Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Michael Ragonese: Day to Day

Michael Ragonese: Day to Day

By Paul Naser
May 24, 2019
View read count

If you haven't heard

Michael Ragonese

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Ragonese's name before, you're sure to hear it a lot more. The award winning pianist is a constant fixture in Los Angeles; if he's not a sideman at one club, he's leading a band at another. Among the many luminaries he has performed or recorded with are:

Bennie Maupin

woodwinds
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Bennie Maupin,

David Binney

saxophone, alto
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">David Binney,

Engelbert Humperdinck

" data-original-title="" title="">Engelbert Humperdinck,

Alphonso Johnson

bass
b.1951

" data-original-title="" title="">Alphonso Johnson and

Dave Koz

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Koz, whose newest album will feature Ragonese. His busy performance schedule hasn't kept him from writing and perfecting his own music, though, and years of playing and practice have come to fruition in his beautiful debut album, Day to Day.

Produced by L.A.'s

Josh Nelson

piano
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Josh Nelson, Day to Day features

Walter Smith III

saxophone, tenor
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Walter Smith III and young phenom

Shai Golan

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Shai Golan on saxophones along with

Luca Alemanno

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Luca Alemanno on bass and

Anthony Fung

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Anthony Fung on drums, both alumni of the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance.

Ragonese's writing is best described as adventurous and exciting while remaining lyrical and and approachable. The many hours he has spent playing standards are evident, as is his love of modern players and composers. Tunes like "Jolly Rancher," bring to mind

Aaron Parks

piano
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Aaron Parks while "Day to Day" would be right at home on one of

Ben Wendel

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Wendel's records.

The album has no shortage of contrast and ranges from up-tempo vehicles for showcasing soloists, as on "Copycat," which features a short but powerful solo from Fung, whose accompaniment throughout the record warrants an repeated listen-throughs, to more introspective pieces like "Day to Day." The title track paints an evocative narrative arc with its melody and opens up into one of Ragonese's most compelling solos. Similarly, the colorful harmony on "Jolly Rancher" provides Smith a broad palette to improvise with, and he makes brilliant use of it, while the mixing and production glue the ensemble into a moody whole.

Other highlights include "Ceiling Fan," with its multilayered melody, and rhythmic complexity and "Dreams of Capri," which features a masterful solo from Alemanno. The album encourages several listens.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Slow Down; Dreams Intro; Dreams of Capri; Jolly Rancher; Day to Day; Copycat; Interlude; Paper Man; Ceiling Fan.

Personnel

Michael Ragonese

piano

Michael Ragonese: piano; Walter Smith III: tenor saxophone; Shai Golan: alto saxophone; Luca Alemanno: bass; Anthony Fung: drums.

Album information

Title: Day to Day | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Self Produced

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Three releases on Iluso Records
< Previous

Pamela Polland / Have You Heard The ...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.