Stance [Import]

1. Stance

2. Good Train

3. Moon

4. Anthropology

5. Spiritual Calling

6. Second Hart

7. Up Jumped Spring

8. Shuffle

9. New Thing

10. If You Could See Me Now

Stance,Shigeharu Mukai,P-Vine,World Music

Average customer rating: Extraordinarily beautiful and sublime The next Miles Davis? Heady yet cool....oh so cool Pretty Much my Favorite CD of the moment lantano

Lontano Tomasz Stanko Quartet Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Suspended Night The Words And The Days Critical Mass The Carnegie Hall Concert Metheny / Mehldau ASIN: B000GKH246 Release Date: 2006-08-29

Tracks:

1. Lontano, Part 1
2. Cyrhla
3. Song For Ania
4. Kattorna
5. Lontano, Part 2
6. Sweet Thing
7. Trista
8. Lontano, Part 3
9. Tale

Amazon.com

Lontano is the third album by 64-year-old Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko to team him with a trio of exceptionally talented young countrymen who started playing with him while still in their teens: pianist Marcin Wasilewski, bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz. Yes, the trio, which has recorded on its own, pushes him with its fresh energy and ideas. But the support team is no less inspired by Stanko's spare, intensely understated approach to melody and harmony, which draws generously from Miles Davis, and his elastic sense of time. More dependent on spatial constructs and free form improvising than its richly atmospheric previous effort, Suspended Night (which some critics called Stanko's Kind of Blue), Lontano doesn't always deliver on the risks it takes. The music sometimes loses momentum. But the trumpeter's pensive lyrical authority and Wasilewski's controlled abandon make for a good combination, especially on a pair of Stanko tunes first recorded in 1965 and 1975, respectively. --Lloyd Sachs

Customer Reviews:

Extraordinarily beautiful and sublime.......2007-04-18

I own approximately 1,000 jazz albums, and this one places right at the top of favorite recordings. I bought this CD about 4 months ago, and cannot stop playing it. I have listened to it at least 100 times, and the more I listen to it, the more I discover. I NEVER get tired of it. The interplay between these musicians is breathtaking and beautiful, and the magic gets better with repeated listenings. For anyone who thinks Europeans can't play jazz, check out this album. The recent trio album by the pianist on this album, Marcin Wasilewski, is nearly as good. The two previous albums by Stanko's quartet (Soul of Things and Suspended Nght) are very good, but this one tops them all. I rarely write reviews for Amazon, but this album is so beautiful and emotional that I felt compelled to write this.

The next Miles Davis?.......2007-03-19

Miles's Tone. Few horn blowers ever find it. Tomasz does.His tone was the first thing I noticed.His song writing and band were secondary.They however grew on me and I'm ready to explore more of his work.
Like most Eastern Europeans Tomasz writes and plays with an underlying melancholy.Latenight/earlymorning/grayafternoon music. If you're late to the Tomasz Stanko party ,like me, don't delay... hear his horn.Hear his music.It'll be the best thing you did for yourself today.

Heady yet cool....oh so cool.......2007-01-28

'Lontano' is the third album by the Tomasz Stanko Quartet for ECM. It is a masterpiece which continues the group's ascent into the rarefied, heady, truly sublime section of the jazz world reserved for only the finest ensembles.

Drenched in subtlety and nuance, listening to the group is akin to eavesdropping on a hushed dialogue among kindred spirits, where the natural ebb and flow of the conversation relies as much on that which is stated as is implied.

Comparisons with Miles Davis are inevitable and appropriate. As the reigning king of 'less is more,' Stanko, who is 64 and hails from Poland, has crafted the 'Kind of Blue' for the current generation.

Recorded immediately upon the completion of a tour of the Far East, the foursome's seemingly telepathic interactions are honed to razor-sharpness.

Musically, more than half of the disc is dedicated to the three parts of the title track which clock in at 13, 15 and 12 minutes, respectively.

Serving as a microcosm of the group's full range, the quartet swings on its own terms as segments of ethereal, lyrical beauty are followed by looser, more animated passages marked by a simmering intensity and culminating with a collective pause before the group returns to ruminations which are once again decidedly introspective.

Produced with sparkling clarity, yet imbued with an intimacy that brings the players squarely into your listening space, this is not only quintessential ECM but required listening for jazz fans of all stripes.

