Click here to [close]

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Foton Quartet - Zomo Hall (Not Two, 2010) *****


By Stef

There is nothing like pure and free musicality, flowing notes moving slowly forward, embracing one another in a common one-directional stream, yet totally unpredictable like the water sliding between rocks in a mountain river. So is this music.

The band is Gerard Lebik on tenor sax and contra alto clarinet, Artur Majewski on trumpet, Jakub Cywinski on bass, and Wojciech Romanowski on drums. And yes, you're right: yet again another stellar band from Poland. Both horn-players were recently reviewed in separate duo settings, but hearing them together is a pure joy.

The music reminds of "Other Dimensions In Music" because of its small band coherence and freedom, or more recently "Nuts", or "Les Fées Du Rhin", and the "Collective 4tet", bands that combine great musical adventure with fragile sensitivity, and albums that received top-ratings.

The most stunning aspect of the music is its great natural and organic sound, as if every note grows out of the previous one, without the need to demonstrate skill or use special effects or to be different in form. And the end result is skillful, and special, and different ... as the result of talent and creative vision.

Extremely beautiful! The year has only just begun, and this is to me already a strong contender for the best of the year lists.

 
© stef

2 comments:

main said...

why you resigned from "*" rating?

joesh said...
This comment has been removed by the author.