Arctic Riff

ポーランドを代表するピアノ・トリオ、マルチン・ボシレフスキ・トリオにアメリカを代表するテナー・サックス奏者ジョー・ロヴァーノが初タッグを組んだ強力作品。

マルチン書き下ろしの4曲、ジョー・ロヴァーノのオリジナル1曲、さらにカーラ・ブレイのクラシック "Vashkar" (2つのヴァリエーションで), そして4人によるインプロヴィゼーション、とても集中した、強い感情のこもった中にもリリシズムを感じられることのできる特別な音楽。特に"Arco"での Slawomir Kurkiewiczのベース・プレイはすごい!

The first meeting between Polish pianist Marcin Wasilewski and saxophonist Joe Lovano, 2020s Arctic Riff is a richly textured and atmospheric recording. Joining them are Wasilewskis longtime associates bassist Sławomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michał Miśkiewicz. Together since the early 90s, Wasilewskis trio gained widespread acclaim in Europe as members of the late trumpeter Tomasz Stankos ensemble before embarking on their own. Arctic Riff is Wasilewskis sixth solo outing for ECM, following 2014s Spark of Life with saxophonist Joakim Milder and 2018s Live. The album also arrives on the heels of Lovanos own ambient and exploratory 2019 ECM album Trio Tapestry. Both Wasilewski and Lovano bring decades of experience to their collaboration, drawing upon a wealth of straight-ahead post-bop and avant-garde-leaning projects. Arctic Riff benefits from both ends of the spectrum with tracks that move from the conventional to the completely abstract. The opening, Glimmer of Hope, is a particularly accessible piece, evoking the languid and dusky atmosphere of 70s neo-noir films like Body Heat and Chinatown. Similarly, Lamour Fou is a brisk, French-sounding hard bop number that brings to mind Dexter Gordons later-career output. More outre are cuts like Stray Cat Walk, with its slinky free-jazz interplay between Lovano and Wasilewski. Also intriguing is the impressionistic Arco, which finds bassist Kurkiewicz laying down a moody, bowed improvisation as the rest of the band join in with an eerie soundscape of woody bird tones, percussive gongs, and sparkling, off-kilter harmonies. Elsewhere, they stumble into A Glimpse, with Lovano and Wasilewski dancing against the rhythm section like bugs flitting against a porch light. They also offer two artfully shaded variations of Carla Bleys Vashkar, the latter of which finds Kurkiewicz laying down heavy bass chord waves for Lovano and Wasilewski to surf over. They return to languid territory on Old Hat, a slow, elegant ballad that sparkles with the saxophonists swooning tones and the pianists sun-dappled chords. Arctic Riff is an absolutely transfixing collaboration that makes the most of Lovano and Wasilewskis deeply empathetic skills. ~ Matt Collar