Brian Marsella is a pianist who can be virtuoso and adventurous at the same time; critic Peter Margasak described his style as ‘Herbie Nichols or Bud Powell playing at warp speed.’ With his trio he plays the Jewish-tinged compositions from the Masada series by John Zorn, to celebrate the 65th birthday of this groundbreaking New York musician. Marsella, bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer Kenny Wollesen are regular Zorn-compatriots. They perform the compositions in incredibly varied ways, with each piece referrencing a different pianist or composer, from Bill Evans and Don Pullen to Debussy and Satie.
John Zorn is generally recognized as one of the great musical innovators from New York since the 1960s. His music encompasses many styles, from adventurous group improv (Cobra) to intense noise rock (Naked City) and acoustic jazz (Masada). He collaborated with a wide range of musicians, from Lou Reed to Misha Mengelberg. For many years the alto saxophonist and composer has organized concert from his club The Stone, which has recently moved to the New School Glass Box Theatre. But The Stone will also tour through Europe this fall, with concerts at, among others, BIMHUIS (Brian Marsella Trio) and LantarenVenster (Mary Halvorson Quartet, 1 September), as well as in Den Bosch (November Music, 5 November and Secret Chiefs 3, 8 November).
‘Music from the heart, beautiful’ (Downbeat, see link).
Brian Marsella piano, Trevor Dunn bass, Kenny Wollesen drums