Album review: ALG Trio - In Between The Vistula and the Hudson (Aesthetiko)

Gilad Atzmon (alto sax, clarinet); Piotr Lemanczyk (bass); Adman Golicki (drums) It's always a thrill to hear Gilad Atzmon. I've heard him in many situations and he never fails to deliver. The last time was as part of feeding on Ross Stanley's harmonics to guide him. This time, as the front man of the ALG Trio he has only Lemanczyk's bass to point the way. Does he need a musical map? I don't think so. He could solo and the result would be no less pleasing. Nevertheless, the presence of bass and drums do serve to make for a fuller sound. If you have added your initial to the trio's name then you deserve an equal share of the pie. Gilad's alto swoops and soars on the up tempo numbers almost tying himself in knots but never quite. He always entangles himself in time - a bit like a comic book hero who always gets the upper hand in the final graphic. On the slower tracks the lyricism simply oozes from the horn. Sensual and seductive music best heard and shared between twilight and dawn. The selection of standards, jazz classics and originals are an unbeatable mix. He plays a lot of quotes - maybe paraphrased more times than Nat 'King' Cole - it doesn't matter, they sound just so right. Despite their subdued role bass and drums are on the money throughout Release date Sept. 11 (this Friday). This album is a story about flowing in more than one river simultaneously. The Hudson stands for New York, the Mecca of jazz, while the Vistula is home to Piotr and Adam, as well as the place where Gilad's own roots lie. This album is a dialectic conversation between our nostalgia for the American sound and our own true nature. A harmony-less jazz trio (also known as a horn trio) is one of the most challenging lineups in music. The members of the trio are completely exposed, leaving a bare harmonic context waiting to be fulfilled. Yet, we never found ourselves missing a fourth member—we embraced the space and made the most of it