Krystyna Stańko – Pociąg Do Piosenki (2019)

Krystyna Stańko

Krystyna Stańko - vocals
Arek Krawiel - keyboards
Boris Mogilevski - guitar
Jan Galach - violin
Paul Rutschka - bass
Mikołaj Stańko - drums

Pociąg Do Piosenki


PRIVATE EDITION

By Adam Baruch

This is an "informal" album by Polish vocalist/songwriter Krystyna Stańko, her overall tenth release, which was recorded live in Radio Gdańsk. The album celebrates the third Anniversary of the Metropolitan train system connecting the Baltic Tricity with the Kaszubia region. Stańko is accompanied by a quintet of excellent young musicians, which include: keyboardist Arek Krawiel, guitarist Boris Mogilewski, violinist Jan Galach, bassist Paul Rutschka and drummer Mikołaj Stańko. The album presents twelve songs, all written (music and lyrics) by Stańko, which originate from her early recordings: the album "Kobiety" released under the For Dee moniker in 1995 and her fourth album (first album as a leader) "Usłysz Mnie" released in 2008.

The informal, relaxed atmosphere of this live concert suits this material ideally, which is only marginally Jazz oriented, but is absolutely delightful from start to finish. These invigorated versions of the early songs by Stańko sound in many respects way better than the original versions, missing perhaps the naivety and youthfulness, but are enhanced by the maturity and experience gained over the years.

The music is mostly kept in a Jazz-Rock Fusion mood, but without excessive instrumental soloing, concentrating on the melodies and the vocal parts. Stańko's delivery is absolutely delightful, as expected, which makes listening to this album an absolute unadulterated pleasure. The decision to revisit the old songs was a very smart move, as they all prove to stand the test of time admirably, and are definitely worth being remembered. Overall this is a very enjoyable piece of Pop/Jazz music, excellently performed and full of great music, which should make the many fans of Stańko's talents very happy indeed!