"The daring of Mallinger's compositions, ingenuity of his arrangements, and ferocity of his solos are startling to hear” -- Chicago Tribune

Photo by Andrea Canter

St. Paul native son and Chicago resident Pat Mallinger has a new recording to add to his growing resume as one of the foremost sax players in the Midwest. This weekend (November 25-26) he returns to his hometown stage at the Artists Quarter, and Twin Citians not already familiar with this tenor/alto virtuoso will learn first-hand why Mallinger is a popular fixture at such Chicago venues as Andy’s and the Green Mill. His recent release, Moorean Moon, was recorded live at the 2000 North Sea Jazz Festival, and follows the highly regarded Monday Prayer to Tunkashila. Of his first recording, which the Chicago Tribune dubbed “a stunning debut by any measure,” Saxophone Journal noted, "Not only do his solos exhibit a thorough understanding of America's art form, but his knowledge becomes especially visible through his exceptional writing and arranging skills. Each Mallinger composition shows remarkable craftmanship!"

Pat Mallinger

As a youngster in St. Paul, Pat Mallinger was inspired by the Grass Junior High Jazz Band and recordings of Paul Desmond, and decided jazz rather than dentistry was his destiny. He played in the Sibley High School band, studied with his uncle Tommy Bauer and Brian Grivna, and often heard the great Eddie Berger perform around town. In addition to Desmond, Pat cites such early jazz influences as Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, and Miles Davis. After high school, Mallinger earned a degree in jazz studies from North Texas State and, in 1986, moved to Boston where he played with the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Relocating to his current home in Chicago in 1990, Mallinger has played with Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Harry Connick,Howard Levy, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.; he’s toured with Charles Earland, Woody Herman, and Cab Calloway, and appears in concerts and festivals around the world. In Chicago, he performs with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Kurt Elling, and the 911 Mambo Orchestra; he co-leads the ensemble Sabertooth which performs weekly at Andy’s and the Green Mill. Pat is also a committed jazz educator whose efforts include inspiring inner city students to pursue jazz as a member of the Ravinia Jazz Mentors Sextet. He also teaches at Columbia College and in the Chicago Public Schools. (Click here for an exclusive Jazz Police interview with Pat Mallinger.)

Moorean Moon

On July 14, 2000, Pat Mallinger and his quartet performed at the 25^th North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. Blue Jack Records Chairman Henk Toorenvliet attended the set, and five years later contacted Mallinger and festival officials for permission to release the tapes of the live session. The result is Moorean Moon, and it was well worth the wait. Mallinger’s straight-ahead, hard swinging sax is captured with all the verve and invention that marks live performances, and his Chicago-based quartet (Jim Ryan on piano, Jeff Stitely on drums, and the late Thomas Kini on bass) is a sympathetic a crew of collaborators. And collaboration is the bottom line here, as this is truly a group effort. With six of seven tracks running in excess of eight minutes, everyone stretches out and every tune benefits from the unhurried evolution of creative partnership. The playlist is a divergent buffet of two Mallinger originals and covers of Jerome Kern, Jerry Garcia, Kenny Barron, Claudio Roditi, Jimmy Heath, and Jackie McLean.

Kern’s “Long Ago and Far Away” provides a brisk set opener, and the rhythm section comes out swinging. Mallinger’s richly textured tenor lines climb around the melody as if on a jungle gym, with piano, sax and drums engaging in a three-way call-and-response. With the earmarks of a standard-to-be, Mallinger’s “Queen Anne’s Lace” begins as a gentle ballad that gains tempo and a more upbeat rhythm as it stretches for a full 12 minutes. On alto, Mallinger sings the melody over an elegantly light piano. At the midpoint break, Ryan executes a simply shimmering solo of legato runs interspersed with more abruptly connected short phrases that meld into repeating motifs. Stitely’s brush solo on the bridge of the out chorus merely accentuates the role he plays throughout the track—gentle persuasion. The intro to the title track of Mallinger’s “Moorean Moon” is somewhat reminiscent of “Alone Together.” After the head, bassist Kini beautifully develops minor magic over Stitely’s brushes and Ryan’s well placed accents. On tenor, Mallinger twists and spirals around the melody; the transmission is in overdrive as Ryan, Stitely, and Kini push the energy forward, closing with a friendly duel between Mallinger and Kini.

Ryan’s beginning combinations bring an Eastern edge to “China Doll” (Jerry Garcia/ Robert Hunter), while the alto sax enters with a mournfully lyrical line over some ominous, deeply resonating figures from bass and percussion. With Ryan providing the bell-like tinkles, the quartet combines to paint a celestial, somewhat mysterious overcast that gains momentum like an approaching storm. Ryan launches into an elegant, rhythmically unpredictable solo (the storm’s eye?) that swings and stutters, bluesfully flowing into Kini’s solo, a deceptively simple line that becomes increasingly complex, less Asian and more Castillian. Mallinger returns to the head with a simple melodic line over rumblings from Stitley and final assertions from Ryan and company. One readily recalls the granduer and soulfulness that Branford Marsalis achieved on “Eternal.”

Again on alto, Mallinger kicks off Kenny Barron’s “Voyage” as a duet with just drums. With an edgy vibrato traversing the full length of the horn, Mallinger’s high energy, nonstop groove flutters into a piano solo that reprises similar, all-over-the-place phrases. Stitely moves into his own solo with equal energy and celestial combinations while Kini keeps a dynamic line throughout. With a nice crescendo, the piano and drums have the last word. “Monster and the Flower” (Roditi) is introduced with a tribal vibe over Stitely’s rolling rim shots. After the alto introduces the melody (the flower following the monster?), Ryan weaves around the melody with swinging finesse, clusters of tropically-scented figures, and more than a bit of a montuno rhythm on a long excursion; Mallinger returns with his own gymnastics.

The closing, and shortest, track puts together Jimmy Heath’s classic, “The Thumper” with Jackie McLean’s “Nursery Blues.” With a gritty zing, Mallinger gets down to boppish business quickly, spinning and twisting; Ryan sends his own spiraling messages. Sax, piano, and drums banter back and forth with short exchanges, and Mallinger bring it all back home with a wailing flourish.

At the AQ November 25-26

If you’re feeling a little sluggish after Thanksgiving, or perhaps in a state of sticker shock following the post-holiday shopping spree, you’ll find the perfect antidote in the spontaneous combustion of an evening (or two) with the Pat Mallinger Quartet. Joining Pat on the bandstand this weekend will be the great Twin Cities rhythm section of Chris Lomheim (piano), Chris Bates (bass), and Kenny Horst (drums).

The Pat Mallinger Quartet performs Friday and Saturday nights (November 25-26) at the Artists Quarter in downtown St. Paul, in the lower level of the Hamm Building at 7^th Place and St. Peter St. First sets are nonsmoking and start at 9 pm. Visit www.mnjazz.com for full schedule. Moorean Moon will be available at the AQ.