Andrzej Serafin: L.S.D.

L.S.D. makes a significant impact when the proponents of the acronym—vibraphonist Andrzej Serafin, harmonicist Robert Lenert and saxophonist Staszek Domarski—come together. The music they play evolves from different approaches, an ambient point of view drawing in both jazz and blues.

Serafin was a founding member of Editions Quartet and the blues-rock group Blue Ink. Lenert has his own band, Los Agentos, which also includes Serafin. And if they find an empathy born from association, Domarski makes it a natural extension by fitting right in.

L.S.D. brings its collective sense of intuition to the fore on this eclectic set. Surprise is nurtured by invention, with interaction evoking brilliant textures. Once an idea is set upon, fathomed and unraveled, another comes in and then another. The trio does it without pumping up the volume or ratcheting the pulse.

Immersed deep in the blues, "Czas już spać" is a prime example of this approach—a cry from the heart, drawing from a deep well of emotion. The dark atmosphere is set up by Serafin, his vibraphone letting in the essence of the melody. Domarski opens the context with saxophone interjections, switching between the abrasive and the smooth, while Lenert adds a mournful wail on harmonica. Together, they weave a tight mesh in this stunning evocation of the blues.

Serafin composed all the music except for the traditional "Deep River." The trio harks to its gospel underpinning, the serenity of the composition served at first by Serafin. He is warmly meditative in his ministrations, a mood that is embraced by Lenert, who shifts seamlessly into the blues—territory in which he is joined by Domarski to add a distinct, yet vital, dimension.

Jazz swings in on the rapturous "Bezczelny." The ensemble lines are as inviting as the individual inventions that jump off a traipsing vibraphone, a brawny saxophone or the synthesizer on which Serafin cuts loose to sway dizzily.

The magic of L.S.D. is in the moment. And that moment lasts through 35 sublime minutes.

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