MELISSA KASSEL & TOM ZICARELLI GROUP The marvelous vocalist rarely takes a predictable path through a song, yet never sounds merely contrived or contradictory. Her accomplished accompanists, led by pianist-saxophonist Zicarelli, include trumpeter Phil Grenadier, bassist Greg Loughman, and drummer Austin McMahon. Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $12. Lily Pad. www.lily-pad.net
August, 2011 - Stu Vandermark
I have a pretty good idea what is going on. But what is going on is not easy to explain in terms of “conventional wisdom.” Melissa Kassel, Tom Zicarelli, and friends brought music to the Lily Pad 8/4, and it was exceptional--as it often is. Band members have worked together for years and even decades. So the fact that they communicate well together is not surprising. But familiarity tends to breed as many negatives as positives. Usually more negatives. That original or classic work the band has played countless times over the years tends to get tired, sluggish. The tunes/arrangements tend to become mechanical and binding, rather than exhilarating and liberating (as the selection probably was back in the Stone Age when the band first played it). If that’s not enough, think of a marriage. Some marriages get stronger over time, but--today at least--most degenerate and die. However, none of that seems to happen to the Kassel-Zicarelli bands. It is not merely that the playing--with the durable Bruno Råberg and Phil Grenadier at its core--gets better. Each time I hear the band the solos are more open, more adventuresome. Certainly the reliability of band members means that a soloist can take risks with the knowledge that mistakes or “mistakes” cannot mean failure. For example, drummer Gary Fieldman 8/4 was occasionally unsure about the proceedings around him. But, having worked with this band before, Gary knows that his own ears and the alert people around him will create a clear path forward. For the regulars, there is the sense that anything is possible. And with all that, there is something else. I don’t know how, but somehow early in the life of the band Melissa and Tom made it clear (not necessarily through words) that the highest priority of the band is taking chances, taking the leap. Maybe that’s why Bruno and Phil remain with the band. Where else can they push their own music as far as they can dream and have the only consequences revealed as beauty?...
Jan 2, 2011 - Stu Vandermark
I’ve always liked the Melissa Kassel groups, but during the past year I like what those folks are doing more than ever. I’ve watched her and her teammates work on repertoire, and each gig the repertoire gets better. At the Lily Pad 11/18 the group excelled with an engaging span of Gershwin to Janice Joplin to Kassel-Zicarelli originals along with very effective pacing and ensemble impact. During the last couple of outings Melissa has added a drummer to the mix. That’s a big jump because there is a major conceptual shift from a bass/piano-rooted foundation to a bass/piano/percussion-rooted foundation. The shift is not necessarily an improvement or a problem. It is a critical aesthetic decision that is neither right nor wrong from an outside perspective (such as my own), but it is an important aesthetic statement about where Melissa and her gang--Tom Zicarelli, Bruno Råberg, and Phil Grenadier--want to go. This was my first opportunity to catch the group as a quintet with drums. Mike Connors handled the kit and (no surprise) did so very well. The addition means that--should they wish--the musicians have the flexibility to go in any direction knowing that there will be at least two musicians carrying the foundation. One of the immediate impacts of this fact (whether or not individuals choose to take advantage of the support options) is that there is sufficient freedom to demonstrate that more is less. Because each musician has less of a support responsibility, the range of possibilities in solos and support work is much greater. And often the most effective decision in this circumstance is to take advantage of the space, pursue more fully the value of the rest as an alternative to the tone. But these folks know that, and they demonstrated that fact with some of the best improvised work I’ve heard from any of them. And that’s a long time of listening for them and for me. P.S. It was nice to see Tom pick up the tenor sax again, even if not frequently enough...
August 19, 2010 - Kevin Lowenthal
The Boston Globe
MELISSA KASSEL The Boston-based vocalist rarely, if ever, takes the standard approach to standards. Where the typical singer shouts, she might whisper; a passage usually taken quickly, she may stretch out like taffy. Yet it’s all in service to the improvisational moment being shared with her top-notch band: pianist Tom Zicarelli, trumpeter Phil Grenadier, and bassist Bruno Raberg. This gig kicks off a series of monthly, third Thursday performances at the Lily Pad featuring the core group and special guests. Aug. 19, 7 p.m. Tickets: $12.50. Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 617-395-1393, www.lily-pad.net
May 2010 - Stu Vandermark
When one considers the Melissa Kassel Quartet it probably is understandable that the listener’s attention would turn primarily to the leader and Tom Zicarelli. They have been together the longest, going back to the middle of the 1990s at least. Also, a majority of the material that the quartet presents has been written by the two of them separately and together, mostly together. Certainly it makes sense to pay particular attention to and praise the two of them. However, the other two members of the group did not fall out of a tree recently. They have been making significant contributions to the development of the quartet for years. It is at the point where one is tempted to suggest that Phil Grenadier is essential to the character and success of the ensemble. No doubt there are three or four other trumpet players in the Boston area who would work fairly well in this context, but I can think of none who understates so profoundly what is necessary to the personality of the band. In keeping with that role, Phil’s solos are as powerful for what they imply as what they state. That kind of music is central to the character of the group. The band is better than it was before Bruno Råberg joined it. It is a band that takes risks. He’s another essential element because--like the others--he does not hesitate to take risks. Easily as important is the fact that Bruno takes a lot of the risk out of other band members’ adventures. How bad a mistake can someone make when Bruno is there to--not just cover--but help turn the mistake into a thing of beauty? I’m sure there were some fluffs along the way--hey, you’re not trying if you don’t make mistakes--when the quartet performed 5/29 at the Lily Pad. But I missed them, and I’m sure Bruno didn’t. I can’t walk away from that gig without mentioning that the group cranked it up another level on that night. Everyone seemed to be on fire (in the best sense). Melissa’s voice was in top form. And the programming (particularly in terms of thematic variety and tempo) was outstanding. If there was anyone in the audience who thinks he didn’t get his money’s worth, he just wasn’t listening...
