Garbowski/Cruz/Orins – Lines Of Flux (2018)

Garbowski/Cruz/Orins

Ivann Cruz - guitar
Maciej Garbowski - double bass
Peter Orins - drums

Lines Of Flux

IMP 002




By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by the Improvised Music trio comprising of Polish bassist/composer Maciej Garbowski and French guitarist Ivann Cruz and drummer Peter Orins, but not the first recording which captures these three musicians together as they also recorded the "Rashomon Effect" album in a quartet setting five years earlier. The music was recorded at the Institute of Music Performance, a wonderfully unique space in Katowice, where Garbowski organizes many events, concerts and recordings; a place where music magic happens. The album presents twelve relatively short spontaneous improvisations, all credited to the three members of the trio.

In contrast to the above mentioned earlier album, the music captured here is completely improvised and offers almost none of the conventional points of reference – melody, harmony and rhythm – that most music listeners expect to find when faced by music. But people who extend their musical tolerance to accept unconventional music should find this album highly rewarding.

Improvised Music performed by more than one person is all about communication, be it the ability to exchange ideas with the other musicians in the ensemble and even better to engage the listeners in an intellectual dialog of instant questions and answers, when the music oscillates between the performers and the audience.

All these three musicians are of course veterans of the European Improvised Music scene and their inspired performances here are not in the least surprising. They all have many impressive recordings in their portfolios and the long lasting partnership between them obviously strengthens the ability to communicate when on stage.

Overall this is a delicate, contemplative piece of Improvised Music, which should satisfy the connoisseurs of the genre and shed more light on the musicians involved, as they surely deserve praise for their efforts. Of course this album again emphasizes the vigor of the Polish Improvised Music scene, which has little rivalry elsewhere.