textura

Mavis Pan: Rising
Mavis Pan

On Rising, jazz pianist Mavis Pan precedes the title track with its antithesis, “Falling,” and the inclusion of both on the album and their sequencing are no accident. Like all of us, Pan's experienced triumphs and tragedies, but she's also a firm believer in the power of perseverance, hope, and resilience to transcend whatever adversity comes her way. She's had her share of lows, be it her father's recent stroke or the professional challenges engendered by the pandemic, but also highs, a well-received Saudia Arabian tour with her quintet in January 2023 a particularly memorable one. Rising nevertheless resounds with affirmation and the sound of Pan joyously creating alongside stellar musical partners Geoff Burke (alto and soprano saxes, alto flute, clarinet), Mark Wade (bass), Jared Schonig (drums), and Ted Nash (tenor sax, flute, clarinet), who also co-produced the album with the New York-based Pan.

As the rich tapestry that is Rising shows, Pan's purview is, well, panoramic. Jazz and classical influences are seamlessly wedded in its twelve pieces (three of them constituting a suite), but Rising is also a musical reflection of the places she's been and people she's met. In her words, the album “ranges from Afro funk to French cinematic valses, from Spanish tango to Middle Eastern tarab (musical ecstasy), plus nostalgic Taiwanese folk songs.” The classical element is present in her elegant compositional forms, harmonic palette, and use of counterpoint, while jazz emerges in the terrific soloing the members contribute and the robust swing driving a number of pieces. Having Burke and Nash as front-liners makes a huge difference, as does the variety of woodwinds they play. In one track, they pair as a clarinet and saxophone duo, while another arrests the ear when both play flutes. Pan's music benefits greatly when her unit is flexible as well as comfortable in multiple milieus.

The album's broad scope is intimated by the opening track “Chances are Odd” when hints of klezmer arise in the joyful wail of Nash's tenor and Burke's soprano. Nash lifts the music immediately with a powerful solo that sees Wade and Schonig following his lead with controlled fire. No shrinking violet, Pan replies with an assertive solo of her own as the band broils alongside. Even at this early stage, the sophistication of her writing is evident when the material progresses through a series of well-integrated episodes before satisfactorily resolving. The lovely ballad “Falling” follows, its sombre tone in stark contrast to the exuberance of the opener. The saxophonists entwine as the waltz advances, with Burke following his alto voicing of the haunting theme with a probing, bluesy solo oozing heartache. Pan's own is a model of restraint that more alludes to sorrow than surrenders to it.

Composed during her flight to Saudi Arabia, the slow-burning title track incrementally builds on the mystery of its initial Middle Eastern-styled vamp with ascendant statements by the saxophonists, Burke's serpentine soprano and Nash's tenor intensifying the mood and Pan's twinklings evoking the star-filled skies. “Confessions” returns the album to late-night ballad mode with its smoky lounge feel deepened by Nash's tenor and Pan's thoughtful solo, while “The Last Rose of Summer,” this one a dignified lament pairing Burke on soprano with Pan, does the same towards the album's end.

After Schonig opens “Black Sky” with Elvin Jones-like flourishes, the band eases into its insistent 3/4 groove, with the bright timbres of Nash's flute and Burke's alto flute radiating the rousing performance. “Formosa Spring” exudes an almost Dave Brubeck-styled vibe as the flutes once again ride the band's forceful wave. No piece better illustrates the ambitious scope of Pan's vision than “Pájaro Solitario," which references tango and flamenco as it ranges adventurously for twelve dramatic minutes. Shifting rhythmic gears, “Seventy Times Seven,” the third part of Tarab Suite, is buoyed by a punchy Afro-funk groove right out of Steve Coleman's playbook. One final surprise comes in the form of an endearing vocal Pan adds to the romantic closer “You Must Believe in Love,” its message of hope complementary to the album's.

Note that the digital version of the release includes an extra track, “Dusk,” that nudges the album past the eighty-minute mark, but with it omitted the twelve on the physical release still constitute a substantial total. Regardless of the version in question, Rising is an accomplished collection by Pan whose impact is significantly enhanced by the performances of her versatile quintet. Nash and Burke form a stellar front-line, while they and Pan are supported excellently by the ever-responsive Wade and Schonig. It's a confident leader who's comfortable sharing the stage generously with such formidable bandmates, and she's clearly fortunate to have players so sympathetic to her vision with her on the project.

