January

Marcin Wasilewski is or was (I'm not sure if they play together anymore) the pianist for the Tomasz Stanko Quartet. This particular trio helped produce such masterpieces as "Soul Of Things" and "Suspended Night" with Stanko. I don't think any other pianist would have given Stanko that dark, moody sound. Wasilewski has really found his niche in this introspective, dark, reflective type of jazz music.

The production of the recording is just amazing and yet very typical for ECM. I expect nothing but pure perfection from them. I wouldn't tolerate any less in terms of engineering.

The music on this record is much more focused than their last one, which was simply titled "Trio." That record had many great moments, but I think the sound here is more cohesive and organic. The song selection is also much better.

Some highlights for me were "Vignette," "Diamonds And Pearls," "The Cat," and the title track, but in all honesty they are really good. The only one that I didn't particularly like was "King Korn" it was more of a free-form piece and I just thought it kind of ruined the flow of the album, but that is just a little gripe.

The interplay between Wasilewski, Slawomir Kurkiewicz, and Michal Miskiewicz is really astounding. They have really formed a tight bond over the last couple of years of playing with Stanko. I think he made them so much stronger.

I recommend "January' to anyone who's a fan of Bill Evans and to anyone interested in hearing a jazz piano trio with a lot of class.

Heard a selection from January on NPR jazz one night...impressed enough to
buy the album on Amazon...and then i was much more impressed. I like
Mehldau, Jarret, and others, but this album is so sublime and beautiful
that i rate it above my other piano jazz favorites. Piano, bass and
drums are intertwined so skillfully. Watch for more of their albums, and
get this album.

I have two CDs by this group, "Trio", their first, and "January", their second CD. Both are excellent but "January" is a little more polished. The trio is a more cohesive unit and the song selection more to my liking in "January". Pianist Marcin Wasilewski wrote some of the material and proves himself to be quite a good composer. This is quiet-moody jazz in the European ECM tradition. The recording is engineered to the usual impeccable ECM standards. Playing such subtle material with a high level of sophistication, enough to keep the listener immersed in the music, requires extremely talented musicians. The group plays off one another very well with an especially nice touch from percussionist, Miskiewicz. I find myself coming back to "January" frequently; always find something new and interesting.

Although they've obviously been influenced by the Keith Jarrett Trio, Wasilewski, Kurkiewicz and Miskiewicz have an unique and excellent style all their own.

Pianist Marcin Wasilewski, bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz have been playing together since their school days. These musicians know each other's playing very well. At their best they sound like 3 players playing the same chess game. In 2001, they played as a group with Tomaz Stanko and even later, with Jan Gabarek, another legend. I like them even more on their own.

The inevitable comparison to the Keith Jarrett Trio comes to mind so I listened to the live recording from London, "Inside Out" before writing this review. My first impression was that this group seems a touch slower than the Keith Jarrett Trio, a little less confident, a tiny bit more hesitant and certainly less challenging to the listener. Keep in mind that there is no really complex improvisional material on "January" as in "Inside Out".

Keith Jarrett`s play on "Riot" from "Inside Out" is amazing. Pianist Marcin Wasilewski is a superb musician but Keith Jarrett is such a genius. It's evident that Wasilewski is a step behind Jarrett in speed technique. Although I love Kurkiewicz on bass, Gary Peacock is really at another level as well. The surprise is the drummer, Miskiewicz. He may be the equal of Jack DeJohnette, an evaluation which may upset some of you.

When comparing the two CDs, "January" is more laid-back, less challenging to the listener. I find it much more enjoyable as well. Pianist Marcin Wasilewski doesn't take off into complex avant-garde improvisations as does Jarrett. "Inside Out" unapologetically challenges the listener into concentrated, focused listening. "January" is more inviting and presents itself to the listener in a more relaxed format. There is complex interplay here but not nearly as demanding.

"January" is a wonderful CD. So is their first release, "Trio". I hope ECM continues to develop this group because they will get even better with time!

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