Pretty Much my Favorite CD of the moment.......2007-01-16

I was introduced to the Tomasz Stanko Quartet by the 29 Oct 2006 Weekend Edition on NPR. Polish Jazz has an interesting history, and the music is world class. The horn work is soulful and awe inspiring, and reminds me a little of work Vangelis did for the Bladerunner soundtrack.

lantano.......2007-01-12

never recieved this item via ground mail! whats up with this e-mail.
please respond asap. john zelber.

Average customer rating: Suspended grace Any Serious Jazz Fan Should Own This Album! a pinnacle Stankowicz on piano simply marvelous

Suspended Night Tomasz Stanko Quartet Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Poland | Eastern Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Lontano The Triangle Soul Of Things Trio Changing Places ASIN: B0000V765G Release Date: 2004-05-11

Tracks:

1. Song For Sarah
2. Suspended Variation I
3. Suspended Variation II
4. Suspended Variation III
5. Suspended Variation IV
6. Suspended Variation V
7. Suspended Variation VI
8. Suspended Variation VII
9. Suspended Variation VIII
10. Suspended Variation IX
11. Suspended Variation X

Customer Reviews:

Suspended grace.......2007-05-12

Never too fast, without a steady rithm, this music is perfect for a lovely night under a full moon
Very passionate

Any Serious Jazz Fan Should Own This Album!.......2006-12-08

Tomasz Stanko has recorded a masterpiece with this recording. I'm not going to talk too much about the music, because it speaks for itself. All I can say is listen to the sound clips on Amazon and decide if this is something that you're going to like. Having said that, I love this kind of moody jazz. It's very accessible, but it's also dark and haunting, which are words that have descibed Tomasz Stanko's work on ECM for years now. This particular trio he's playing with are all astonishing. The pianist, Marcin Wasilewski, is truly a young master. He is fantastic in a supporting role and he's also a great soloist - very subtle and if you don't listen closely you'll miss those beautiful cascades of notes. I found myself listening to Marcin more than anybody else. As another reviewer has said, I think Wasilewski made this album. If you love piano like I do, then this is a good album. Having said about Wasilewski, I have tremendous respect for Stanko. For him to step aside and let these other musicians take the music to another level, says alot about Stanko and his character.

This is truly a classic jazz album in my opinion. Anyone who enjoys listening to jazz and is serious about it should own this album.

a pinnacle.......2006-03-01

superbly played and recorded, this is as intimate a sound as i've ever heard on ECM. this mix is perfect, and through headphones, you can almost imagine yourself sitting admist the musicians, their sounds enveloping you. playing "free" ballads is in immense challenge, and this is one of the finer examples i've come across. some have compared this to "kind of blue," but while stanko's trumpet has a melancholic timbre similar to the prince of darkness, he is his own man, a veteran, and should be respected a such. his young group is brilliant, especially the impressionistic wasielewski, who seems to calculate each note as if it could be his last. the music is incredibly free, yet everything is in it's place. the mood is nocturnal, but this is no background music. it's meant to be absorbed. it's a stunning follow up to the wonderful "soul of things," and is required listening for anyone who considers themselves to be a fan of improvised music. say, maybe in that sense, it is a bit like kind of blue.

Stankowicz on piano.......2005-10-01

This moody and slow cd of the trumpetplayer Tomasz Stanko is pretty good. Just not good enough for 5 stars, but that doesn't mean you should leave it be.
The album has the same atmosphere as (other) ECM piano-albums: melodic and free at the same time, with a lot of slow music on it. The music is subtle and very easy to listen to, but the occasional free-jazz elements restrain it from getting boring.
The bass and drum are often used in a percussion-like way, and not in a rhythmic way, just like other ECM-material.
Marcin Wasilewski pianoplaying is so present (and good) that I think it's almost more a piano-album than a trumpet-album. And that really is a compliment for Stanko, who leaves room enough for his band to play. Stanko's playing is moody and most of the time very accessible.
There's just one thing. When you own more work of the ECM label you can get bored with the same approach over and over again. It that way this album has nothing new to offer, but it's still pretty good.

simply marvelous.......2005-09-08

Tomasz Stanko totally suprised me with this and the previous "The Soul of Things" recordings. I am fascinated by his music of recent years. And I have not discovered him recently. I have known the sound of his trumpet since his recordings with Krzysztof Komeda in the 60s. He is a veteran on the Polish jazz scene. Yet, he is blowing a new wind into his horn. He has never been that good, so sensual, so meanigful. Is it the chemistry between him and the trio of youngsters that support him? I wondered quite often how was it possible for such young musicians to play like that. Don't they need to live longer to be able to say so much? As a side note, if you injoy this CD, the "Trio" recording is equally essential. This is a late night music. One of the best in ECM's catalogue.

