Joe McPhee: soprano saxophone, pocket trumpet
Mikołaj Trzaska - alto saxophone
Recorded in Seattle, October 26, 2017 at The Good Shepard Chapel during Earshot Jazz Festival

Maciej Lewenstein:
A masterpiece of synergy and mutual understanding, intellectual and emotional depth and simple joy of collective playing!!! Exquisite and Terric. It is a continuations of "Intimate Conversations" from 2006 recorded in trio with Jay Rosen. The present album is more mature and its title has double meaning: there is more intimate conversations, and the conversations are more intimate. "The Meaning of Life" is oscillating between using the keys and other effects, and more traditional dialogues of the pocket trumpet and alto, although in the final part Joe turns to soprano. The sax duo is marvelous. The following "The Meaning if Love" starts also with quiet effects of overblown trumpet, and develops into a trumpet/voice solo, supported by quite noises generated by saxophone keys of Mikolaj. In the second half Mikołaj Trzaska is louder and the track transforms itself into another intimate dialogue of the trumpet and alto. The quiet fragment is back for a short moment and the intimate discussion continues at the more emotional level. "Trace Evidence" is in fact variation on "Evidence" by Thelonious Monk, played wonderfully alto and soprano. This is my favorite track, probably for the shear power and intensity of intimacy and emotional content.

"Double Solid: Solitude" is a slow tune that begins more abstractly and openly with another dialogue of two saxophones. Mikolaj plays then a touching solo, until
he is joined by Joe on soprano, who takes over, being supported by drumming of the alto keys. The nal climax is by two crying saxophones. The closing "Double Solid: Loneliness" is very different. Mikolaj starts with an alto solo, which after the middle quiet part of acoustic ejects transforms into a trumpet statement. Outstanding stuff, recorded live at Good Shepard Chapel in Seattle, during Earshot Jazz Festival. Bravo Ola Trzaska!

Amerykański multiinstrumentalista Joe McPhee wraz z Mikołajem Trzaską współpracują ze sobą od lat. Chociażby w formacji Magic (od 2006 roku), w której grają jeszcze perkusista Jay Rosen i basista Dominic Duval. Zespół Magic zawiązał się z chwilą przyłączenia się Mikołaja Trzaski do Tria X (McPhee, Rosen i Duval).
W 2007 roku ukazała się doskonała płyta "Intimate Conversations" tria Joe McPhee / Mikołaj Trzaska / Jay Rosen.

Teraz mamy okazję zapoznać się z duetowym dokonaniem dwóch wytrawnych improwizatorów. Materiał został zarejestrowany w Seattle, podczas ubiegłorocznego Earshot Jazz Festival. Telepatyczne porozumienie równorzędnych partnerów, każdy z nich może podjąć wątek partnera, zaproponować temat lub pokierować muzyczną narracją.

Gdański saksofonista i klarnecista Mikołaj Trzaska z legendą sceny improwizowanej Joe McPhee mają potencjał do tworzenia rzeczy wybitnych i nie boją się z niego korzystać. Mamy do czynienia z soczystym free jazzem, gdzie znaleźć można dużo drapieżnej improwizacji wyczulonej na wszelkie niuanse.


Maciej Lewenstein:
A masterpiece of synergy and mutual understanding, intellectual and emotional depth and simple joy of collective playing!!! Exquisite and Terric. It is a continuations of "Intimate Conversations" from 2006 recorded in trio with Jay Rosen. The present album is more mature and its title has double meaning: there is more intimate conversations, and the conversations are more intimate. "The Meaning of Life" is oscillating between using the keys and other effects, and more traditional dialogues of the pocket trumpet and alto, although in the final part Joe turns to soprano. The sax duo is marvelous. The following "The Meaning if Love" starts also with quiet effects of overblown trumpet, and develops into a trumpet/voice solo, supported by quite noises generated by saxophone keys of Mikolaj. In the second half Mikołaj Trzaska is louder and the track transforms its.......
more