Trombonist Michael Pallas to Release New Project “Gateway” on August 23rd, 2024 | LISTEN!
A trombonist inspired by J.J. Johnson. Curtis Fuller, Steve Turre and Papo Vasquez, Pallas is a proud alumnus of the Jackie McLean Institute, founded by legendary alto saxophonist and educator Jackie McLean in Hartford, Connecticut.
While Pallas has been performing professionally for over 15 years, including stints with legendary jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, mambo big band leader Steve Oquendo, Afrobeat band Antibalas, hip-hop group Soul Science Lab and others, the trombonist was inspired to become a solo artist during the pandemic.
“I really had a lot of time just to reflect on where my career was at that point,” Pallas says, “and I felt like it was necessary for me to start moving in this direction of really seriously writing my own music, and eventually releasing my own record. So I began to compose tunes that dealt with themes and emotions that I and many artists were facing during the first two years of the decade.”
Backed by saxophonist Lomar Brown, pianist Yeissonn Villamar, bassist John Benítez, drummer Jonathan Barber, and percussionist Nelson Mathew Gonzalez – with co-producer Alex Meltzer – the 13 Pallas-penned selections on Gateway reflect the myriad inventions and dimensions of 21st century jazz.
The lead-off number, “Life On Mars,” is an infectious Cubop composition written for the nickname McLean gave to Hartford, and its non-resemblance to McLean’s beloved Big Apple. “One For The City” is a bouncy, upbeat waltz dedicated to New York City, followed by the midtempo backbeats of “Streaming Hope,” inspired by online concerts and jams musicians played during the pandemic.