Average customer rating: MUSIC OF THE MEDIEVAL PILGRIM Exotic, exciting and fun! Exotic jams I WANT MORE! Too cool to be considered classical and definitely not Xmas.

On the Way to Bethlehem (Music of the Medieval Pilgrim) Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Dufay | Dufay, Guillaume | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Partsongs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Holiday Music | Miscellaneous | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music $6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Dufay, Guillaume | ( D ) | Composers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Black Madonna Codex Faenza: Instrumental Music of the Early 15th Century Music Of The Crusades Music of the Troubadours Sinners & Saints: The Ultimate Medieval and Renaissance Music Collection ASIN: B00000144X Release Date: 1996-03-26

Tracks:

1. Dinaresade
2. Edi be thu, Heven-Queene
3. Nevestinko oro
4. Beata progenies
5. Mari stanko
6. Sei willekommen Herre Christ
7. Bog se rodi va Betleme
8. Koleda na Bozic
9. Kod Betlehema
10. Koleda na Bozic
11. Angelus ad virginem
12. D
13. Quinte Estampie real
14. Urbs Beata Ierusalem
15. Mevl

Customer Reviews:

MUSIC OF THE MEDIEVAL PILGRIM.......2007-06-11

I love this cd--all the tracks are great, especially "On the way to Bethlehem"!

Exotic, exciting and fun!.......2002-11-29

If Ensemble Unicorn is great, Unicorn combined with the Middle-Eastern-inspired Ensemble Oni Wytars is even better! Actually, the two groups seem to share many of the same members, along with Ensemble Accentus (which focuses on Spanish and Sephardic music), but with different directors for each: Michael Posch for Unicorn, Marcos Ambrosini for Oni Wytars, and Thomas Wimmer for Accentus. This CD brings the musicians together to offer a stimulating combination of western and eastern-influenced music that might have been heard or played by medieval Pilgrims making the journey eastward. The European tunes focus on the Christmas season, while the Balkan and Near Eastern selections are traditional, handed down orally through the centuries and interpreted here with a zeal that should be as appealing to belly dancers as to early music enthusiasts (and I know many people who fall into both categories!). Instruments used include chalumeau, cheremia, cornemuse bechonnet, darbukka, davul, def, gayda, gittern, kaval, nyckelharpa, sackpipa, tamburello, tombak, vihuela d'arco, and a number of others that you actually might have heard of before--bagpipe, rebec, recorder, rebec, shawm, ud and the like. Ellen Santaniello also contributes vocals. I was surprised and delighted when I played this CD for the first time, and I continue to be each time I hear it again. If you like this recording, be sure to check out the other collaboration between Ensemble Unicorn and Ensemble Oni Wytars, "Music of the Troubadours", also from Naxos.

Exotic jams.......2001-02-27

Yes, fortunately, this record does not contain anything you'd recognise as depressing Xmas kitsch.

Instead, the record wishes to envisage a journey of mediæval pilgrims, beginning in Western Europe, and moving through the Balkans towards the Holy Land. As such, the disk contains a mixture of Western European, Balkan, and Islamic melodies.

The strength of Ensemble Unicorn and Oni Wytars is their ability to use early music as the basis for extended jam sessions. This recording is framed by two such jams, each more than twelve minutes in length, the opening -Dinaresade- and the closing -Mevlana-. Based on Middle Eastern themes, these are excellent performances, rich in atmosphere. Fans of contemporary groups who make use of similar material, from Loreena McKennitt to Dead can Dance, may find this record interesting, and well worth the Naxos price.

FWIW, Ensemble Unicorn and Oni Wytars also collaborate on the -Black Madonna- recording, another Naxos release I can highly recommend.

I WANT MORE!.......1999-06-08

Great melodies, better instrumentation....INCREDIBLE MUSIC!!! I find western-europe music by ensemble Unicorn great, but the oriental part by Oni Wytars is simply amazing, both the balkanic and oriental songs. My only regret is that I loved the ensemble too much to bear the fact that no other record by them is anywhere to be found...

Too cool to be considered classical and definitely not Xmas........1999-01-12

Despite the title this album has nothing to do with Christmas music. The sounds range from Celtic to Middle Eastern. While they date from the days of the Crusades, they sound great to my ears in the nineties. The last track makes you want to belly dance!