November 2024


	Mavis Pan: Rising Mavis Pan On Rising, jazz pianist Mavis Pan precedes the title track with its antithesis, “Falling,” and the inclusion of both on the album and their sequencing are no accident. Like all of us, Pan's experienced triumphs and tragedies, but she's also a firm believer in the power of perseverance, hope, and resilience to transcend whatever adversity comes her way. She's had her share of lows, be it her father's recent stroke or the professional challenges engendered by the pandemic, but also highs, a well-received Saudia Arabian tour with her quintet in January 2023 a particularly memorable one. Rising nevertheless resounds with affirmation and the sound of Pan joyously creating alongside stellar musical partners Geoff Burke (alto and soprano saxes, alto flute, clarinet), Mark Wade (bass), Jared Schonig (drums), and Ted Nash (tenor sax, flute, clarinet), who also co-produced the album with the New York-based Pan. As the rich tapestry that is Rising shows, Pan's purview is, well, panoramic. Jazz and classical influences are seamlessly wedded in its twelve pieces (three of them constituting a suite), but Rising is also a musical reflection of the places she's been and people she's met. In her words, the album “ranges from Afro funk to French cinematic valses, from Spanish tango to Middle Eastern tarab (musical ecstasy), plus nostalgic Taiwanese folk songs.” The classical element is present in her elegant compositional forms, harmonic palette, and use of counterpoint, while jazz emerges in the terrific soloing the members contribute and the robust swing driving a number of pieces. Having Burke and Nash as front-liners makes a huge difference, as does the variety of woodwinds they play. In one track, they pair as a clarinet and saxophone duo, while another arrests the ear when both play flutes. Pan's music benefits greatly when her unit is flexible as well as comfortable in multiple milieus. The album's broad scope is intimated by the opening track “Chances are Odd” when hints of klezmer arise in the joyful wail of Nash's tenor and Burke's soprano. Nash lifts the music immediately with a powerful solo that sees Wade and Schonig following his lead with controlled fire. No shrinking violet, Pan replies with an assertive solo of her own as the band broils alongside. Even at this early stage, the sophistication of her writing is evident when the material progresses through a series of well-integrated episodes before satisfactorily resolving. The lovely ballad “Falling” follows, its sombre tone in stark contrast to the exuberance of the opener. The saxophonists entwine as the waltz advances, with Burke following his alto voicing of the haunting theme with a probing, bluesy solo oozing heartache. Pan's own is a model of restraint that more alludes to sorrow than surrenders to it. Composed during her flight to Saudi Arabia, the slow-burning title track incrementally builds on the mystery of its initial Middle Eastern-styled vamp with ascendant statements by the saxophonists, Burke's serpentine soprano and Nash's tenor intensifying the mood and Pan's twinklings evoking the star-filled skies. “Confessions” returns the album to late-night ballad mode with its smoky lounge feel deepened by Nash's tenor and Pan's thoughtful solo, while “The Last Rose of Summer,” this one a dignified lament pairing Burke on soprano with Pan, does the same towards the album's end. After Schonig opens “Black Sky” with Elvin Jones-like flourishes, the band eases into its insistent 3/4 groove, with the bright timbres of Nash's flute and Burke's alto flute radiating the rousing performance. “Formosa Spring” exudes an almost Dave Brubeck-styled vibe as the flutes once again ride the band's forceful wave. No piece better illustrates the ambitious scope of Pan's vision than “Pájaro Solitario," which references tango and flamenco as it ranges adventurously for twelve dramatic minutes. Shifting rhythmic gears, “Seventy Times Seven,” the third part of Tarab Suite, is buoyed by a punchy Afro-funk groove right out of Steve Coleman's playbook. One final surprise comes in the form of an endearing vocal Pan adds to the romantic closer “You Must Believe in Love,” its message of hope complementary to the album's. Note that the digital version of the release includes an extra track, “Dusk,” that nudges the album past the eighty-minute mark, but with it omitted the twelve on the physical release still constitute a substantial total. Regardless of the version in question, Rising is an accomplished collection by Pan whose impact is significantly enhanced by the performances of her versatile quintet. Nash and Burke form a stellar front-line, while they and Pan are supported excellently by the ever-responsive Wade and Schonig. It's a confident leader who's comfortable sharing the stage generously with such formidable bandmates, and she's clearly fortunate to have players so sympathetic to her vision with her on the project. November 2024