Track Listing

1. Trio Conversation (Introduction)
2. Hyperballad
3. Roxana's Song
4. KTC
5. Plaza Real
6. Shine
7. Green Sky
8. Sister's Song
9. Drum Kick
10. Free-Bop
11. Free Combinations For Three Instruments
12. Entropy
13. Trio Conversation (The End)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #47774 in Music
• Released on: 2005-03-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .24 pounds

Album Description
Pianist Marcin Wasilewski, bassist Slawomir Kurkie-wicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz have already featured on two of the most highly acclaimed jazz albums of recent years, Tomasz Stanko's 'Soul of Things' and 'Suspended Night'. Stanko's young musicians have been praised by critics around the globe.

In their native Poland, the trio - still all under 30 - have been recognised as players of strong identity and originality for over a decade. They formed the Simple Acoustic Trio in 1994 while in their teens. Their debut album was made the following year, further albums following on small Polish labels.

Now, with an album called just 'Trio', they delineate their group concept for the international audience. This beautiful disc comprised largely of ballads covers an extraordinary range of source material. The trio plays pieces by Björk and Wayne Shorter, as well as a song from Symanowski's opera "King Roger" - all of which fits seamlessly alongside their own compositions, music by pianist Wasilewski, group compositions and free pieces. The repertoire holds together perfectly and seems organic, natural as breathing.

Recorded at Oslo's Rainbow Studio, 'Trio' will likely come to be regarded as an ECM classic. Though the trio is a very evenly-matched unit, Marcin Wasilewski has been singled out by many commentators as an important player for the future, frequently compared with a young Keith Jarrett, a young Chick Corea, a young Herbie Hancock. He has a very rigorous melodic sense, his lines sing clearly, and his voicings are rich and evocative. Kurkiewicz and Miskiewicz keep the music buoyant, and the 'Slavic' atmosphere is balanced by a youthful energy and freshness.

Recorded 2004

Personnel:
Marcin Wasilewski - (piano), Slawomir Kurkiewicz - (double-bass), Michal Miskiewicz - (drums)

Customer Reviews

Magnificent
An early review of this by me wasn't posted and I'm surprised that no one else was moved to pay tribute to what should prove to be one of the finest jazz recordings of the year.

Fans of Tomasz Stanko's most recent albums will have noticed that the master has found a youthful group of soul mates in Wasilewski, Misckiewicz and Kurkiewicz of the highest order. They are not overshadowed by their leader's presence and live are just as compelling as Stanko himself. Now with the matter of factly-titled "Trio" the young Polish, well, trio have shown themselves to be first rate composers and interpreters of their own accord. While the majority of the tracks are original compositions, the covers reveal a width of inspiration, from Polish composer Karol Symanowski's "Roxana's Song" to Wayne Shorter's "Plaza Real" to an actual Stanko composition. However, for me the standout track is the second song, Bjork's "Hyperballad". It is breathtakingly beautiful - the percussion incredibly atmospheric as the piano shifts in out of the the memorable melody. The clarity of the sound should astound were one not so used to ECM's incomparable production standards and the quality of the music should make the Trio as well-regarded and renowned as the Tord Gustavsen Trio or the Esbjorn Svensson Trio.

haunting stuff
superb contemporary jazz - also catch them live if you can. I did at Leeds Fuse festival this weekend - It gives you a better chance to hear their expansive creativity. However as a second best this is great!

EuroNordic piano trio does it well
More Nordic Trio ivory tinkling? Well, yes and no. While in that style, there is a lot of variation and skill in this album and while the rhythm section is a little muted - more Todd Gustavsson than EST - this is well worth a listen. EST do it better in my opinion because they are so unpredictably unpredictable but this is a very worthy runner-up and gets a lot of listening on long train journeys.