Michael Musillami: guitar; Joe Fonda: bass; George Schuller: drums

Block Party is veteran guitarist/composer Michael Musillami’s tenth Playscape Recordings release with his flagship trio, featuring bassist Joe Fonda and drummer George Schuller. Block Party celebrates the trio’s 20-year history as a working, touring, and recording ensemble.

Jazz critic Robert Iannapollo writes from Block Party’s liner notes, “On December 18, 2002 they went into the studio and recorded their first album as a trio, Beijing, a superb album that got a lot of positive reviews. Released in 2003, not many gigs ensued in the U.S. However, in March of 2004, the trio toured Europe promoting the album and they started building a following.”

Since that first release in 2003, the MM3 has been touring Europe, America, and Canada consistently over the past two decades. This aggressive work schedule continues today with a 20-year celebration tour set for November-December 2023 in Europe.

“I am so proud of what we have accomplished over the past 20 years” says Musillami. We’ve continued to play intelligent, expansive, powerful music, just as we did back in 2002. I think Block Party clearly demonstrates the consistent evolution of this dynamic trio.”