Harvey Pekar's "Paniots Nine" review for Jazziz

The long-belated 1998 release of Paniots Nine (recorded, for the most
part, in 1963), showed that multi-reedist Joe Maneri was anticipating
today's "new music" by nearly 40 years, synthesizing jazz, classical,
and ethnic influences. Maneri's influence has yet to have been felt to
its full extent, however, as many of the musicians he has been
teaching at the New England Conservatory, such as keyboardist Jamie
Saft and trumpeter Cuong Vu, are just beginning to come into
prominence.

Seven of the eight tracks on Paniots Nine were cut in 1963 with Maneri
on clarinet and tenor sax plus pianist Don Burns, bassist John Beal,
and drummer Pete Dolger. On the final track, Maneri plays clarinet
with Greg Silberman in 1981 at a concert of Jewish music.

Some elements of his music that you'll likely hear even more of in the
new millennium are his employment of microtones (the notes between the
notes recognized in a Western scale) and his blending of jazz, free
improvisation, modern classical, Greek, and klezmer sources. Combine
this with Maneri's use of multiphonics, odd time signatures, 12-tone
composition strategies, and atonal improvisation and you've got a
complete package like no other. Maneri's still at least 10 years ahead
of his time.

Harvey Pekar