Suspended Night

by

Tomasz Stańko Quartet

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It's entirely marvelous--and almost always unexpected--to encounter a first-class jazz performer moving from a position of prominence to one of absolute top rank. Without a doubt, that is what trumpeter Thomasz Stanko has accomplished on his latest release from ECM. Here he plays with a confidence and presence often glimpsed in his previous recordings but come fully to the fore on this transcendent disc.

As impressive as Stanko is (and he's mighty impressive!), the real heroes here are, perhaps, his Polish quintet. Especially standout are Marcin Wasilewski on piano and Slawomir Kurkiewicz on bass. Not far behind is Michal Miskiewicz on drums. These players consistently set the table for the exact right moods and atmospheres for Stanko, be it elegy ("Song for Sarah"), acquiescence ("Suspended Variation I"), friskiness ("Suspended Variation II," a spirited tango), romance ("Suspended Variation III," a gorgeous ballad), hope ("Suspended Variation IV," another gorgeous ballad), joi de vivre ("Suspended Variation V," the closest thing these guys come to an up-tempo number), mystery ("Suspended Variation VI," a meditation of the vagaries and vicissitudes of life), and so on. This proves, as much as any recent recording, the magic that comes from playing with a working jazz band

Once again, as we have come to expect from engineer Jon Erik Konshaug and producer Manfred Eicher, the sound is ravishingly beautiful--with exquisite detail, presence, and warmth. ECM at the absolute top of its game. Hard to beat.

Surely one of the most purely stunningly beautiful jazz discs ever recorded, Suspended Night instantly vaults trumpeter Stanko to the very front ranks of trumpeters in the history of jazz.

Ignore at your peril.