# CD review: Marcin Wasilewski Trio & Joe Lovano: Arctic Riff – 2020: Videos, CD cover

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2020/07/01/cd-review-marcin-wasilewski-trio-joe-lovano-arctic-riff-2020-videos-cd-cover/
- Published: 2020-07-01T13:59:57+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**Polish pianist Marcin Wasilewski augments his crisply articulate piano trio – 
featuring bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz – with the addition
of great American saxophonist Joe Lovano, who populates _Arctic Riff_ with his burnished
saxophone literacy. **

The album comprises 11 pieces – four by Wasilewski, one by Lovano, four collective
improvisations, and one by pianist Carla Bley, which makes a double appearance with
the inclusion of an alternate take. The composition in question is “_Vashkar_”, 
which first saw the light of day in 1963, when it was included on Paul Bley’s trio
album _Footloose_. The quartet’s reading admits conspicuous turbulence by the time
that Wasilewski speaks and also exposes great saxophone work over a logical bass-
drums association. The tune’s variation is cooked with the same passion and subtly
atmospheric tones, but relatively different flavors.

“_Glimmer of Hope_”, a Wasilewski ballad, kicks off the record by sailing in shimmering,
streamlined, slow-moving waters. Everything is brought into a collective harmony,
yet the saxophone melodies bring an exceptional lyrical warmth to the music of the
trio. The pianist also penned two other ballads: “_Old Hat_”, which closes out the
album, and “_Fading Sorrow_”, which showcases his taste for beautiful and relaxing
melodies over functional, sensitive chords. Impossible not to notice the deeply 
felt bass solo that comes as lucid in the phraseology as it sounds rich in tone.

Kurkiewicz also has the spotlight for a limited period of time on “_Arco_”, an enigmatic
collective improvisation where Lovano steals the show by employing impressive multiphonics.
However, “_Cadenza_” is my first choice among the extemporaneous pieces. Clocking
in at nine minutes, this number emerges with brushed drums, wandering bass itineraries
and ruminative saxophone. Departing from the lower registers, nimble piano movements
expand, integrating with the other instruments to form cohesive sonic landscapes
whose topographies range from meditative to avant-garde.

Wasilewski’s “_L’Amour Fou_” and Lovano’s “_On the Other Side_” stand out as the
most unreserved selections in the program. The former, boasting a dancing quality
in the head that exceeds the conventional swinging flow, thrive with ingenious solos
from piano, sax and drums; the latter piece, on its side, denotes clever communicative
exchanges and passes through different configurations, with Lovano citing Monk’s“
_Played Twice_” in a sweeping solo that crosses the hard-swinging accompaniment 
provided by bass and drums.

Even when exploring boundlessly, the quartet embraces a fluid style leavened by 
a wonderful sense of space. As a key to our contentment, the sounds are not just
meticulous but also consistently surprising.

**Tracks:**

Glimmer Of Hope;
 Vashkar; Cadenza; Fading Sorrow; Arco; Stray Cat Walk; Lamour 
Fou; A Glimpse; Vashkar (var.); On The Other Side; Old Hat.

**Personnel:**

Marcin Wasilewski: piano;
 Slawomir Kurkiewicz: bass; Michal Miskiewicz: drums; 
Joe Lovano: saxophone, tenor

![Marcin Wasilewski Trio, Joe Lovano - Arctic Riff (2020, Vinyl) | Discogs](https://
i0.wp.com/img.discogs.com/QCoWANxwy71OmudCnUv5Txbn8qI%3D/fit-in/600x600/filters%
3Astrip_icc%28%29%3Aformat%28jpeg%29%3Amode_rgb%28%29%3Aquality%2890%29/discogs-
images/R-15479954-1592227482-9379.jpeg.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)

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