Average customer rating: thirteen variations of exquisite melody Conventional Subtle and Brilliant A nice "cloudy day" CD It's probably not a good sign...

Soul Of Things Tomasz Stanko Quartet Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Poland | Eastern Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Suspended Night Lontano Trio Litania: The Music of Krzysztof Komeda From the Green Hill ASIN: B00005YPG8 Release Date: 2002-03-26

Tracks:

1. I
2. II
3. III
4. IV
5. V
6. VI
7. VII
8. VIII
9. IX
10. X
11. XI
12. XII
13. XIII

Amazon.com

Some new releases come with the word "classic" stamped invisibly on every note or phrase. Soul of Things is just such a recording. Featuring 60-year-old Polish trumpet maestro Stanko in the company of a new, young, yet already well-honed trio of compatriots, this 75-minute, 13-part suite extends and distills the qualities of mellow swing, lyrical introspection, and flaring assertion that distinguish Stanko's previous two ECM releases, the excellent Litania and From the Green Hill. If "Part 3" contains some of the most directly swinging, finger-clicking group music to be released on ECM for many a month, the concluding "Part 13" commences with Stanko solo, in ultra-poetic rubato mode. In between these thematically integrated extremes lie all manner of delights, with the level of interaction between Stanko and Marcin Wasilewski (piano), Slawomir Kurkiewicz (double-bass), and Michal Miskiewicz (drums) at times reminiscent of some of the finest moments of Belonging, the ECM classic of the 1970s with Jarrett, Garbarek, Danielsson, and Christensen. This album shouldn't be missed. --Michael Tucker

Customer Reviews:

thirteen variations of exquisite melody.......2006-11-26

With this ECM-album Stanko has decided to feature the young Polish rhythm section with whom he has played since 1994 - Marcin Wasilewski on piano, Slawomir Kurkiewicz on bass and Michal Miskiewicz on drums. The result is just anmazing.

Even now the band members are still only in their early thirties, but they play together with an ease and understanding of each other that make age irrelevant. They know Stanko's music intimately and their understated playing provides a sympathetic setting for him.

This band's music has a beautiful simplicity and economy about it. When one isolates the contributions of individuals, they can sound sparse and overly impressionistic; when one listens to the totality, all the pieces fit together and it makes perfect sense, with the whole being far greater than the sum of the parts.

The album takes the form of an extended composition in thirteen separate parts ("variations"), the longest lasting only just over eight minutes. The pieces have a consistency of tempo, sound and mood that gives the album an overarching unity. To be fully appreciated, the album needs to be heard in its entirety (but if you need to sample one piece, try "Variation VII"). Stanko's writing throughout is exquisite - full of melody, soul and allusions to past work.

Highly recommended.

FJB/O!-music 2006

Conventional.......2004-06-17

This is pretty conventional music without any harmonic, rhytmic or melodic inventiveness. Good only for background music.

Subtle and Brilliant.......2004-05-02

This is a subtle and brilliant album. There is much more beneath the "Davis influenced" surface. Stanko has his own way of getting you there - and he will get you there if you listen.

A nice "cloudy day" CD.......2003-06-03

This was my first listen to Stanko, and I initially wrote off this CD as another ripoff of the classic 1960's Miles Davis Quintet sound, but without a Wayne Shorter to complicate things. Repeated listenings have revealed Stanko to be a player steeped in Davis melancholy, but with his own things to say and (at times) a fiery way of saying them. His band is respectful to the point of almost sounding afraid to interrupt him. Thoughtful, elegant stylings for those cloudier days - and, in the classic ECM cliché, understated at times to the point of being almost invisible.

It's probably not a good sign..........2002-06-29

...when, in the middle of a solo, the listener starts thinking about the musician's influences-instead of being carried along by the music. With almost every note the pianist played, I was distracted by such thoughts as: Where did I hear that before? Some old Herbie Hancock Blue Note date, maybe? Tomasz Stanko is one of my favorite trumpeters, and it has never occurred to me to think that he sounds like anyone but...himself. Here, I was repeatedly reminded of Miles Davis. This CD has received rave reviews everywhere. I'm puzzled. Am I missing something, or are there really that many people who have a weakness for pretty, conventional, utterly tame music? If you've never heard Stanko before, please don't let this be your introduction; it will give you no idea of just how spectacularly good he is. Stanko has produced at least 4 masterpieces, all of which belong in any serious jazz collection: FROM THE GREEN HILL, BLUISH, LITANIA and LEOSIA. This CD is not in the same league.

