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Reknown pianist and professor (Portland State Univ)
George Colligan's blog: "Jazz Truth"
http://jazztruth.blogspot.com/2014/05/portland-prime-pianist-tony-pacini.html
Monday, May 12th, 2014
"This past Saturday night, my wife and I went out to hear some music. We didn't have definite plans, but after having a nice dinner, but we wanted to hear something good. We ended up at Portland Prime, which is right in the middle of downtown Portland. Since we had already eaten, we decided we would split a dessert and have (non- alcoholic) drinks. Our bill came to about 15 dollars without tip; we split a Berry Cobbler, I had a ginger ale and Kerry had hot tea. However, the music we heard for essentially free was amazing and an incredible bargain; The Mel Brown Trio featuring pianist Tony Pacini and bassist Ed Bennett is truly a Portland gem.
Most Portland jazz fans know who Mel Brown is; he plays at Jimmy Mak's three times a week with various bands. He's a wonderful drummer and has the history of playing with some of the great Motown acts. The driving force behind this trio is Mr. Pacini, who is impressively steeped in the old school jazz piano tradition and puts his own refreshing stamp on everything he plays. One thing that was really refreshing was to hear some different repertoire; not only did Pacini call some more obscure jazz tunes, like Duke Ellington's "Love You Madly," but he played a Monty Alexander tune and a Michel Petrucciani tune. ( Some people like to hear tunes they know. I also like to hear tunes I don't know; why play the same tunes all the time? There are so many- if you get bogged down in the same tunes all the time, you'll never learn any!)
Pacini has fluid chops and a dynamic touch; it reminded me of Amhad Jamal and Oscar Peterson with perhaps some George Shearing and Milt Buckner and Errol Garner thrown in for good measure. He's truly a virtuoso. It really inspired me and my wife (also a pianist); I spent some extra time practicing this weekend thanks to Pacini's dazzling performance.
This trio of Brown, Bennett, and Pacini has been playing every week for 18 years. They really have some stuff worked out! Jazz happens on the bandstand and this is a perfect example of when it's happening. I urge jazz lovers and especially students of jazz to take advantage of Portland Prime on Saturday nights; I felt like I got a lesson for 15 dollars that should have cost hundreds. Go hear the music!"
- GEORGE COLLIGAN, jazz pianist & music professor Portland State University
The Tony Pacini Trio
Live At Jimmy Mak's
January 2007 edition CD review
from Jazzscene Magazine.
***** (5 stars out of 5)
By: George Fendel
"This is the album Tony's fans just knew would come along sooner or later.
And let's hope there are "more from where this came from," so to speak. You see, this album gives Tony's ever-swinging trio (Ed Bennett, bass and Tim Rap, drums) an opportunity to record live before an attentive,
enthusiastic audience. It also was an occasion upon which Tony had the privilege of playing a top of the line Yamaha, a piano valued at
more than I paid for my first two houses! Given these plusses, Tony and his pals were at the top of their game, and having been in his
audience that night, I can attest to that. It doesn't hurt at all that Tony chooses such evergreens as Freddie Freeloader, Stompin' At The Savoy,
a funky Love For Sale and the rarely heard Brotherhood Of Man, all from the upbeat list. To these, add gorgeous renditions of Percy Faith's
Maybe September and Thad Jones' tender A Child Is Born, both on the ballad side of things.
Two expressive Pacini originals illustrate Tony's facility for writing attractive and
cohesive melody lines, Beyond The Veil and First Light. Tony Pacini has grown in all facets of his music in recent years.
He's getting more gigs and with his plentiful musical gifts strongly surfacing, deserves them.
Catch him at Jimmy Mak's or Wilf's sometime soon. He's something special!"
-George Fendel, Jazzscene Magazine January 2007
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The Tony Pacini Trio
Live At Jimmy Mak's
REVIEW: January 2007 CD review from The Skanner
***** (5 stars out of 5)
By: Dick Bogle
"Pianist Tony Pacini could. Perhaps Pacini should. But knowing him, my guess is Tony won't add a hip swagger to his walk upon the release of this - his finest work to date.
The nine tracks contained herein are swinging proof that even the best on the Portland scene can take their performance to a higher level. Pacini opens with the classic "Freddie Freeloader," which he plays emphatically backed by his regular rhythm section of bassist Ed Bennett and drummer Tim Rap, both of whom are fully integrated into the goings on. Their support is not unlike that which Ahmad Jamal gets from Jamey Cammack and Idris Muhammad.
