1. Austin
2. Sudovian Dance
3. Spark of Life
4. Do rycerzy, do szlachty, do mieszczan
5. Message in a Bottle
6. Sleep Safe and Warm
7. Three Reflections
8. Still
9. Actual Proof
10. Largo
11. Spark of Life
Marcin Wasilewski – Piano
Slawomir Kurkiewicz - Double bass
Michal Miskiewicz - Drums
Joakim Milder – Tenor sax
Sometimes I worry about the ECM label. It can seem as if musicians recording for it may be expected to conform to Manfred Eicher’s fondness for
introverted, minimalistic music. Even a usually ebullient musician like Stefano Bollani gives the impression of adopting a mantle of restraint when
recording for ECM, even though he can be very extrovert elsewhere.
So I was worried to find that the opening tracks of this new CD by the Marcin Wasilewski Trio are predominantly subdued, with one slow tune following
another. Thankfully the mood soon lifts and, in any case, these first few tracks are blessed by Marcin’s delicate touch, which makes the notes sing
lyrically.
The pianist’s Polish trio is joined this time round on five tracks by Swedish tenor-saxist Joakim Milder, whose sound ranges from deep-down to what almost
appears to be a soprano sax. His playing is even more consistently laid-back than that of the trio, which manages to break out of this mood several times.
Both versions of Spark of Life, the title-track (one with Joakim Milder; the other by the trio on its own), are in moderate style (not much
spark?), but Actual Proof bursts out with skittering drums and hard rimshots. Perhaps this not surprising, as it was quite a gutsy tune when
performed by Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters. But then it was jazz-fusion: here it is given a bubbling rhythm closer to common time.
Perhaps most surprising is Message in a Bottle – which Sting (alias Gordon Sumner) composed for The Police in 1979. It is given a new slant by
being approached obliquely, although the melody is still discernible. If I can find a fault with this album, it is that melody is generally replaced with
an impressionistic flow: pleasant to listen to but hard to grasp hold of. However, ECM’s usual brilliant sound quality is strongly in evidence.
Tony Augarde
www.augardebooks.co.uk
CD Reviews
ECM 379 2957
