Stanko’s gifts as a trumpeter are fully developed and his compositional style is as unique as the way in which he plays his horn.
ECM 1071
Tomasz Stanko (trumpet); Tomasz Szukalski (soprano & tenor saxophones); Dave Holland (double bass); Edward Vesala (drums)
Recorded December 1975
The latest instalment in the ECM Luminessence vinyl series this is a welcome reissue that features an artist making his debut for the label some fifty years ago and subsequently became indelibly associated with the ECM sound and aesthetic.
If this sounds remarkably confident for a debut, it must be remembered that Stanko had been refining his highly individual trumpet sound and style for some time with several albums under his belt as leader. Here he leads a chordless quartet with longtime collaborator Edward Vesala on drums and, at the suggestion of Manfred Eicher, Dave Holland on bass and saxophonist Tomasz Szukalski. With all due respect to Szukalski who plays with a controlled fire and no little assurance (plays a particularly fine solo on the title track), the real interest in the music comes from the interplay between Stanko, Vesala and Holland.
It is therefore much to the Englishman’s credit that he was able to quickly coalesce and find common ground with Stanko and Vesala and create his own space in the music. Holland’s bass playing sets up the opening piece, aptly titled ‘First Song’ with some propulsive and compelling playing that triggers equally fine music making from both the trumpeter and drummer.
Holland’s ability to adapt and quickly form musical partnerships that are greater than the sum of their parts can be heard in two pieces that are improvised dialogue of ‘Duet’ with Stanko and ‘Tale’ featuring a trio of trumpet, bass and drums.
It is this relationship and understanding that makes for such memorable music, not least on Vesala’s ‘Num’ and Stanko’s ‘Balladyna’, ‘Last Song’ (which is perversely the penultimate track) and ‘Nenaliina’ that truly captivate utilising melody, rhythm and empathy to breathe life into the compositions.
Stanko’s gifts as a trumpeter are fully developed and his compositional style is as unique as the way in which he plays his horn. With such as auspicious debut, it is remarkable that it would be another twenty years before Stanko and Eicher would work together again. The release of Leosia in 1997 would reveal new depths in the trumpeter’s playing and composing and kick start the relationship with the label that began with wonderful album.
