JAZZ TIMES Magazine, Thomas Conrad "Pete Malinverni's less-is-more approach and his emotional honesty reach deeper...revelatory..."
PHILADELPHIA ENQUIRER, Karl Stark Pianist Pete Malinverni is a wild cat. You only have to hear the two strikingly different solo takes of "Alone Together" here to recognize a free-roaming and perhaps cantankerous spirit. Malinverni's playing can be dark, gritty and oddly rapturous…he digs into the piano and emerges with exotic treasure…the album's swerves reward a good listen. The trio displays a close affinity, especially on the title track, a madcap dance-hall number that conjures the storm of live recording in the studio.
DOWN BEAT **** Four Stars, Paul de Barros ---One of the "Best Jazz Albums of the Year"
"Pete Malinverni doesn't seem capable of playing a dishonest line."
ALL ABOUT JAZZ, Dan McClenaghan "Music full of inspired flexibility...joyous and uplifting exuberance...a gorgeous set."
Photo: Sharon Garner
PLAYBILL, Chip Stern ” 'Theme and Variations' represents as polished and perfected a solo piano recital as one is likely to encounter. Malinverni turns in a variegated and soulful set of miniatures and expositions which illustrate his masterful overview of the American piano tradition…reveling in its roots with all the expansive aspirations of a post-modernist, while delineating links to the European concert tradition and his deep feeling for the classic song forms--old and new. Malinverni has a fulsome sense of the instrument’s orchestral possibilities, with an exceptionally swinging left hand and an engaging feel for dancing, contrapuntal bass lines and crossing rhythms between both hands, never resorting to meaningless fusillades of notes, which is what imparts such a relaxed sense of authority to his gorgeous ruminations while conveying such lyric grace and joy to his own instant classic, ‘In The Garden Of The Eternal Optimist.' "
DOWN BEAT **** Four Stars—One of the Best CDs of the Year, Fred Bouchard August ’04 review of 1987’s “Don’t Be Shy” and 2004’s “The Tempest”
…both relaxed encounters, clean and straightforward, showing the New York pianist hewing to melody, choosing repertoire with care and crafting originals that manifest literary bent and philosophical nature. Dashing but without ego, Malinverni and mates tell tales short on embellishment and long on resonance. Yet life changes…have palpably deepened Malinverni’s elemental artistry. The latter date finds him juggling aspects not
of earth, air, fire and water so much as moral issues and an increased desire to risk on tape. Malinverni’s perseverance, dervish-like immersion and self-revelation prevail to make these albums honest autobiographies, warts and all.
The BOSTON HERALD Grade: 9 (of 10), Michael J. Ryan One listen and you'll know why Malinverni is one of New York's great pianists. [He] dazzles on his stylish new disc…gracefully dive(s) into sensuous melodies and move(s) lightly through emotionally provocative compositions. Malinverni's playing is tender and poised; there is no boastful phrasing or wild solos. As a result, the songs are stitched together with clarity and cohesion and anchored with a graceful disposition.
LA JAZZ SCENE, Scott Yanow {Malinverni} is very much a two-handed player, at times almost sounding like two pianists who are reacting to each other. Pete Malinverni deserves to be much better known for he plays piano as well as nearly anyone in today's jazz scene, stretching and moving ahead the mainstream of jazz piano.
MONTREAL MIRROR, Upstairs Jazz Rating: 8.5 / 10, Len Dobbin Pete is mainly his own man and well worth checking out - his playing has a certain quirkiness, particularly on his originals "Let The Sea Roar", "Twelve" and the title piece. Those of you who heard Pete on Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz" will have been awaiting this release…a most interesting and (at times) quirky outing…
ALL ABOUT JAZZ ****Four stars, strongly recommended, Rick Anderson The jazz world is full of pianists and composers with formidable chops, but it's rare to find musicians as accomplished as Pete Malinverni who write with his level of insightful straightforwardness or play with his kind of elegant approachability. While both his playing and his writing are consistently impressive on both an intellectual and
aesthetic basis, he never sounds like he's showing off, and never makes the listener fight through a jungle of tangled chord changes or unnecessarily complicated melodic lines in order to get access to the musical ideas.
The VILLAGE VOICE Jim Macnie The Tempest finds the pianist more aggressive and more exquisite than ever before. The standards are snappy; the rolling gait of “My Heart Stood Still” is unstoppable. The originals are resolute; a mighty spirit guides “Let the Sea Roar (Psalm 98:7-9).” Optimism about the value of the mainstream vernacular brims throughout the performances, making Malinverni audacious and exquisite.
TUCSON CITIZEN, Chuck Graham Malinverni is that rare improviser whose music remains accessible even as he calls on commanding keyboard technique to play lines more complicated than a New York Times crossword puzzle. Consequently, every listening to this CD will reward you with new insights. No matter how much you think is there, play it again and you’ll hear more. If jazz is to have a future, it lies in this direction.
And, from a recent piece by Pete in JazzTimes: read