Mario Pavone - Sharpeville (1988)

Mario Pavone's Sharpeville was originally released in 1988 by his Alacra label, and reissued by Playscape in 2000. The lineup is something of an all-star affair, a meeting of some of the finest minds in avant-garde jazz: Pavone on bass, Pheeroan Ak Laff on drums, and both Marty Ehrlich and the late Thomas Chapin on assorted wind instruments, including alto sax, clarinet, flute, alto flute, and bass flute. While the music is bracingly free and "outside," Pavone's compositions have a coherence that is readily grasped by the attentive listener. His unaccompanied solo piece, "Aku," for instance, has a beautiful and crystal-clear melodic essence. The sounds and rhythmic concepts vary widely from track to track, keeping the music in motion and the interest level high. The title track, recorded live in 1985, features Mark Whitecage on alto sax, Peter McEachern on trombone, and John Betsch on drums. Dedicated to the victims of the Sharpeville Massacre, perpetrated by the South African government on March 21, 1960, the ostinato-driven work is a haunting, sobering salute to dignity in the face of injustice. © David R. Adler