Rafał Mazur, Keir Neuringer - Unison Lines (2010)

I got this album over a month ago with an idea of reviewing it as soon as possible. This however turned out to be impossible because music from this CD encompassed me like Black Hole and only with utmost effort I was able to detach myself from its enchanting influence. Before I write few words about music, let me introduce musicians first.

Keir Neuringer is American saxophonist born and living in New York who feels himself as much jazz musician and avantgarde performer as political activist with clear leftist political ideas. He is against his own goverment en gross, a privilage that can enjoy citizens of only the most democratic and wealthy nations in the world. In musical terms he focuses on avantgarde and improvised music and had opportunity to play together with Evan Parker and Misha Mengelberg.

Rafał Mazur is double bass player, resident of Cracow where he studied in Music Academy. This is actually the place where they met each other with Keir who was there as a Fulbright Scholar. Since then Mazur engaged himself in all kinds of activities and projects provided they were free, spontaneous, spiritual and full of improvisation whether it's music or Chinese martial art studies.

It is fascinating that this glorious record would be impossible without relationship established between those two musicians more than 10 years ago and cultivated dilligently regardless different problems and obstacles. So this disc comes as a prize not only of their exemplary creativity but also for patience and perseverance: features not so often present in artists' souls.

In the end we got music that is holistic, gravitational, massive and which engages not only our aural apparatus but also our mind, soul, body. We feel like certain inner chords in our hearts begin to sing which reminds us old Plotinus idea that there is light in everyman's soul reflecting perfect glamor of divine idea resting in heaven.

Mastery level of design and artwork as projected by Piotr Jakubowicz from RedBoxDesign and great support by the best Polish jazz recording label NotTwo Records: all these elements make this album special enough to be obligatory in collection of every free jazz lover throughout the world.

Samples from concert given in 2008:

Neuringer, Mazur, d'incise @ Kawiarnia Naukowa (1 of 2) from Keir Neuringer on Vimeo.