TOMASZ STANKO
From the Green Hill
ECM
1680
Tomasz Stanko, like many of the most accomplished European jazz modernists, has labored in undeserved obscurity for far too long. It seems that several coincidental (or perhaps not so coincidental) musical undercurrents have brought a modicum of attention to Stanko’s art. There has been a major resurgence of interest in the work of Stanko’s close associate and compatriot Krzysztof Komeda, who had composed scores for several of Roman Polanski’s films ("Rosemary’s Baby," "Knife in the Water," etc.), culminating in a comprehensive reissue campaign of Komeda’s 20+ recordings. One of these, Astigmatic (Power Bros. 00125), was awarded a crown by the "Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD." Stanko is a featured soloist on Astigmatic and much of Komeda’s remaining recordings, and he has become the torchbearer for Komeda’s musical legacy in the wake of his tragic and untimely death in a car accident in the late 1960s. Much of Stanko’s own musical archive has been rescued from certain oblivion. For example, Power Bros. has reissued Stanko’s first and most remarkable tribute to Komeda, Music for K (…a crown also belongs on this one if you ask me!), as well as Twet (perhaps the closest Stanko has come to a true free jazz recording), and Bluish (an incisive, wide-ranging, and energetic 1991 trio date with ECM-ers Jon Christensen and Arild Andersen). A fine, though fusion-influenced, mid-70s date for MPS (Tribute to Komeda) with countrymen Zbiginiew Siefert, and Michal Urbaniak has also been reissued. Stanko’s recordings for the ECM label have become considerably more regular following the smashing critical success of two mid-90s quartet recordings (with Tony Oxley, Bobo Stensson and Anders Jormin). The first of these, Matka Joanna, was Stanko’s first US release since 1975’s Balladyna (also on ECM). The follow-up, Leosia, also received the rare crown rating from the editors of the "Penguin Guide." Both recordings fall, stylistically, between the muted freedoms that characterize much of ECM’s more worthy output, and a kind of folksy swaggering charm exemplified best by Stanko’s own melodically keening, gravelly trumpet. Given Manfred Eicher’s ever more pronounced interest in film music (or is it ‘music for film’?), it was entirely fitting that Stanko’s subsequent recording, Litiana was another homage to Komeda. From The Green Hill seems to follow on from Litiana in several ways, but it is an entirely different and perhaps more rewarding listen.
Like Litiana, From the Green Hill features a group assembled solely for the purpose of recording (the quartet with Stenson, Oxley and Jormin is Stanko’s working group at present). From the Green Hill contains further explorations of Komeda’s music, as well as variations on several of Stanko’s previously recorded compositions. For example, "Farewell to Maria" is from Leosia, an earlier version of the title track is on a 1979 LP (Almost Green), and "Buschka" appears on a 1981 quartet recording (Music 81). On Litiana, Stanko was paired with saxophonists Bernt Rosengren (his old front line mate from the Komeda group) and Joachim Milder, both of whom were effective yet somehow lacked in personality. From the Green Hill finds Stanko paired with the unmistakable John Surman, whose knowingly mournful inside / outside approach on baritone sax and bass clarinet eerily mirrors Stanko’s own playing. Dino Saluzzi and violinist Michelle Makarski (who crossed over from Eicher’s New Series stable to make her recorded debut as an improvisor) might seem like wild cards, but both are effective and sympathetic throughout. Saluzzi, in particular, seems to have a firm grasp on Stanko’s musical approach, and offers several deeply felt solos ("Argentyna"). Stanko has worked with tango-derived rhythms and structures in the past, so the pairing with Saluzzi is quite organic. Jormin and Christensen have, as I’ve already mentioned, accompanied Stanko on-and-off for the better part of the '90s. I am particularly fond of Jormin’s playing here: the only other bassists who could have played this music with as much feeling and virtuosity would be Gary Peacock and Barre Philips. Christensen is similarly magical. Stanko’s trumpet sound is light, oddly gravelly, vibratoless and, like his early influences Chet Baker and Miles Davis, he pulls no punches. An unpredictable soloist along the lines of, say, Lester Bowie, on "Buschka" (for example) Stanko turns a simple phrase inside out, and then erupts into a series of upper register shrieks before returning to his original musical thought. On the surface, the music on From the Green Hill seems less abstract than that on any of his ECM quartet recordings. It is also stylistically more broad. From the Green Hill synthesizes the dramatic sweep of Litiana with the folksy lyricism of Matka Joanna, and the relentless jazzy thrust of Bluish. From the Green Hill may also be Stanko’s finest recording for ECM yet.

Dave Wayne

Track Listing: 1. Domino; 2. Litiana; 3. Stone Ridge; 4. …y despues de todo; 5. Litiana; 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

Personnel: Tomasz Stanko, trumpet; John Surman, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet; Dino Saluzzi, bandoneon; Michelle Makarski, violin; Anders Jormin, double bass; Jon Christensen, drums