Year: 2006
Record Label: Nemu Records
Style: Free Jazz / Avante Garde
Musicians: Vyacheslav Ganelin (piano, synthesizer, percussion), Petras Vysniauskas (alto & soprano saxophone), Klaus Kugel (drums, percussion)
Review: The ability to emancipate oneself from the confines of tradition, from subversive cultural expectations, while emphasizing hope, beauty and collaboration is the most daunting of challenges facing contemporary musicians. The members of Ganelin Trio Priority are up to the challenge. This superb concert DVD from Germany’s progressive Nemu Records captures the spontaneous magic of a truly communal ensemble. Led by Lithuanian pianist/composer Vyacheslav Ganelin, the trio transcends categorization to create a musical purity seldom heard.
Ganelin is an adept leader. As a skilled composer/improviser he provides an abundance of raw musical ideas to explore, develop, and transform. His use of the synthesizer and percussion complements his total manipulation of the piano.
Percussionist Klaus Kugel is a commanding force behind the drum set. He creates layers of tension drawn out from intuitive listening. There is a constant emotional swelling underlying every fill and cymbal crash.
Alto and soprano saxophonist Petras Vysniauskas maintains a strong, yet subtle presence. By dropping out and sneaking back in at just the right moments, he proves the perfect match for Ganelin. He often counters the pianist’s moments of frenzy with slow moving melodicism, providing a foundation for the music, uncharacteristic as it may be for the saxophone.
The discs three performances, all lengthy and challenging, are honest, unified attempts by three master musicians to express worldly beauty through musical sound.
Tracks: Conversation I, Conversation II, Homage to Friends
Record Label Website: http://www.nemu-records.com
Artist's Website: http://www.GanelinTrio.com
Reviewed by:
John Barron
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