Richie Pardo The Late Set

About

Showtimes: 10:30pm-11:45pm Richie Pardo began his career as a pianist in R&B bands and Chicago jazz groups before making the move to bass in 1979. He has since been a fixture in the Chicago jazz community, leading quartets and quintets, and collaborating with notable musicians such as Todd Herbert, Art Davis, Tim Davis, and Kevin O’Connell. His style blends solid, melodic bass lines with inventive, exploratory solos, influenced in part by the legacy of Oscar Pettiford. Pardo’s work is marked by a “clearly delineated bass” that both anchors the rhythm and ventures into melodic exploration. His 2010 album I Get the Message, Volume 1: The Genius of Oscar Pettiford is a tribute to Pettiford, featuring collaborations with violinist Mark Feldman, tenorist Ron Dewar, pianist Jeremy Kahn, and drummer Bill “Bugs” Cochran. Pardo is never slavish in his homages to his hero; rather, he puts his own contemporary stamp on the material throughout. Nor does he leave any doubt that he’s a take-charge kind of guy; not content for a minute to play a supporting role, he’s a smart enough leader to know what he’s got in these musicians and to allow them their own say in these lovingly rendered interpretations.