The Light - Afekty (MultiKulti, 2009) ****½

Almost exactly a year ago, a wrote this enthusiastic review of "The Light", the debut album of the Polish trio consisting ofWacław Zimpel on clarinet, bass clarinet, and tarogato, Wojciech Traczyk on bass, and Robert Rasz on drums. Now, with their sophomore album, they confirm their quality, musical skills and vision. It is even more focused than the first album, and they perform only their own material. The approach is still as gentle, sensitive and free as the previous one, with great explorations of timbre and sound, finding a wonderful balance between rhythmic drive as on the last track "Shangri La", and lyrical and emotional delivery, as on "Rozpacz", on which a plaintive tarogato dialogues with a mourning arco, or intense creativity, as on "Hridaja", or percussive improv as on "Sattwa" on which the bass clarinet is propulsed forward by Rasz's drumming, short, compact and powerful. Despite all the adventure and freedom of spirit, the trio is still fully entrenched in the jazz tradition, a great vantage point from which to explore. And the best thing is that the three musicians share the same vision and hence interact to perfection on this highly varied album. Highly recommended.

© stef