January 2010 - Stu Vandermark
One of the great things about the Melissa Kassel Quartet (with Phil Grenadier, Tom Zicarelli, and Bruno Råberg) is that it is a real jazz ensemble, rather than a singer with some backup. In other words, when the leader stops singing, the music does not stop. Some of the most wonderful music occurs when Melissa stands to the side and revels in the terrific soloing and sonic conversations just as we in the audience do. That attitude about her band mates is just as fearless as her approach to composition and interpretations vocally. They’ve all been working together now long enough and with such empathy that the surprises are in the line, rather than in the unintentional.
April 11 2001 - DownEastReviews
Kevin O’Reilly’s “The View From Left Field”
Track 6- Funk 101
On this tune Kevin O'Reilly on bass, Nate Clukey on drums and Tom Zicarelli on sax, take the listener into a Funk filled Jazz realm. The improvisational sax riffs are expertly crafted and presented. The drum work, with multiple precise fills and simply amazing drum skills, carries the tune to another plateau. Kevin O'Reilly's bass accents add the color and depth to the rhythm section needed to complete this musical masterpiece. ( ! ! ! ! ! )
Track 11- Maineline
This tune is certainly off the beaten path from the contents from the rest of the album. A Surf instrumental was the last thing expected from this musician, Kevin O'Reilly, who is joined by Jim McLaughlin on the Hammond B-3 organ, Tom Zicarelli on baritone sax and Seth Warner on drums. The drums are the weak link in the chain, but they can certainly be overlooked with all of the other action in the piece. An excellent choice to display the wide variety in the artist's repetoire.
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2005 - various reviews of “Slow Dance At The Asylum”
Molly Flannery Quintet (Tom Zicarelli: saxophones and composer of title track)
Russ Gershon of Either Orchestra
"A lot of beautiful music. The title track is destined to become a jazz classic."
Jeanette Housner - Victory Music Review
"Improvisational, free form, haunting are just some of the words used to describe this album. Molly Flannery is a skillful pianist, composer, arranger, leader of ensembles, and a major player in the highly competitive jazz scene of Boston. She explains in the liner notes that this album is an attempt to capture some of the feeling these musicians get when meeting weekly for jams, the sort of spontaneous group composing that this quintet is so good at. She talks of a heavenly fellowship of men, friends, and musicians, of meetings that are like going to church, of having fun and "occasionally creating an epiphany when all separateness vanishes." This closeness is evident in the music. The title song "Slow Dance at the Asylum" is an achingly beautiful ballad written by quintet member Tom Zicarelli. Of the ten tracks two were composed spontaneously by the quintet, one was arranged and three were written by Flannery. Mostly instrumental there are several interspersed vocals which add to the mood of each piece. The music here will grow on you. The melodies are lovely and memorable."
Kenny Werner - RCA recording artist
"An emotional statement with great depth of feeling"
March 2006 - Morning Sentinel, Waterville, ME
review of “Live at The Outlook” by The Denny Breau Trio (Tom Zicarelli saxophones, harmonica, vocals, and production)
Denny Breau releases live CD
I received "Live at the Outlook" at the end of the year and haven't had the chance to review it until now -- but better late than never.
If you are not familiar with Denny Breau, this talented guitarist is the youngest inductee in the history of the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame, but before you go thinking of him as a country artist only, know that he's as adept at playing hot jazz licks as well as fine blues or folk finger picking on his acoustic six-string.
You get to hear all of that on this live album where he's joined by Jim McLaughlin (piano, accordion, backing vocals) and Tom Zicarelli (saxophones, harmonica and backing vocals) when the trio performed at The Outlook in Bethel in 2004. The eight tracks clock in at just a tad over 43 minutes and are penned by Breau with additional songs by Merle Haggard ("Working Man Blues"), James Brown ("I Feel Good") and Forrest Richard Betts (whose "Jessica" became the basis for the jazzy instrumental "Jessica Blue Miles").
One of Breau's original tunes that I must highlight is "Dance With Me," not to be confused with the Orleans tune of the same name. This haunting ballad -- with accordion, soprano sax and acoustic guitar -- is a subtle anti-war song that hits very hard with the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan taking on disturbing proportions recently.
The sound quality of this excellent CD is warm and wonderful, allowing all the subtleties and nuances to come through beautifully with a clarity that enhances this trio's exquisite live show. For more information, write to DBT Productions; P.O. Box 2; Bethel, ME 04217 or visit www.dennybreau.com