Pacini pours his soul into the ballad "Maybe September." Rap uses his brushes with always just the right touch. There may be only a few ballads as beautiful as "A Child is Born" on which Pacini begins alone and is joined by Bennett and Rap for a treatment befitting that gorgeous ballad.
There are two Pacini compositions included. "Beyond the Veil" is a moody but elegant selection. "First Light" speaks to a dawning of a new day or new beginning in a bright, uplifting way; a listener can feel encouraged while hearing it.
This recording is more than a showcasing of trio work at it's best. It is, instead, an invitation to come hear them live. That opportunity will occur Saturday, Jan. 27 at Jimmy Mak's for Pacini's CD release party.
-Dick Bogle, The Skanner January 2007
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"Tony Pacini Hits His Stride"
Friday, May 19th 2006 (Read below)
CD: "Piano A La Carte"-solo piano.
By Kyle O'Brien
-The Oregonian
"Something's wonderfully retro about Tony Pacini's piano playing. His copious talents evoke earlier eras of jazz, when bop ruled in the most swingin' sense.
On his previous trio recording, Pacini can be heard courting the likes of Bill Evans, Gene Harris and Bud Powell, all the while developing his own voice.
On his second disc as a solo artist, "Piano a la Carte," Pacini steps back even further into the jazz canon, bringing a renewed sense of melody to classic tunes.
Pacini is best known to Portland audiences as the pianist and musical director in the Mel Brown Quartet. His arrangements and stellar playing are featured on the quartet's disc "Girl Talk."
But Pacini is also a fine artist on his own. "Piano a la Carte" is an impressively mature slice of musical history, especially coming from a Gen-Xer. The disc, a solo piano outing as the title suggests, treats standard tunes with reverence and a tender touch, showing a softer side of Pacini's persona while cementing him as one of the top pianists and arrangers on the Portland jazz scene.
"Piano a la Carte" was intended to be a trio album, but executive producer Gary Fantz helped persuade Pacini to fly solo, without technical overdubs or splicing. The result is a disc of warm beauty, lighthearted strides, lush chordal structures and memorable melodies, all brought together by Pacini's sophisticated touch.
"Gary kind of suggested making pretty piano music -- kind of salute a certain history of jazz piano," Pacini said.
There are the obvious standards, like the drawn-out version of "Body "&" Soul" and the plaintive delivery of "Skylark." But in between are gems such as the bluesy "Lullaby of the Leaves" and the lean-into swing of "Come Rain or Come Shine," plus a couple of Pacini originals including the sweet ballad "Golden Boy."
"In the studio I had fixed ideas about a handful of tunes, then I just played," Pacini said.
What may be most impressive for fans is Pacini's use of stride piano, that infectious old-time rhythmic style. He looked to Art Tatum and other pianists of an early era for inspiration on such tunes as "Eastside Westside."
"I think my truest followers and fans have heard me do hints of (stride). But most of the jazz community thinks of me in one style, going for the bluesy-meets-bop kind of stuff; stride is hard to do. Guys like Dave Frishberg make it look so easy."
While this is a new sound for Pacini, it's something he had planned on doing eventually, even if not so soon in his solo career. Next up: a new Mel Brown Quartet album, and later a follow-up trio album. But first, a little quiet music."
-KYLE O'BRIEN, The Oregonian.
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"Tony Pacini: The Ivories Are Sure To Get A Sound Workout"
By Barabara Mitchell
-Portland Tribune (Read below)
"Tony Pacini is a fixture of the local jazz scene-a Portland native who attended the prestigious Berklee School of Music, the pianist and musical director of legendary jazz drummer Mel Brown's Quartet and leader of his own Tony Pacini Trio. He's also about to celebrate the release of his first solo piano project, "Piano a la Carte."
The retro-cozy confines of Wilf's (the bar adjacent to Union Station) is the perfect environment for experiencing Pacini's fluid and expressive playing.
Whether interpreting standards like Duke Ellington's "Do Nothin' Til You Hear From Me" (which opens "Piano a la Carte") or his own songs like "Golden Boy" or album closer "Goodbyes," Pacini is a master of his material. Jaunty numbers and moody ballads come to life equally under his masterful playing.
While he's been a featured player on many albums, "Piano a la Carte" is the first recording to feature Pacini exclusively in solo context. It's lovely and mesmerizing, the kind of emotive playing that's equally stunning and impressive whether you're a jazz fanatic or a newcomer to the genre."
