Piotr Baron - Reference (2004)

Piotr Baron - soprano & tenor saxophones

Eddie Henderson - trumpet & fluegelhorn

John Hicks - piano
Darek Oleszkiewicz - double bass
Victor Lewis - drums

Reference (2004)

Saxophonist Piotr Baron is among those musicians in Poland that ALWAYS treat jazz seriously. Like Tomasz Stańko, Zbigniew Namysłowski or, from younger generation, Marcin Wasilewski he never fails in any recording, a mark of musicians of the highest caliber. To realize this project Baron travelled to New York and employed first rank players: Eddie Henderson on trumpet, John Hicks on piano, Victor Lewis on drums and Polish expat living in the U.S. Darek Oleszkiewicz on double bass. They created perfect background for the leader's raging horn. 

As for music it is kind of hommage to bop, not surprisingly taking into account place of recording. For those not acquainted with jazz terminology, bop is style in jazz characterized by strong groove and blues components often featuring saxophone and piano, occasionally trumpet. There is everything listed above on present in this recording plus great tunes and first of all great enthusiasm of all musicians adding to this music invaluable freshness. The highlight of this disc is marvellous interpretation of Polish pop song "Moja i Twoja nadzieja" which in hands of these gifted musicians gain weight of such great jazz standards of pop origin like "Someday My Price Will Come" or "Time After Time". Very enjoyable CD indeed!

Track listing: 1.Reference [07:50]; 2.Moja i twoja nadzieja [15:17]; 3. Blue Butterfly [09:12]; 4. Dense Dance [10:45]; 5. Amen [08:28]

By Maciej Nowotny
http://kochamjazz.blox.pl