Łukasz Ojdana – piano
Maciej Garbowski – double bass
Krzysztof Gradziuk – drums
Pauli Lyytinen – tenor saxophone
Samuel Blaser - trombone
album's title : "City of Gardens vol.2"
Music Corner Records (2024)
Review author: Viačeslavas Gliožeris
Maciej Garbowski – double bass
Krzysztof Gradziuk – drums
Pauli Lyytinen – tenor saxophone
Samuel Blaser - trombone
album's title : "City of Gardens vol.2"
Music Corner Records (2024)
Review author: Viačeslavas Gliožeris
RGG besides of Marcin Wasilewski Trio is one of the most respectable Polish jazz piano trio of younger generation. Formed in 2001 by three then-students of the Jazz Institute at the Music Academy in Katowice, RGG soon became a significant act in domestic scene playing well-crafted compositions in a ECM-influenced chamber jazz key. For 2013 album “Szymanowski”, new pianist Lukasz Ojdana changes the founder one Przemysław Raminiak, in 2015 trio releases their first album on international label (O'Keh). At that period of time, trio's sound switches toward more free improvisation, still rooted very much to European chamber tradition.
The trio plays and records a concert in Krakow with British free-jazz giant saxophonist Evan Parker (“Live@Alchemia “), than – a concert in Gdańsk with another renowned sax player – Trevor Watts (“Rafa“). In 2018, RGG played and recorded the album during the 12th Silesian Jazz Festival with Swiss trombonist Samuel Blaser and Finnish trumpeter Verneri Pohjola. The quintet has been entitled City of Gardens.
“City of Gardens vol.2” is a first studio release of revitalized City of Gardens project, this time with a new Finnish sax player Pauli Lyytinen instead of former trumpeter Verneri Pohjola. Even if the chamber spirit is still visible in new sextet's music, the fluctuation towards freer improvised sound is obvious. The album opens with longish partially dreamy interplay between Pauli Lyytinen's tenor and Samuel Blaser's trombone, the rhythm section joins carefully on behind. The roles are changing on the second half of the composition though, where pianist Łukasz Ojdana has enough space for his soloing as well.
“EON” starts from piano and delicate drums interplay with reeds soloing coming right after. Still, composition's atmosphere stays airy and quite gentle. On the way, the sound becomes busier, but never overcrowded.
Pauli Lyytinen's tenor shines bright on whole album, his extended lyrically-touched solos are true music's attraction. Polish trio ensures great support, the Chopin-coloured piano soloing on “Evaporation Ballad” recalls RGG early days recordings. Still, less-structured much more improvised music with electronic effects lays quite far from what RGG played a decade ago.
“Glitch” demonstrates all range of electronic effects, mixed with acoustic piano punctuation, inclusive trombone and sax short solos and in general unexpectedly warm sound. “Novel”, less than three-minutes long piece, is a chaotic and fun free jazz improve. “Gepetto” combines dancing drums with “drunk band's” reeds fiesta which develops to dissonance piano-drum-bass duelling. “Arachidi Salate”, the closer, is a groovy up-tempo avant-garde jazz piece, pushing ahead by bass and piano interplay.
The Polish trio takes a bigger risks searching for a new ground with this release. As in many better contemporary avant-garde jazz recordings, there are plenty of nuances, and emotional colouring in album's music. The interplay between quintet members is excellent, and the music is unpredictable – that's what the fans of improvised jazz like a lot.
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