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Marcin Wasilewski Trio at Triskel Christchurch

By Ian Patterson

Marcin Wasilewski Trio Triskel Christchurch Cork Midsummer Festival Cork, Ireland June 15, 2019 What a difference a few centuries can make. In 1649 English military leader Oliver Cromwell, in what was the least of his crimes, allegedly used Christchurch to stable his soldiers' horses. He is also said to have melted the church bells to make cannons, as trumpets and saxophones hadn't been invented at that stage. In the following centuries the building ...

Marcin Wasilewski Trio: Live

By Mike Jurkovic

Recorded by Flemish radio in Antwerp 2016 without the trio's knowledge, this accidental live disc not only delivers to followers of this long-lived Polish unit an essential live document, it washes over newcomers like a cresting baptismal wave that never stops cleansing the soul and senses.Nearing thirty years as a unit--they also served as the late trumpeter Tomasz Stanko's adventurous rhythm section from 2001-2006)--the ability of pianist Marcin Wasilewski, double bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz to ...

Marcin Wasilewski Trio: Live

By Karl Ackermann

It is timely, albeit in a melancholy way, that one-time Tomasz Stańko protégé Marcin Wasilewski and his trio would offer a retrospective live performance that closely coincides with the passing of the legendary Polish trumpeter. The pianist, still just in his early forties, first recorded with Stańko's octet while he was a teenager and quickly went on to release his first Simple Acoustic Trio album, Komeda (Not Two, 1995), at just twenty. From the outset bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer ...

Euopean Jazz Conference 2016: Polish Jazz Showcases

By Ian Patterson

European Jazz Conference: Polish Jazz Showcases National Forum Of Music jny:Wroclaw, Poland September 22-24, 2016 One of the great things about returning to Poland each time is the exposure to new jazz talent, because beyond the internationally renowned marquee names--the historic Polish greats--are a great number of outstanding artists. How could it be otherwise in a country that boasts over a hundred jazz festivals? Wroclaw is home to Jazztopad, one of Poland's ...

Marcin Wasilewski Trio w/ Joakim Milder: Spark of Life

By John Kelman

What do you do when you've released three albums as a trio (more, if you include albums released in Poland, prior to coming to the label) for a producer who traditionally seems to like shaking things up after that magic number? For Polish pianist Marcin Wasilewski and his longstanding trio--first coming together in their teens, they've been together more than two decades, and first recorded for ECM with trumpeter Tomasz Stanko for a triptych of evolutionary albums that began with ...

Marcin Wasilewski Trio with Joakim Milder: Spark of Life

By Karl Ackermann

At about the same time Louis Armstrong was “inventing" modern improvised jazz--Poland was already immersed in a jazz tradition that included American influences and an ethnic take on swing. Despite bouts with repressive regimes that sent jazz underground, Poland continued to be a progressive haven for the form. Through the 1950s and 1960s pianist/composer Krzysztof Komeda developed a unique and influential European style of music with free jazz elements. Particularly influenced by Komeda was trumpeter Tomasz Stanko who worked extensively ...

Marcin Wasilewski Trio: Faithful

By Greg Simmons

The Marcin Wasilewski Trio's Faithful makes its entry as one of the better albums of 2011 to date, with a selection of original titles that are melodic, highly sophisticated and thoroughly enjoyable. The piano trio--piano, bass and drums--is one of jazz's cornerstone ensembles. As such--and with perhaps thousands of albums recorded in this instrumental combination--the standards of excellence are very high. There is no reason to ever listen to a mediocre piano trio record, because surely there is ...

Marcin Wasilewski Trio: Faithful

By Dan McClenaghan

In a parallel universe, it would be interesting to hear the music of a Marcin Wasilewski Trio that hadn't come under the influence of its mentor, Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko. Without him, they surely would have become an accomplished and synergistic group. But in this universe, Wasilewski's trio began recording with their countryman on Soul of Things (ECM, 2002), going on to join him on Suspended Night (ECM, 2004), and the stunningly gorgeous Lotano (ECM, 2006). The experience with Stanko ...

Marcin Wasilewski Trio: Faithful

By John Kelman

Over the course of the past decade, the members of pianist Marcin Wasilewski's trio have been growing in the public eye, first as trumpeter Tomasz Stanko's young Polish quartet on a trio of albums culminating in Lontano (ECM, 2008), and then, in the case of pianist Wasilewski and bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz, through a collaboration with Manu Katche on two of the drummer's ECM releases, including Playground (2007). But before all that attention, Wasilewski, Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz were Simple ...

The Marcin Wasilewski Trio at Birdland, NYC

By Budd Kopman

The Marcin Wasilewski TrioBirdlandNew York City, New YorkMay 20, 2008 Pianist Marcin Wasilewski, bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz, and drummer Michal Miskiewicz have been together since they were teenagers fifteen years ago. Over that time, they've put out a few albums locally in Poland and then were fortunate enough to be recommended to sub for the rhythm section scheduled to play with the legendary trumpeter Tomasz Stanko. Immediately recognizing their talent both individually ...

Marcin Wasilewski Trio: January

By Budd Kopman

From the first notes of the beautiful and seductive January, two things are immediately evident-- that the piano trio, now named after its pianist Marcin Wasilewski, is making a true statement of purpose, and that this recording is an arrival achieved through sound, primarily Wasilewski's rapturous sound. Wasilewski, bassist Slawomir Kurkiwicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz have been together since 1993, and were noticed by trumpeter Tomasz Stanko. Over the course of time, they have released three highly ...

Marcin Wasilewski Trio: January

By Chris May

With January, pianist Marcin Wasilewski, bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz step out of the benign shadow of their mentor, trumpeter Tomasz Stanko--on whose Soul Of Things (ECM, 2001), Suspended Night (ECM, 2003) and Lontano (ECM, 2005) they were featured accompanists--and confirm the mighty promise of their international solo debut, Trio (ECM, 2005).

Stanko's absence, felt from time to time on Trio, is noticed no more. On January--an album of warm and glowing lyric beauty which belies ...