Average customer rating: I would like to give 5 stars, just for the track "Argentyna". dal free al tango Rich, fresh and beautiful An elegant fusion Vintage Guitar Magazine Review:

From the Green Hill Tomasz Stanko Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Poland | Eastern Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Litania: The Music of Krzysztof Komeda Lontano Suspended Night Matka Joanna Soul Of Things ASIN: B00002DDZK Release Date: 2000-05-16

Tracks:

1. Domino
2. Litania (Part One)
3. Stone Ridge
4. ...Y Despues De Todo
5. Litania (Part Two)
6. Quintet's Time
7. Pantronic
8. The Lark In The Dark
9. Love Theme From Farewell To Maria
10. ...From The Green Hill
11. Buschka
12. Roberto Zucco
13. Domino's Intro
14. Argentyna

Amazon.com

Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko has plotted something of a musical world tour on From the Green Hill, a polyglot of styles rooted in different folk and traditional forms colliding and commingling over a bedrock of collective improvisations. Stanko's music is surely jazz, if the genre's defined as an international language and no longer simply an American art form--clearly rooted in American traditions, but a flexible flyer capable of transcending borders and incorporating the vocabulary and traditions of the musicians who create it. In that broader vein, From the Green Hill is a varied and satisfying recital, which clearly reflects the aesthetic of producer Manfred Eicher, who has been encouraging the development of post-modernist folk music and idiomatic European jazz inventions since the early 1970s. Stanko's dark, burnished sound brings to mind both Rex Stewart and Lester Bowie, as he favors broad, vocalized inflections and an expressive vocabulary of bends, growls, whinnies, and shouts. Yet, as his whimsical lead over the fat, lilting groove of bassist Anders Jormin and the airy, percussive accents and crystalline cymbal phrases of drummer Jon Christensen on "Pantronic" demonstrate, Stanko's is a decidedly lyrical approach. You can hear it on the lightly swinging "Love Theme from Farewell to Maria," as saxophonist John Surman's furry baritone italicizes Stanko's pungent phrasing. Elsewhere, the violin of Michelle Makarski and the bandoneon of Dino Saluzzi offer savory overtones from Warsaw, Paris, and Buenos Aires. --Chip Stern

Customer Reviews:

I would like to give 5 stars, just for the track "Argentyna"........2005-07-08

This is another record where several titles should be put into the "ECM Scrapbook" (for a definition see my comments under Bobo Stenson's "Serenity"). But the last title of the CD, "Argentyna", is overwhelming, and some others are quite good as well. Unfortunately Dino Saluzzi gets too little exposure with his bandoneon, however, he sparkles in "Argentyna".

dal free al tango.......2004-08-30

Sicuramente lo definirei un disco importante, una di quelle cose che ti cambiamo la vita in meglio...
Se ne apprezza appieno la bellezza, almeno così è stato per il sottoscritto, dopo qualche ascolto (meglio se notturno).
Assolutamente consigliato.

Rich, fresh and beautiful.......2001-08-07

I played this disk for a friend and fellow jazz fan - we both lament the backward-looking nature of contemporary American jazz - and he turned to me, after a moment of awe following Stone Ridge, and wondered aloud if Wynton Marsalis has heard this music. And if he has, what does he think? We both concluded that Marsalis ought to be thinking, "Stanko is kicking my butt." Not that Stanko is a better trumpeter, Marsalis is a brilliant player, but it's just that Stanko is forging ahead creatively, mining the available techniques, music and talent to make astonishing art. Meanwhile, Marsalis and other American talents like Joshua Redman, Wallace Roney etc. seem to be wishing it were 1958 all over again. Just go to the list of latest Jazz releases and you'll find half or more are retrospectives. And if they're not looking back in time they're riding the coattails of hip-hop. Stanko's "From the Green Hill" proves to me that Jazz isn't an antique; there's still quality work to be done that's fresh and interesting.

An elegant fusion.......2000-09-09

This disc follows the pattern of much of ECM's recent output in deploying a carefully assembled band in a highly democratic manner, often breaking it down to smaller groupings for a series of short tracks; the album features the leader, the Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, only slightly more prominently than the other musicians. Stanko is about as far from ECM's other favourite trumpeter, Kenny Wheeler, as you can get--he has a passionate, vocalized, rough sound that is like no one else's in the music except perhaps occasionally Dave Douglas. He's in the past managed to fit into contexts running from straightahead jazz to folk musics to electronica to the band of Cecil Taylor (the superlative _Winged Serpent, Sliding Quadrants_).

