Krzysztof Herdzin - piano
Robert Kubiszyn - bass guitar, double bass
Cezary Konrad - drums
Trio (LEMCD, 2011)
Krzysztof Herdzin is a busy man: pianist, composer, arranger, conductor and educator he is active not only in jazz but also in classical music ("Symphonicum") or pop music. He has recorded up to this moment more than 160CDs but for last few years I was waiting for exactly such a project as this one: 100% focused on jazz. I was pretty sure that taking into account his stunning technique, great musicality and compositional talent he would easily make his way back to the very top of Polish jazz trios. And that exactly what has happened with "Capacity" as this is definitely as good as last recordings of other great Polish trios as Marcin Wasilewski Trio ("Faithful"), RGG ("One") or Piotr Wyleżoł Trio ("Children's Episodes").
Krzysztof Herdzin play on piano is impeccable, for listener as I am who was brought up on classical music, it is pure pleasure to hear with what easy and perfection he handles piano, this total control of instrument let him concentrate on making his notes singing and dancing. And they really do! Robert Kubiszyn is versatile player who is able to play on bass guitar like, say, Marcus Miller while feeling equally at ease when taking double-bass and playing like for example Marc Johnson. Cezary Konrad is mainstream drummer whom I recently heard with Piotr Lemańczyk, Włodek Pawlik or Krystyna Stańko. Both Kubiszyn and Konrad are not my favourite kind pf players since they are a bit predictable and easy-to-read and once I heard that they were Krzysztof Herdzin picks for this album I was worried what will be outcome of such decision. But I proved to be wrong since while directed by Herdzin and playing his music their undisputable technical mastery is fully exploited to advantage of music. I want especially to stress Kubiszyn performance: his switching between bass guitar and double-bass is very appealing and changes my up-to-this-moment rather skeptical appraisal of this player (though on Tomek Grochot's "My Stories" he already made good impression on me).
Very strong side of music on this album are compositions: all originals except "Prayer For El Salvador" by Russell Ferrante whom we know well from famous Yellowjackets. Music is coherent, diversified, charismatic showing from first note that it was written and arranged by someone with immense skills and experience.
Well, all in all this is piece of gracious and lighthearted music which shall appeal to all who like fusion and go back with pleasure to music of Return To Forever, Weather Report or early Pat Metheny. But in the end I want to say that appreciating Krzysztof Herdzin performance on this album I simultaneously would expect on his next record some material that he never covered, new stylistics, musicians of personalities strong enough to challenge his own ideas, perhaps from other generation, other countries. Certainly his talent is of such immense capacity that it calls for such opportunities!
Check promo video for this album:
Author of text:
Maciej Nowotny
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