JOACHIM KUHN / MATEUSZ SMOCZYNSKI Speaking Sound
ACT Records 9630-2
Joachim Kuhn (piano) Mateusz Smoczynski (violin & baritone violin)
ACT Records have once again brought together two of the finest European jazz musicians to provide us with yet another exquisite duo album of forward thinking contemporary jazz. There is a forty year age difference between these players, but they most certainly are of one mind during this fine recording. Pianist Joachim Kuhn, now seventy five years of age, was born in Leipzig Germany and in his early days worked with the likes of Jimmy Garrison, Don Cherry and Phil Woods. He later spent some time in California where he gigged and recorded with Billy Cobham, Michael Brecker and Eddie Gomez. Later, returning to Europe he was prominent in the Paris jazz scene as well as joining Ornette Coleman's band in 1996. In all he has appeared on over seventy albums in his recording career of over five decades, many as leader or co-leader. Thirty five year old Polish violinist Mateusz Smoczynski, a graduate of The Fredric Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, is a fast rising star and stands alongside Adam Baldych in re-Introducing the violin to modern jazz at the highest level. He has already appeared on over sixty albums, including sessions with vocalist Urszula Dudziak and the late Tomasz Stanko alongside twenty two with his own bands.
This is an album of both beauty and surprise, as soon as you start to listen you can feel the total empathy between the players, almost as if they were thinking with one mind. The music which is produced entirely by themselves, is totally uncluttered at all tempos. Often the piano serves as a landing ground for the soaring violin as it does on the scene setting opener Epilog Der Hoffnug written by the pianist. When the mode of the music relaxes, the audience engagement grows with the ghost like interweaving sounds of Maria and another Joachim Kuhn original Love And Peace where the playing fully reflects the title. The French accordionist Vincent Peirani contributed his fine lilting composition Schubertauster, and Mateusz Smoczynski is at his virtuostic best on the tribute piece Paganini. The entire album is without doubt a work of considerable substance, perhaps somewhat unsuited to a casual listen, but more than capable of releasing its many delights after repeated playing.
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
ACT Records 9630-2
Joachim Kuhn (piano) Mateusz Smoczynski (violin & baritone violin)
ACT Records have once again brought together two of the finest European jazz musicians to provide us with yet another exquisite duo album of forward thinking contemporary jazz. There is a forty year age difference between these players, but they most certainly are of one mind during this fine recording. Pianist Joachim Kuhn, now seventy five years of age, was born in Leipzig Germany and in his early days worked with the likes of Jimmy Garrison, Don Cherry and Phil Woods. He later spent some time in California where he gigged and recorded with Billy Cobham, Michael Brecker and Eddie Gomez. Later, returning to Europe he was prominent in the Paris jazz scene as well as joining Ornette Coleman's band in 1996. In all he has appeared on over seventy albums in his recording career of over five decades, many as leader or co-leader. Thirty five year old Polish violinist Mateusz Smoczynski, a graduate of The Fredric Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, is a fast rising star and stands alongside Adam Baldych in re-Introducing the violin to modern jazz at the highest level. He has already appeared on over sixty albums, including sessions with vocalist Urszula Dudziak and the late Tomasz Stanko alongside twenty two with his own bands.
This is an album of both beauty and surprise, as soon as you start to listen you can feel the total empathy between the players, almost as if they were thinking with one mind. The music which is produced entirely by themselves, is totally uncluttered at all tempos. Often the piano serves as a landing ground for the soaring violin as it does on the scene setting opener Epilog Der Hoffnug written by the pianist. When the mode of the music relaxes, the audience engagement grows with the ghost like interweaving sounds of Maria and another Joachim Kuhn original Love And Peace where the playing fully reflects the title. The French accordionist Vincent Peirani contributed his fine lilting composition Schubertauster, and Mateusz Smoczynski is at his virtuostic best on the tribute piece Paganini. The entire album is without doubt a work of considerable substance, perhaps somewhat unsuited to a casual listen, but more than capable of releasing its many delights after repeated playing.
Reviewed by Jim Burlong