On this album he's joined by John Surman on baritone & bass clarinet, Dino Saluzzi on bandoneon, Michelle Makarski on violin (an excellent player I've never heard before, though sadly she only appears on a few tracks), & the expert European rhythm section of Anders Jormin on bass & Jon Christensen on drums. The music is lively & atmospheric--Surman is in ebullient mood (much more so than on some of his own albums like _The Road to St. Ives_), & the bassist & drummer are endlessly inventive. The dynamic range here is exceedingly wide, which I wasn't expecting for an ECM disc--the bandoneon will let things settle into a melancholy & reflective mood, & then Stanko will let 'er rip or Christensen will boot things along.

This disc manages to be both beautiful & sharply intelligent. One might especially point fans of Dave Douglas's forays into European folk & classical musics in the direction of this disc, but I'd imagine that anyone interested in good contemporary jazz will enjoy it. Listeners might also check out some of Stanko's work with Bobo Stenson, Jormin & the British drummer Tony Oxley--they've released a number of discs on GOWI & ECM.

Vintage Guitar Magazine Review:.......2000-06-16

This new release by Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko will likely be stocked in the Jazz section of most record shops, but that categorization does not begin to describe the majestic music on this astonishing album. Stanko has joined forces with a who's-who of international avant garde jazz and classical musicians to create this sonic painting. His co-conspirators include master Argentine bandoneonist Dino Saluzzi, violinist Michelle Makarski from Detroit, Swedish double-bassist Anders Jormin, Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen, and Englishman John Surman on baritone sax and bass clairnet. Who could have ever dreamed up such an eclectic assemblage of instrumentation? Listen to the opening bars of the first song, Surman's "Domino," however, and you will swear that these instruments were made for each other. The tones and timbre of violin, bandoneon, and bass clarinet are ideally suited to each other, allowing Stanko's trumpet to wind its way in and out of the other sounds with serpentine fluidity. The sextet moves from mournful to joyous at the drop of a hat, evoking colors and moods and emotions with their fine interplay. This is modern jazz at its finest---a blend of traditional jazz, folk music, and classic sounds that breathes with a new life.

Average customer rating: I can never think of a good title..... Haunting Beauty

Litania: The Music of Krzysztof Komeda Tomasz Stanko Septet Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Poland | Eastern Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: From the Green Hill Suspended Night Matka Joanna Soul Of Things Lontano ASIN: B000024TPA Release Date: 2000-05-23

Tracks:

1. Svantetic
2. Sleep Safe And Warm
3. Night-Time, Daytime Requiem
4. Ballada
5. Litania
6. Sleep Safe And Warm
7. Repetition
8. Ballad For Bernt
9. The Witch
10. Sleep Safe And Warm

Customer Reviews:

I can never think of a good title............2003-10-05

This album was an impulse buy. I was familiar with Stanko and Komeda by name only, saw it in the store and thought "why not?" And I've now spent the past week listening to it over and over. All the compositions (the music is highly compositional with only brief solos) have a nocturnal feel. The adventurous "Night-Time" suite sounds like a drunken odyssey through darkened city streets (hmmm...I meant that as a compliment). The title track is some of the loneliest music I've ever heard, with a particularily powerful solo by Stanko. The three different arrangements of "Sleep Safe" are eerily soothing , while "The Witch" is just simply eerie. So, like the reviewer before me, I'd say this album has a definite "haunting" quality that sticks with you for a long time, heavily atmospheric, with reserved, introspective performances that frequently flare up passionately in intense passages. Highly recommended.

Haunting Beauty.......2000-12-16

The melodies on this CD are beautiful. This CD presents the music of Krzysztof Komeda, best known for his score for Rosemary's Baby. I had never heard of him, now I want to hear all his music. "Night-time, Day-time Requiuem" has some superb tenor sax work. Terje Rypdal has some strong guitar in "Sleep Safe and Warm".

All the arrangements are beautifully done. My favorite song is "Ballada": you follow Tomasz Stanko's trumpet as it takes you away to a tranquil place. Stanko paints beautiful soundscapes with Komeda's music. Late at night it's a journey of haunting beauty...

