Incredible Debut Album
author: Scott Gross
There are many people out there with extraordinary skills who play music that, for any number of reasons, never do anything with it. Mike Prigodich was one of those people... That is until life threw him a curve ball called cancer.
Mike’s father first tried to introduce him to the piano at a young age but it was too soon and he didn’t take to it. Mike then tried again on his own in Middle School and took off from there. Inspired by Lance Armstrong since his diagnoses in 2008, this husband, father and self taught student of jazz fusion decided that if it was possible his life could be cut short, there was no reason not to finally take his shot and record his debut album.
Armed with his lifetime of music, Mike then set out to connect with the hottest players in the Portland area and play live. As he developed and expanded his sound, Mike learned it would take at least $10,000.00 to record the album in the way to do it justice. In June of 2010 he turned to Kickstarter.com as a way to raise the money. After a good measure of social networking, Mike had 111 “backers” and met his goal in a little over two months.
Following long recording sessions, fixing and mixing the material, A STITCH IN TIME was finally released in May of 2011. It is a tour de force that would certainly get the respect of Progodich’s muse Chick Corea. In the tradition of The Yellowjackets, The Brecker Brothers, Hiromi and others, the 11 tracks on A STITCH IN TIME cover a vast fusion landscape of complex proportions that’ll have you wondering how an artist like Mike Prigodich could ever consider sitting on the sidelines.
The album kicks off with “Chaos Theory” a seven minute plus steamroller that starts out smooth enough until the heat gets turned up. The intricate phrasings are a joy as the band is so tightly wound. “Spanish Swordfight” is another fantastic track that features awesome fretwork from bassist Damian Eskrine. “A Measure Of Luck” has a Steely Dan-ish feel where Prigodich’s keys take flight along with Paul Mazzio’s flugelhorn and John Nastos’ sax. Other incredible tracks are “The Wizard Of Odd”, written in 15/4 specifically for drummer extraordinare Reinhardt Melz, “Stevieland” Mike’s tribute to Stevie Wonder featuring Patrick Lamb’s gorgeous sax lines and “Nigel’s Theme” with it’s outlandish 11/8 time signature.
In addition to Mike’s superior piano ability, he has surrounded himself with superior musicians starting with the top notch rhythm section of Damian Erskine (bass) & Reinhardt Melz (drums) along with the outstanding players John Nastos & Patrick Lamb (saxes), Brandon Woody (guitar), Rafael Trujillo (percussion), Paul Mazzio (trumpet), Tim Jensen (flute) & Toshi Onizuka (palmas). All the songs were composed by Mike Progodich and arranged by Prigodich & Reinhardt Melz. Produced by David Mathew, the entire project is an incredibly satisfying ride.
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Great Songs
author: G West
Great writing, exceptional musicianship and a very well recorded album.
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BURNIN'!!
author: John C
This CD BURNS! Beautiful, inventive and imaginative compositions of the highest caliber with adventure at every turn from Mike Prigodich, and top notch performances crafted by a group that obviously has found excellent chemistry together. DON'T miss this one!
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A Stitch in Time
author: Jasper
An album to be found in any contemporary jazz/fusion music lover's treasure chest. Fluent bass lines of Damien's, killer drums by Reinhardt, melodious sax and guitar on Mike's writing and playing - Great Combo!
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