Pat Mallinger©Andrea Canter

One of the Twin Cities favorite jazz sons, saxophonist Pat Mallinger was last in town to celebrate his new CD, Home on Richmond. With a rare visit between the holidays, Pat this Friday night will be home in St Paul at the AQ.  His cohorts include Peter Schimke, Graydon Peterson and Kenny Horst. 

Pat Mallinger is a long way from the halls of St. Paul’s Sibley High School and the lab bands of North Texas State University, from his days studying with Brian Grivna, listening to recordings of Paul Desmond and attending live gigs of late Eddie Berger to his post-college days in LA,  Dallas, Japan andBoston with the Artie Shaw, Woody Herman and Cab Calloway orchestras. For the past 20 years, Pat has been atop the Chicago jazz scene,  playing with Charles Earland, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Harry Connick, Eric Alexander and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; appearing regularly at the Ravinia Jazz Festival and with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Kurt Elling, Howard Levy, and the 911 Mambo Orchestra; and  co-leading the ensemble Sabertooth weekly at the Green Mill. Along the way, Pat has released five recordings as leader of his small groups, including two with Sabertooth.   

Home on Richmond

Home on Richmond

The recording shows off live music to full advantage, particularly adventurous post bop where the musicians have a chance to establish a foundation from which to build individual and collaborative structures through creative soloing and sympathetic collaboration; the six tracks here stretch from 9 to nearly 14 minutes each without ever getting bogged down in excessive introspection. While the music is by no means predictable,  the listener is never left wondering where it’s all going. It makes sense; it feels complete; and it’s constantly engaging. And it’s a treat to hear Mallinger on three horns (tenor, alto and soprano). Two compositions come from the band—Mallinger’s light-hearted, waltzing title track and Carrother’s glorious, hymnal “Snowbound.” The rest cover Charles Lloyd’s swingy if wandering “Third Floor Richard,” an ever-shifting twisty take on Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile,” Coltrane’s too-rarely performed incantation, “Living Space,” and the closing boppish romp through Tin Pan Alley hit, “Nagasaki.” 

Pat Mallinger©Andrea Canter

Home in St. Paul

This Friday night, Pat Mallinger takes a break from the home fires on Richmond in the Windy City to spend some time with family and friends in his home town, and that means a night of quartet fun with three local colleagues who can make anyone’s music shine brightly: Pianist Peter Schimke appears often at the AQ, with How Birds Work, in various configurations with Kenny Horst, with his own trio and often backing visiting artists. Bassist Graydon Peterson has quickly become a first-call collaborator for bands like Snowblind and Firebell, and vocalists like Christine Rosholt, and now leads his own Graydon Peterson Group. Artists Quarter owner Kenny Horst handles the drumset for most visiting musicians at the AQ as well as with How Birds Work, the Dave Karr Quartet and more.

The Artists Quarter is located at 408 St Peter Street in downtown St. Paul, lower level of the Hamm Building; www.artistsquarter.com. Sets $15.

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