Coherence Quartet - Coherence (2013)

Coherence Quartet

Łukasz Kluczniak -alto sax
Robert Jarmużek -piano
Marcin Lamch -double bass
Grzegorz Masłowski -drums

Coherence Quartet (Multikulti, 2013)

By Maciej Nowotny

This album is a total and very nice surprise! The players which up to this moment were known as sidemen, and not those of first ranks, have got together and recorded their "own" music. And it is simply so good that I cannot stop listening to it putting aside many albums of artists who are much better known and appreciated in Polish jazz. Let me then shed some light upon the musicians involved in its recording since it is clear that by this record they show aspirations to join the best players in our country. 

Łukasz Kluczniak is the saxophonist whose instrument is dominating the music of this band. He also composed five out of six tunes recorded on this album. He is best known to me from his long time collaboration with guitarist Janusz "Yanina" Iwański. Their last record "Free Wave" released in 2011 was excellent example how experienced musicians can open up on new trends in modern jazz. 

All other members of this quartet are young lads but they already have significant recordings in their discography. Double bassist Marcin Lamch apart from the collaboration with above mentioned Janusz Iwański is also a member of Maciej Tubis Trio. This trio counts among most interesting young piano trios in Poland playing music verging between the mainstream jazz and classical music. Drummer Grzegorz Masłowski is recently very busy as a sideman collaborating with musicians of Cracow scene and appearing in such young but significant collectives as Inner Spaces or Jarek Bothur Quartet. Pianist Robert Jarmużek is the least  known for me of all these musicians but with this album he gained truly excellent entrance on Polish scene.

The music on this CD may be described as the mainstream jazz. What distinguishes it among so many propositions of that kind in Poland and abroad is the enthusiasm of players. One really feels how much they love this music. Their total commitment to music encompasses listener from the beginning to the end and makes rehearsal of this CD a pure pleasure. The highest level of musicianship shall also be noted. Though stylistically set firmly in within the mainstream it is surprisingly free in spirit with plenty of high-quality interplay between players. All this is topped up with beautiful melodies as written by Kluczniak and Lamch making this album one of the nicest discoveries of this year 2013.

Coherence Quartet - 1. 530 by Multikulti_Project on Mixcloud

Tracklist: 1. 530 [Ł.Kluczniak] 2. Ecoli [Ł.Kluczniak] 3. Opener [Ł.Kluczniak] 4. March [Ł.Kluczniak] 5. Closerer [M.Lamch] 6. Kurkuma [Ł.Kluczniak]