Average customer rating:

Chameleon Tomasz Stanko Manufacturer: TC Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Lontano Wolnosc W Sierpniu Suspended Night Litania: The Music of Krzysztof Komeda From the Green Hill ASIN: B000FDFF5M Release Date: 2006-10-02

Tracks:

1. Mademoiselle Ka
2. Euforila
3. Hej!
4. Balladella
5. Whistle Walk
6. Green Song
7. Chameleon
8. Gray Flower
9. Babylon Samba
10. Violet Liquor
11. Illusion

Album Description

Previously available only on a Greek release from 1989. Re-mastered versions of 11 fantastic compositions by the legend of Polish jazz. The album features great musicians Apostolis Anthimos (electric guitar, electric bass, drums, percussion, sampled percussion) and Janusz Skowron (piano, synthesizer, sampled percussion). Immediately recognizable, Stanko's trumpet creates melancholic, lyrical atmosphere. Metal Mind. 2006.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Edition of an Album that was Previously Available Only from Greece in 1989 with 11 Fantastic Compositions by the Legend of Polish Jazz. The Album features Great Musicians Including Apostolis Anthimos (Electric Guitar, Electric Bass, Drums, Percussion, Sampled Percussion) and Janusz Skowron (Piano, Synthesizer, Sampled Percussion). Immediately Recognizable, Stanko's Trumpet Creates Melancholic, Lyrical Atmosphere. Thrilling Improvisations Sum Up to Unique, Coherent Whole. Variations of Tempo and Melody Make Dynamic and Emotional Sound.

Average customer rating: Intriguing Work Of Art Leosia His Best. To date. Grace & melancholy Sparse Textures, Cold Brilliance

Leosia Tomasz Stanko Manufacturer: Ecm Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Poland | Eastern Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music ECM Classical | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music ECM Jazz & World | ECM Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Litania: The Music of Krzysztof Komeda From the Green Hill Suspended Night Matka Joanna Lontano ASIN: B00000B12G Release Date: 2000-05-23

Tracks:

1. Morning Heavy Song
2. Die Weisheit Von Le Comte Lautreamont
3. A Farewell To Maria
4. Brace
5. Trinity
6. Forlorn Walk
7. Hungry Howl
8. No Bass Trio
9. Euforila
10. Leosia

Amazon.com

A somber, stately, altogether pensive tone permeates this 1997 date on which ECM stalwarts Tomasz Stanko and Bobo Stenson work their sensitive magic on 10 original pieces. Odes to sadness, such as "Morning Heavy Song," "Forlorn Walk," and "A Farewell to Maria" are taken at a dirge-like pace, allowing each musician space and time to explore the nuances of melancholy and introspection. Of particular interest is drummer Tony Oxley's contribution. More widely known for his highly textural, free-form style with musicians such as Cecil Taylor and Derek Bailey, here he adds sparse and wry commentary to the brooding music. Along with bassist Anders Jormin, he maintains a floating sense of pulse, around which Stanko's full trumpet sound and Stenson's feathery touch on the piano can ruminate. Not only does his drumming provide unconventional, though appropriate, new sounds (via an expanded drum kit), his masterful use of space gives the music a welcome element of mystery, adding yet another dimension to its depth. --Wally Shoup

Customer Reviews:

Intriguing Work Of Art.......2007-03-16

I was not instantly enamored with LEOSIA, but after a few listens it really started to grow on me. Stanko is a creative composer and an exceptional trumpeter; if you're new to his music, you might want to start with his more recent (and much more accessible) SUSPENDED NIGHT CD. However, if you're already at home in the avant-garde, you'll probably find LEOSIA more satisfying. It is powerful, somber, and quite beautiful. There are luscious piano and bass solos and interplay-- supported by rather odds bits of unique percussion--that are stunning. Audio quality is superb. LEOSIA is best for quiet evenings in the living room rather than the open road.

Leosia.......2004-02-08

This is a beautiful album, which may appeal to anybody who has become accumstomed to the 'ECM sound'. The group are superb- Bobo Stenson and Anders Jormin have played together enough times to have built up an almost telepathic relationship, whilst Tony Oxley is entirely at home in a setting like this. His constantly innovovative, restless approach never allows the music to settle into dull mood-music. As for Stanko, he plays with a full, lustrous tone that is always measured. On the opening 'Morning Heavy Song', his soft tone contrasts with the growl he produces for the following 'Die Weisheit von le Comte Lautreamont', but he is above all a careful player. The pieces on this album are generally free-floating themes, most memorably 'Morning Heavy Song', and the title-track which closes the disc. There are two pulse-driven tracks, which again balance the album. It should perhaps be noted that the leader does not play on all tracks;there is a duet for Jormin and Oxley ('Brace'), and a trio which Stanko sits out, 'Trinity'. In addition, 'No Bass Trio', as the title explains, omits the bassist. This exploration of the group's constituent elements prevents the focus falling solely on Stanko over the course of the album, and allows ample space for each member of the quartet. Overall, this is a cd which is well worth listening to.

