Maciej Fortuna Trio - Sahjia (2012)

Maciej Fortuna Trio

Maciej Fortuna – trumpet, flugelhorn
Krzysztof Gradziuk – drums
Piotr Lemańczyk – bass

Sahjia (2012)

By Maciej Nowotny

It was Miles Davis who said that every trumpeter MUST find HIS drummer to become GREAT. For him it was first Philly Jo Jones and then legendary Tony Williams. For trumpeter Maciej Fortuna it could very well be Krzysztof Gradziuk. Because with addition of this player the music of his trio clearly fired up to the sky. I cannot say anything else but that in such a set-up this trio is one of BEST combos in whole Polish jazz these days.

Maciej Fortuna talent is expanding in recent years like supernova. Similarly to Joshua Redman apart from being musician he graduated from law faculty and was for some time hesitating which way in his life to choose. Fortunately (nome omen!) the love for music prevailed and since then his career is advancing in bounds and leaps. He first caught my attention with his album "Lost Keys" released in 2010. Musically this album was a kind of hommage paid to bop roots of modern jazz. Fortuna's trumpet flied high in virtuosic style of Lee Morgan, Fats Navarro or Clifford Brown. He played with full sound, quick and sharp. Incredibly self-confident for such a young cat, almost a debutante.

On his next album "Solar Ring" (2012) he downsized his team from quartet to trio. I had an impression that he did so to make his own voice better heard. He was clearly moving deeper into fabric of music in order to find his own sound: The Holy Grail, the Promised Land of all jazz instrumentalists. On this album bassist Piotr Lemańczyk first appeared. He is fully matured musician. Himself a leader of many best combos in this country. His focused, intellectual, yet wholesome sound superbly fits into Fortuna's musical conceptions.

These two albums were important steps in Fortuna's chiselling his own style but the process is still going on. Another important stage was his turn from hitherto mainstream path to something totally different as evidenced by album "1" (2012) he recorded in duo with Anna Suda. She helped Fortuna in experimenting with transforming sound of trumpet electronically. Plus she added to this pot completely different rhythms taken from modern dance music.

Finally on "Sahjia" all this elements were combined together. Lemańczyk's deep and thoughtful bass. Gradziuk's expressive and innovative drumming. Fortuna's clean yet somewhat otherworldly trumpet. And... audience! Empathic, alert, often enthusiastic. The tracks were recorded during six different concerts, out of approximately 50, which this trio has given over last two years. Without its active participation there would no such an energy in this recording. Because of that the music radiates with inner heat. With dedication. With belief. Great jazz? No. It's more than just that. Great music!

Tracklisting:
1. Prelude 4:56 Maciej Fortuna
2. Resume 8:16 Maciej Fortuna
3. Hush hush / For The Old Friend 10:40 Maciej Fortuna
4. Home Pictures 8:22 Piotr Lemańczyk
5. Lobster Baby 8:26 Piotr Lemańczyk
6. No Man’s Land 3:22 Maciej Fortuna
7. For The Old Friend (Alternate Take) 8:34 Maciej Fortuna
8. Sahjia 8:10 Maciej Fortuna
9. Dedication (Bonus Track) 5:04 Maciej Fortuna