Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » MaMaVig: MaMaVig

204

MaMaVig: MaMaVig

By

Sign in to view read count
MaMaVig: MaMaVig
Over the course of the past year, as Jamie Masefield's Jazz Mandolin Project has moved further into the realm of multi-media, the Vermonter has steadily developed the band known as MaMaVig. This new trio is a collaboration of both proficiency and passion.

All three individuals have chops and pedigree. Ensemble playing rules here, as this trio radiates a palpable pleasure in playing together, not merely navigating the changes but moving freely within them. Even though Masefield's mandolin, perhaps appropriately so, has upper hand (not to mention register), bassist Gary Mazzaroppi provides more than just back bone—his is a pronounced pattern on "MaMaVig Blues —and when guitarist Frank Vignola steps to the forefront on "Tear Drop, he is as fleet-fingered on his instrument as his compatriots on theirs.

Given Jamie Masefield's eclectic approach with JMP (they'd cover Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance, Sonny Rollins' St Thomas and Neil Young's "Powderfinger ), the wellspring of inspiration provided by the late great Django Reinhardt on "Diminishing Blackness is only one element in this acoustic mix. The MaMaVig debut, a recording done in New York during the autumn of 2006, gives lie to the notion that acoustic music lacks dynamics. Each instrument is distinct at any given time on a track like "Golden Earrings : this sort of exotic strain often descends into cinematic caricature, or worse, academia, but here, instead, becomes an ever-so-heady mix of European jazz and bluegrass.

In the hands of MaMaVig, Gilbert O'Sullivan's pure pop "Alone Again Naturally is shorn of treacle; the pecise three-way interplay gets to the bittersweet heart of the melody and reveals the true emotion that gave birth to it. This cut is not the highlight of the CD—available as a download only—but it nevertheless represents the benchmark of liberating purity intrinsic to this recording.

Informally conceived and progressively executed, the collective personality of MaMaVig is already so well-developed that the band could accommodate additional players in the studio and on stage without diluting their concept or their musicianship. They are a band worth following.

Track Listing

Salad & Donuts; Fuschia; Bill's The King; Diminishing Blackness; MamaVig Blues; Alone Again (Naturally); Dark Eyes; Golden Earrings; Stone Bridge Station; Tear Drop; Ham Hock.

Personnel

Jamie Masefield: mandolin; Frank Vignola: guitar; Gary Mazzaroppi: bass.

Album information

Title: MaMaVig | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Self Produced

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.