TAQ – Live In Minsk Mazowiecki (Rubicon Records, 2006)

TAQ (trio)

Marcin Masecki - piano
Garth Stevenson - double bass
Ziv Ravitz - drums

Live In Minsk Mazowiecki (Rubicon Records, 2006)

TAQ is a superb international piano trio consisting of Polish virtuoso pianist / composer Marcin Masecki, Canadian bassist / composer Garth Stevenson and Israeli drummer / composer Ziv Ravitz. The trio was formed in 2002 when all three were students at the Berklee College of Music in Boston as a result of an unusual rapport that developed between these young and highly talented musicians. Later the trio begun touring and during the 2005 tour in Poland recorded live this, their debut album. In the six years since this album was recorded all three musicians established their careers, which are all pretty unusual and extremely successful, especially in view of the difficult times Jazz is going through. This album clearly points out why: they are all simply different, unique and completely individual in their musical approaches. Masecki is a "crazy" genius, completely ignoring all rules and regulation, re-inventing scales and harmonies, Ravitz revolutionizes Jazz drumming by incorporating Middle-Eastern rhythmic patters and the use of hands rather that sticks or mallets as well as usage of additional percussion instruments. Stevenson is the most "conventional" of the three, which of course is a blessing, as without him the music might have crossed the chaos line easily. In retrospect this is a completely unknown little album, which shines more brightly than most of the other stuff that the promotional apparatus puts on the shelves – a pure gem of an album which should not be ignored under any circumstances!

Track listing:   1. Improvisation I (TAQ) 18:36; 2. Improvisation II (TAQ) 9:19; 3. Improvisation III (TAQ) 8:03; 4. Improvisation IV (TAQ) 13:11; 5. Bolero (M. Masecki) 10:08



By Adam Baruch

http://adambaruch.com/