mikrokolektyw: Revisit

Jazz has many dialects which can be made interesting or downright dire by the protagonists. Drummer Kuba Suchar and trumpeter Artur Majewski, who incorporate their instruments with electronics, have found a blend that stirs different styles and moods into one satisfactory whole. Majewski has strong melodic insight and opens a deep vein of emotion on the trumpet soothed by warm and captivating sonority. He certainly moves beyond the predictable, blowing angularities and breathy phrases, all of which are underlined by his focus. Suchar's stylistic impulses underline the rhythm and drive the melodic line. He responds with seamless ease to the beckoning of the trumpet and charts his own dynamic trail as well. With both musicians playing Moog synthesizers and adding loops, their intertwining lines weave deep and enduring textures.

"Almost a Good Mood" is a contradiction in approach. Electronics lay a whomping bass line ,while the drums tick a precise beat. Enter the trumpet, all classical and refined. The juxtaposition shifts as Majewski improvises slightly and just when it seems that he will go on to extend the mood, it ends just after two minutes. But they have made their impact by distilling time to the core.

"Casio" is a more open journey. Majewski is introspective and then lets loose with cleverly delineated improvisations. As his approach continues to be deliberate, Suchar sets up a dance tempo. Despite the odd measures, it all melds neatly even as Majewski extends the skein of invention through a welter of sharp notes.

A shift in timbre and pulse is welcome, particularly when it adds surprise. "Lipuko" may seem conventional in approach, a heady melody and a rapid pulse setting it in motion. But the tune is taken into stunning avenues with quicksilver turns of phrase by Majewski who brings in space and then skittles it with a rush of notes. Suchar is constantly energetic in hitting the groove.

Suchar and Majewski find the right blend of nuance and cogency in their music to keep the pulse of interest ticking constantly.

Comments