Record Reviews

MARCIN BANASZEK ~ STATIONS OF THE CROSS AKADEMIA MUZYCZNA W KRAKOWIE 017 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish pianist / composer Marcin BanaszekFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic piano trio format with bassist Andrzej ZielakFind albums by this artist and drummer Karol DomanskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents fourteen original compositions, all by Banaszek, which form a suite dedicated to the religious images depicting the fourteen Stations of the Cross passed by Jesus on the day of his crucifixion. The music is deeply poignant, almost lethargic, moving slowly from one piece to another, inspiring reflection and perhaps even prayer. Full of melancholy and tranquility, the melodic contents is kept on a steady subdued level both harmonically and rhythmically. As a religiously inspired project this music makes sense but separated from the context it is somewhat monotonous. As a melodic mainstream Jazz this music has several drawbacks: the melodies are very similar, most of the tracks are too short to allow for in depth improvisation and the dynamics is almost absent. As such this music presents a serious challenge to Jazz connoisseurs, who expect excitement, variety and challenge from the music they listen to. The performance is also very minimalistic, with the piano taking over almost completely and the rhythm section present mostly only in the background, almost unheard. The only lengthy piece on the album is an example how this music might have sounded under a different approach, and is the best track on the album. Overall this is an unusual piano trio album, which works well under its religious concept but on its own is somewhat limited. However, many piano trio connoisseurs might find it interesting and since people like many different forms of Jazz, it is definitely worth investigating.

Updated: 01/03/2018Posted: 01/03/2018

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend