RECORD REVIEWS

RICHARD GATLIANO CHARTES TLOYD MARCIN WASITEWSKI TRIO Sentimentale Manhottan Stories WITH JOAKIM MITDER Spark of Life Richard Galliano, accordion; Tamir Hendelman, Charles Lloyd, saxophone, flute; GSbor Szab6, guitar; piano; Anthony Wilson, acoustic & electric guitar; Ron Carter, bass; Pete La Roca Sims, drums Marcin Wasilewski, piano; Slawomir Kurkiewicz, (2 Carl itos Del Puerto;?ffi;rruricio Zottarel li, Resonance HCD-2016 CDs). 2014. Zev Feldman, bass; Michal Miskiewicz, drums; prods.; Dorothy Darr, George Klabin, Fran Gala, Joakim Milder, tenor saxophone (CD). -' Resonance RCD{021 2014. George Klabin, ,, ECM 2400 (CD). 2014. Manfred Eicher, prod.; prod.; Fran Gala, eng. DDD.TT:66:21 HIIH-#'J:;. " $# ]',*k' 'lTi::lffix.;*f*$;** "-'::$:11 **$.1 '. The two discs in this package capfure A Frenchjazz accordion yirtuoso who's two very different musical experi- In2002, or his ECM album Soul of also recorded classical and Brazlhan ences, both the work of one band in Things, Tomasz Stanko introduced to music, Richard Galliano mixes jazz peak form. Rising saxophonist Charles the world a young, unknown Polish standards with Bruzrlnnpop on his latest Lloyd would soon transition to his rhythm section. Marcin Wasilewski, release, which features an international hugely successfuI Forest Flower quartet Slawomir Kurki eY\rrcz, and Michal Soup o{ jazz journe)rrnen recruited by with KeithJarrett, but these long- Miskiewicz sounded tasteful and intel- producer George Klabin. Orly three of buried New York recordings from ligent but cautious, perhaps awed to the L2 tracks are up-tempo, and the 1965 offer the only live documentation be playing with their country's most prevailing mood is poipantly romantic, of a lineup heard on his Columbia imp ortan t jazz musician. in keeping with the album's title. studio albums Of Course, Of Course and That rhythm section has now Galliano displays a highly expressive Niruana. Gdbor Szab6, on amplified become one of the great piano trios technique, but the other musicians acoustic guitar, glves an almost skro- of the new millennium. Th.y pursue are merely facile, playing with sleek nky, rock-edged textural undeqpinning a concept of impressionism devoid of proficiency. The materiaL, arranged by to the music, while bassist Ron Carter sentimentaliry based on fresh, unyield- pianist Tamir Hendelman, is given a and drummer Pete La Roca Sims ing melodic forms and unsettling straight-ahead treatment with a slight groove hard and navigate every subtle harmonies. Lead and support roles shift fusion tinge, which suits the newer compositional turn. moment to moment within the ensem- compositions better than it does Resonance label head George ble, seamlessly. There is a guest here, Ellington's classic "In a Sentimental Klabin, back in his WKCR-FM days, Joakim Milder. He belongs: His tenor Mood," though it nicely complements taped the performance on disc 1 in saxophone sounds like Wasilewski's the up-tempo hard-bop oldie "The the proper uptown venueJudson Hall. piano in an alternate voice of yearning. 'Wasilewski Jody Grind," adapted here from a vocal The sound is clean and powerful, with writes piercing songs. version by Dee Dee Bridgew ater rather three tracks of significant length and 'Austin" is a hovering state of sad- than from Horace Silver's original. exploratory Grvor. Disc 2, {rom Lloyd's ness that never resolves. "Spark of One of the most successful adapta- personal archive, finds the same band Life" is performed in fwo variations. 'What tions is of another up-tempo tune, at Slugs' Saloon, in the East Village. they share, before they become Chick Corea's'Armando's Rumba," This one is dirty and ra\M, like the ven- separate journeys, is a melody like which opens the album in sprightly ue itself. La Roca's rymbals lack clariry a whisper of the soul. These two sryle, with solid solos from the band and the mix is unbalanced, but what compositions establish a particular members. On the dreamier side, maffers is the mystical energy coursing rupt atmosphere into which the other "Canto Invierno," originally ataut duet through the three tracks, including a tracks flow. This band's culture is so berween Dave Grusin and Lee Riten- repeat of Szabo's vamp-driven "Lady strong that it can assimilate material our, receives a respectably respectful Gabor" with Lloyd on flute. from a Polish grunge-rock group, H.y, inteqpretation. There are also fwo The 34-page booklet includes a and a contemporary classical com- Galliano originals, including the previ- Q&A with Lloyd, as well as reflecdons poser, Grazyna Bacewicz. When they ously unrecorded "L7li," perflormed from Michael Cuscuna, Don Heckman. cover Sting's "Message in a Bottle" as a shimmering duet with guitarist For insight into the early platrng of or lkzysztof Komeda's "Sleep Safe Anthony'Wilson. The album's only one o{ jazz's living masters on such and'Warm" (from the film score for false note is in Coltrane's "Naima," for signature pieces as "Sweet Georga Rosemary's Baby), it is 6scinating to hear which'Wilson affects an elecffic-sitar Bright" and "Dream'Weaver," Manhat- more familiar songs reimagined on this tone. A11 in all, it's pleasant but not tan Stories is a remarkable find. trio's terms of atyprcallyricism. q^-,ryBirnbaum p rofoun d. -David R. Adler -Thomas Conrad

stereophile.com u January 2015 153