-BARBARA MITCHELL, Portland Tribune.
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"A Night To Remember"
-The Tony Pacini Trio performance
at Wilf's Restaurant "&" Bar Friday, May 19th, 2006
By Steve Kullowatz
-Jazzscene Magazine (Read below)
"I walked into Wilf's just in time to catch Tony's take on Lullaby of the Leaves, but since the place was absolutely packed, I had to listen from the back of the restaurant. He still sounded great. I sat with a very nice couple who were lucky enough to have wandered in on the right night. Pacini is respected among musicians and listeners alike as one of the top jazz pianists in the area (I think it goes way beyond the Northwest, though). Tony was joined by two of the best sidemen around, Ed Bennett (bass) and Tim Rap (drums). Following that trio tune, Tony launched into a series of solos - a showcase of his skills featured in his new solo piano CD release "Piano A La Carte." This particular set included Pure Imagination, Eastside Westside, Emily, and Moonlight in Vermont. Ed and Tim came back in to help out on Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me, Ed's bass solo, solid and assertive. The final creation of the set started out with Bobby Timmons' Dat Dere, Tony slamming the keys, Tim hot on the tempo, the whole thing built up till you knew it couldn't get any higher - the crowd absolutely roared while the piano faded down and the bass took over keeping everyone glued to the stage (which really isn't there, but you'd swear these guys were eight feet in the air). Tony moved from that into a classical piece and from there, built the fire up again with Clifford Brown's Daahoud. We still had two sets to go. My, Oh My.
At the break, I managed to commandeer a table about four feet from the keyboard with no obstructions to my view. To watch Tony Pacini play, even if you were deaf, would be a rare treat. Seeing his hands poised, ready to take the next solo, watching his eyes calculating where he wants to go with it, and then seeing him dive into it full-speed with no hesitation - it was just great to see a man enjoy his work so much.
The second set started with a long piano intro, barely brushing the familiar melody of Just Friends, but you caught the tune as soon as the bass and drums came aboard. This was an up-tempo arrangement that had everybody bouncing. Tim's stick work intense and masterful, Ed not losing one inch to anyone on bass, and I thought the whole trio might get picked up for speeding. On his bass solo, Ed moved all around the melody in a veritable display of virtuosity, and then Tony and Tim traded fours, driving each other (and the crowd) into a frenzy. This was one great tune.
Lil Darlin' showed up next as a soft ballad, very slow, deliberate and lush, then moved up a bit, featuring nice interplay between piano and bass, then on to a piano solo during which Tony's fingers tickled and caressed the keys with tender affection - eight people in audience fell in love, some with each other. Just to move the crowd from an "Ahhh" mood to a "Ohhhh" mood, Tony picks up the tempo with his left hand, double-timing with the right, then fading back to slow and gentle. Ed's bow was used to great effect during this passage. Those grouped around the musicians were riveted, but watching one couple, with a lovely young woman affectionately leaning on her guy's shoulder, dreamy-eyed, told the whole story. The ending had Ed and Tony playing the same chords, perfectly matched. I knew how the young woman felt. Even though many of us had died and gone on to heaven, Tony kept on playing, moving into a strong, bluesy Teach Me Tonight - once during the bass solo, which was lovely in a higher register, Tony looked over at me and gave me a sly look as if to say, "Is this fun or what?," then he pounded out a solid finish a la Gene Harris. This was beyond fun.
The second set ended with a great rendition of Georgia, moving into a hot Sweet Georgia Brown that had my leg bouncing at about 90 miles and hour. Very inventive and featuring great work by Tim Rap trading back and forth with Tony. The third set was every bit as fine as the first two and featured some nice solo work by Mr. Pacini on Skylark and If I Loved You. This was a night to remember.
Wilf's employees were marvelous in serving the crowd and being unobtrusive at the same time. This is a great, smoke-free venue for cool jazz and enjoying an evening out - great food, incredible music."
-STEVE KULLOWATZ, editor: Jazzscene Magazine.
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Tony Pacini appears to play keyboards with a very light touch. Yet he delivers a dynamic sound that frequently has the power of Gene Harris. His arrangement of Yardbird Suite has been with him for a long time, but was new to this aggregation. Balmer and Pacini each took extended solos, borrowing more than a few long phrases from other standards. Pacini can really move some very complex block chords around rapidly. By its end, the group seemed to have completely re-thought the whole Parker tune. Very exciting and the crowd got it.