His Best. To date........2002-04-12

Having seen the maximum mark given to Leosia by Cook and Morton I instantly became sceptical - expecting music that is probably extremely complex. Actually it is not. Leosia is beautifully melodic and rhytmic, even though either happens in time and space somehow - and I can't yet put a finger on details of this phenomenon - markedly different than the rest. Leosia (the title, a Polish word of rich international potential (the Leo) is witty its own way having English connotations of a rank and status beyond its origin).
Litania is strong, Soul of Things is strong, I have not heard the GreenHill. Leosia is better than strong. A quiet yet uniquely powerful record.
I think I saw Mr Stanko at a hip hop club the other day. He wasn't there for fun, he was listening very intently to the gifted dj, on search for new influences.

Grace & melancholy.......2001-12-28

The trumpeter Tomasz Stanko has kept this band together for a while--Bobo Stenson on piano, Anders Jormin on bass, Tony Oxley on drums. I caught their first disc, _Bosonossa and Other Ballads_, which was released on the hard-to-get GOWI label. Two compositions from the earlier album, "Morning Heavy Song" & "Die Weisheit von Le comte Lautreamont", are played again here: both are given considerably more subtle, even more haunting renditions; the first of these counts as one of the best things recorded by ECM in the 1990s. Stanko is playing with considerable restraint, compared to the scorchingly growling & passionate trumpet of _Bosonossa_; the change of mood is probably to do with the album's dedication (in memory of his late mother). The other three players are in extremely good form; Stenson deserves a medal for the opening chords of "Leosia" alone. Little of this album is in any sense swinging jazz--only "Forlorn Walk" (which sounds like mid-1960s Miles Davis) breaks the pattern of slow free tempos. It's thus perhaps not for all tastes. Yet it's an immensely refined & atmospheric album that rates with the best of the last few decades. Those looking for less rarefied music should probably check out Stanko's _From the Green Hill_ first; but those accustomed to ECM's more abstract output should make this a top priority: it's gorgeous music indeed.

Sparse Textures, Cold Brilliance.......2001-12-14

If you like the sparse loneliness of "Solea" on Miles Davis' "Sketches of Spain", you at least have a kindred spirit in this album. The overall effect of listening to this CD is much like looking at the light of stars on a brutally cold winter's night: the light is beautiful, but such beauty comes at a price: your emotions are hijacked by the sheer power and persuasiveness of the object of your gaze. I am, admittedly, only familiar with Jazz in a general sense, and only value those compositions and performances which directly affect me with their strong impressions, regardless of any of their other merits or faults. 'Leosia' reminds me of much of the music from a very far-removed genre, more familiar to those who enjoy the Dark Atmospheric releases from Sweden's Cold Meat Industry label, or almost anything by [Brian] Lustmord: very aptly termed "Isolationist" (not a derogatory term, by any means). 'Leosia' is the standard by which future "Isolationist Jazz" will be measured. A powerful and compelling album, as much from its restraint and subtlety, as from it's force and intent.

Average customer rating:

Twet Tomasz Stanko Manufacturer: Koch Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Poland | Eastern Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music Avant Garde & Free Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music ASIN: B000008R3I Release Date: 1995-11-18

Tracks:

1. Dark Awakening
2. Twet
3. Mintuu Maria
4. Man From North
5. Night Peace

Average customer rating:

C.O.C.X. Tomasz Stanko Manufacturer: Polonia Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music ASIN: B000OVLAI6 Release Date: 1997-01-01

Tracks:

1. Mademoiselle Ka
2. Babylon Samba
3. Gama
4. Mr.DD
5. C.O.C.X.
6. Jose & Lak (Torres, Antymos)
7. Kameleon 5'49
8. Song for Pula (Rek)
9. Fioletowy Liquor

Product Description

All Music composed by: Tomasz Stanko (except as indicated). Personnel: Tomasz Stanko -trumpet / Antymos Apostolis - guitar, guitars, drums, bass and percussion / Vitold Rek - bass, gong / Jose Antonio Torres - conga, percussion. Recorded May 1983 at Studio ZPR Theatre STU in Cracow, Poland.

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