Four years after the landmark album Wislawa, the great Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko's New York Quartet returns with another masterful recording, December Avenue. Always an insightful bandleader, Stanko here encourages spirited improvisation to flower around his characteristically melancholic and soulful themes, and all players are presented to best advantage. New band member Reuben Rogers – originally from the Virgin Islands and perhaps best-known for his work with Charles Lloyd – is a splendid addition to the team, establishing a profound understanding with Cuban-born pianist David Virelles and Detroit drummer Gerald Cleaver. JazzTimes, reviewing the band in concert, reflected on the strengths of the individual players: "Stanko has never had a piano player like Virelles. When his moments came, he configured his own lyrical domain within the world of a Stanko song. For that matter, Stanko has never had a bassist and drummer like Rogers and Cleaver, with their hard edges and their volatile energy." December Avenue was recorded at Studios La Buissonne in the South of France in June 2016 and produced by Manfred Eicher.
N**D
Disjointed swan song....
All sorts of tempos, track lengths and moods on this one - which produces a frustrating lack of continuity and much diminished album identity despite the fact that three of the group have already recorded together (on 2013’s outstanding ‘Wislawa’). I think it’s a compositional issue rather than Reuben Rogers’ substituting Thomas Morgan on bass (‘Wislawa’) changing the group dynamic too much. For such a 5 star lineup I would have expected the results to sound a little more unified.
P**S
Pure masterpiece.
Stanko's last gift to us. A soulfull jazz journey through time, mind and feelings..
M**I
The Emperor's Old Clothes
Not Stanko's best, and unfortunately a bit of a dirge. His best albums have been: Purple Sun, Soul of Things, and Lontano. Any of these is far better. December Avenue is a bit like a compilation of his weakest minimalist modern pieces, with sounds I've heard many times before. This is a shame, since he is a very good trumpeter.
G**Y
Superb
Superb
M**G
Five Stars
Gorgeous playing and writing
C**N
Simply Beautiful
Beautiful music, very much in the ECM aesthetic with the usual outstanding recording. You can't go wrong.
G**I
Three Stars
i've heard Tomasz Stanko doing better things that this one
B**N
Five Stars
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