The Consonance Trio - Orient Express (2020)

The Consonance Trio

Max Fedorov - piano
Piotr Chociej - bass
Wojciech Bronakowski - drums

Orient Express

QUALITY 5906728485011




By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by The Consonance Trio, which consists of Ukrainian (resident in Poland) pianist Max Fedorov and Polish bassist Piotr Chociej and drummer Wojciech Bronakowski. The album presents nine compositions, one in two (studio and live) versions. The live version features bassist Karol Sypytkowski, who was the trio's founding member and died tragically and unexpectedly and was replaced by Chociej. The compositions are not credited on the album's artwork and therefore are assumed to be by the trio members. The music was recorded at the Monochrom Studio and offers a great sound quality.

The music is all melodic mainstream Jazz on the verge of Smooth Jazz, based on very simple melodic themes, which serve as basis for the piano improvisations, which dominate the album, with some occasional soloing by the rhythm section members. It offers very little, if any, intellectual challenge and is pretty derivative and repetitive. Fedorov plays very percussively and at times the piano seems to be almost suffering from the barrage of notes. Chociej is much more refined and calm, offering steady bottom lines, which harmonically keep the music together. Bronakowski tries to initiate some "exotic" rhythmic patterns ("oriental"?) but these efforts fail to go anywhere near the target.

Overall, in spite of the obvious technical skills by the trio members, the music is rather soulless and pretentious, and after a while really annoying. Of course this is only me, but there is little chance I'd ever play this album again.