Michael Musillami Trio +2 9/14/18 Firehouse 12

Always an exciting time when a Firehouse 12 season opens up. First on the fall docket was the MMT+2 group. The trio was Musillami on guitar, George Schuller on drums, and Joe Fonda on upright bass. On this evening, the plus 2 were Jason Robinson on sax and Kirk Knuffke on cornet. The sound was full, with Robinson taking the first solo honors. Schuller's assured drumming kept perfect time. I'm not sure if Fonda is shrinking or his bass is getting bigger, but on this outing he looked like the midget from Twin Peaks slow dancing with Uma Thurman. The bass playing was stellar, even going to the bow for a bit. Knuffke oozed downtown cool with hipster beard and hat and vintage plaid pants. The cornet has a creamy sound, like a trumpet with the edges sanded off. Musillami played a hollow body that sounded like Eric Gale on the first tune. The second song was more of a ballad that reminded me of Pat Metheny's New Chataqua recording. The final tune was "Uncle Fino's Garden" an angular bop workout that included all players nicely. Michael said his Uncle Fino was a safecracker who buried his stolen goods in the garden. As a young boy, Michael didn't understand why his uncle was so adamant about him not playing in the tomato patch.