Tomasz Stanko/John Surman, Barbican - music review

The tapestry of spacy semi-silences and deep grooves made Stanko’s lines sound more eloquent than ever
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 15: (L-R) David Virelles, Thomas Morgan, Tomasz Stanko and Gerald Cleaver of the Tomasz Stanko New York Quartet perform on stage at Barbican Centre on May 15, 2013 in London, England.
Andy Sheppard/Redferns via Getty Images
16 May 2013

Two international jazz stars, one Polish, one English, enhanced their reputations last night, but any bonus points should go to the older man for remaining admirably close to the cutting edge.

It was a bold move for trumpeter Stanko to relocate to New York recently, and an even bolder one to replace his suave Polish rhythm section with three hot US players half his age. Worthwhile, though — pianist David Virelles, bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Gerald Cleaver form a remarkably close unit.

Clearly they share Stanko’s love for the golden acoustic period when Tony Williams was Miles Davis’s drummer. Using that as a starting point, they switched moods behind Stanko, going in and out of tempo with telepathic understanding and unusual finesse. The resulting tapestry of spacy semi-silences and deep grooves made Stanko’s lines sound more eloquent than ever.

John Surman used backing tracks and instruments including bass-clarinet and soprano and baritone saxes to recreate Saltash Bells, voted album of the year by the Parliament-ary jazz appreciation group. “Good of them to vote for me,” mused Surman, “but it got me wondering if I’d want to vote for them.”

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