Nicolas Simion feat. Tomasz Stanko & Jamey Haddad - Unfinished Square (2009)

Nicolas Simion feat. Tomasz Stanko & Jamey Haddar

Tomasz Stańko - trumpet
Nicals Simion - tenor & soprano saxophone, tarogato
Nils Wogram - trombone
Ed Schuller - bass
Jamey Haddad - drums, percussion
Andreas Mayerhofer - keybaords
Piotr Wojtasik - trumpet (9)

Unfinished Square (2009)

Until this record Nicola Simion was completely uknown to me. But after its rehearsal I can only say that he is musician of major calibre. He plays here on saxophones and tarogato. He posseses his own unique sound on those instruments which though kept within limits of typical jazz language is simultanously saturated with beautiful Balkan notes of his native Romania. His unique voice therefore goes very well along with equally characteristic sound of Polish superstar trumpeter Tomasz Stańko. Light as a feather  lines by Stańko interweave itself beautifully with Simion coarse and dramatic blows.

But those two heroes are not alone. Others musicians are not less interesting and contribute greatly to complexity and depth of this music. Drummer Ed Schuller is a legend as much as World music star percussionist Jamey Haddad who collaborated once with Paul Simon. Yet trombonist Nils Wolgram, keyboardist Andreas Mayerhofer and another Polish trumpeter Piotr Wojtasik (who apperas on 9th song) provide simply stellar background for Simion and Stańko. All in all this music being subtle mixture of mainstream jazz, world music with Balkan (Romanian) roots and occasionally set free by Stańko adventuorous lines is great pleasure to rehearse. 

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

Samples of music available  here: http://www.musicline.de/de/player_flash/6421966000080/0/6/50/product

Track listing:
1. Lullaby
2. Doina from Maramuresh
3. Fighting Song
4. Carol Song
5. Choral
6. Toba
7. Adagio
8. Now Is the Question
9. Byzantinian Chant (for Richard Tieber)