Inner Spaces & David Doruzka - Light Year (2012)

Inner Spaces (band)

Stepanka Balcarova - trumpet
Lubos Soukup - saxophones
Vit Kristan - piano
Max Mucha double bass
Grzegorz Maslowski - drums

Guest:
David Doruzka electric guitar

Light Year (2012)

By Maciej Nowotny

Many people say that Europe is in crisis. I am of an opposite opinion. Europe is simply changing and in many respects it is flourishing as never before. Do you want a proof? When I was a kid the continent was divided by the Iron Curtain and the countries were separated from each other by borders that were not at all easy to cross. Those dark days are over. We live in one common space, in peace and prosperity. Such changes in Europe have brought some positive things and simultaneously caused some problems. It is not a place to discuss the problems, so in this text I shall focus on one of those positives: free movement of European youth.

For decades this movement was suppressed but with European Union coming into life it become a matter of common policy to promote the exchange of young students between academic centers throughout the whole continent. This situation applies also to musical academies. And many Polish students study now for example in Denmark in Odense while many Czech youth learn jazz in famous Katowice Music Academy. The effects of this interchange is salutary as the music life become more vibrant, ideas move around, relationships are formed.

All above stated elements are present in cooperation between Czech and Polish students of Katowice Music Academy who few years ago created The Inner Spaces Quintet. Their debut album "Inner Spaces" was very warmly received. In my review I stressed a high level of musicianship, coherence of whole material and great compositions, especially those written by Stepanka Balcarova who plays on trumpet. With "Light Year" I must go even further with my appreciation. Although tunes written by Balcarova are still among the best on this album (check awesome "Higher Form Of Love") but those written by Lubos Soukup (saxophone), Vit Kristan (piano) and David Doruzka (guitar) are equally captivating. Also interplay between musicians became deeper. It is really great pleasure to listen how well this whole machine is working. These are not separate voices figthing for listener's attention as often on albums by young musicians. This is one organism, one instrument, moved by one idea and going in one direction. The striking coherence of this music owes much to excellent rhythm section formed by two Polish youngsters: Max Mucha on double bass and Grzegorz Masłowski on drums. All in all, an excellent piece of jazz which deserves attention and appreciation as much from critics as from audience.