Jazz Mandolin returns to the road with Fishman on drums

By Christian Hoard

For the Daily

When was the last time you listened to some mandolin-driven jazz-fusion?

If the answer is "Uh...never," you owe it to yourself to check out the Jazz Mandolin Project tonight at the 7th House in Pontiac

Led by mandolinist Jamie Masefield, the JMP has built up quite a following since it its first gigs in Burlington, VT, coffeehouses six years ago. The current incarnation of the group finds Masefield joined by bassist Danton Boller and drummer Jon Fishman, whose notoriety (Fishman also plays drums for the hugely-popular jam band Phish) has helped fill seats wherever the JMP performs.

But fans aren't only showing up to see Fishman. Like the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the 1970s and Pat Metheny's bands in the 1980s, the JMP has remarkably broad appeal for a purely-instrumental outfit. Neo-hippies and jazz aficionados alike have latched onto the group's highly-improvisatory music, which draws equally on traditional jazz styles like bebop - with Masefield taking on roles usually reserved for horn players - and the tension-and-release brand of jamming Phish specializes in.

This blend of hippie and high-brow can be heard most clearly on JMP's latest CD, 1999's "Tour de Flux." Featuring Masefield, Fishman and bassist Chris Dahlgren, the disc earned consistently high marks from both pop and jazz critics, including a four-star rating from Down Beat Magazine, the influential jazz monthly.

That the mainstream jazz community has embraced the JMP isn't entirely surprising, since, like a finely-tuned jazz ensemble, the trio is made up of absolutely first-rate musicians. However odd it might sound to new listeners, Masefield makes the mandolin work extremely well as a jazz instrument, whether he's playing chunky chord progressions or sprinting up and down the neck of his tiny axe like a hard-bop saxophonist. The JMP's largely-acoustic vibe is augmented nicely by the upright bass work of Boller, who himself boasts an impressive resume as a jazz performer, having played with the likes of Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman and the Village Vanguard Orchestra. For his part, Fishman is not only a solid timekeeper but also shows remarkable stylistic diversity as a drummer, tackling everything from traditional swing to slow blues and calypso without missing a beat.

Though Boller and Fishman will leave the JMP following its current tour, Masefield plans another string of shows later this spring with bassist Dahlgren and drummer Ari Hoenig. The trio will tour in support of itsyet-untitled new album, which will be released nationwide in late April on Blue Note records.