From All About Jazz
By R.J. DELUKE
Saxophonist Michael Pedicin, he of the rich tone and fertile imagination, is on a tear lately. His last three albums are remarkable, exhibiting both his catchy improvisational skill and simple beauty.
His 2011 album, Ballads… Searching for Peace (Jazz Hut Records) is that beauty on display and one of the best ballad albums to come a long in a while. Now, Pedicin has crafted an album of varied music, named for his view of how the world should be, Why Stop Now/Ubuntu (Ground Blue Records).
“I saw the world for the first time maybe two years ago,” says Pedicin, who splits his time between a New Jersey home and a New York City apartment. “I’m one of those forever ’60s people, always hoping for peace and better inter-connectedness in our world… The first visual depiction I had seen of the word ‘ubuntu’ was a missionary in Africa with an African tribal leader. Maybe 10 or 12 young boys were in a field playing, as any young guys would. This missionary had a huge cookie and he asked if he could give it to one of the boys. The leader said ‘yes.’ So he gave it to this young boy. The kid immediately bowed and nodded thank you. The he ran to his buddies and they all formed a circle. He broke a little piece off and passed it. They each took a little piece and continued to pass the cookie around until it was gone.”