Jazz breaking news: Deconstructing Scarlatti And Two Become One At The Jazz And Experimental Music From Poland Festival
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
What would Derrida have made of the Jazz and Experimental Music From Poland festival that reaches a conclusion tonight with Piotr Kurek and a live electronic set? He, without wishing to be too flippant, would probably have deconstructed the whole notion.
But then deconstruction was one of the main ideas behind the three-day festival, which began at the Vortex on Monday with the Maciej Obara Quartet and the Arszyn/Duda duo.
Last night the action moved over to Camden Town venue The Forge on Delancey Street for a double header featuring a solo piano performance by Marcin Masecki deconstructing Scarlatti followed by the double bass and drums pairing of the Oleś Duo – brothers Marcin Oleś and Bartłomiej Brat Oleś. Masecki began in a slightly child-like way using a kind of anti-technique that bore little resemblance to the baroque. Indeed, the baroque was suitably reimagined in his hands, stripping away historical context and fast forwarding to a post-improv universe that betrayed few of the mannerisms of the much misunderstood genre that co-exists alongside free jazz. As the piano improvisation developed and slivers of recognisable Scarlatti appeared Masecki teased relentlessly, ducking and weaving as waves of fleet fingerings engulfed us, using his impressive control to virtually smash the keys, introducing a kind of oceanic torment to the docile room.
The Oles brothers who came on after this thought provoking opening storm were also deconstructing their source inspirations and ideas in their own particular way. Possibly the chief of these in the drummer’s case was the late great Edward Vesala who in Bartłomiej Brat Oleś’ polyrhythms was uncannily summoned back to life as if he was returning with a great roar, fulminating once again about the death of jazz. Marcin Oleś meanwhile has the tone and beauty in mind of a player of Palle Danielsson’s quality and the ideas of a musician who thinks beyond his instrument, pulsing tremendous cues to his brother and opening up dramatic spiritual vistas that made the duo seem more like an orchestra. Wonderful stuff. The ultimate deconstruction of the evening was that the three musicians did not play as a trio. Now there's a thought.
– Stephen Graham
For ticket info and more details on the festival's closing concert tonight go to www.servantjazzquarters.com