"Pavone, Mario" has been added to your list of bookmarked artists
close
Pavone, Mario
Biography
Adventurous jazz bassist and composer Mario Pavone became increasingly active in NY jazz for several decades starting in the 1970s. Pavone is perhaps best known for his tenure as bassist in the Thomas Chapin Trio, and a frequent collaborator of Anthony Braxton's, as well as for his own dates as a leader. Pavone got a relatively late start playing the bass, picking up the instrument in the early '60s at the age of 24. He took lessons from Bertram Turetzky and, after getting his engineering degree from the University of Connecticut, began playing professionally in 1965. In 1967, Pavone attended the funeral of John Coltrane and decided to give up engineering for music permanently, playing with pianist Paul Bley that year and into 1968.

During NY's loft scene, Pavone made music with trumpeter Bill Dixon (with whom he has often performed in the decades since), Archie Shepp and more. He started his own label, named Alarca, in the 1970s and led three dates for it over the next decade. In the late '70s, he found an array of collaborating and innovative musicians based out of Connecticut, including Ray Anderson, percussionist Pheeroan akLaff, drummer Gerry Hemingway, pianist Anthony Davis, bassist Mark Helias, trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and many more.
Selected Discography