Neighbourhood gathers Jan Garbareck, Tomasz Stanko, Marcin Wasilewski and Slawomir Kurkiewicz. ECM. 2005.
CD Reviews
Very nice neighbours to have
Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 12/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This cd is highly enjoyable. It's not a usual ECM record I can say. It's a little bit easier harmonically in a sense, but meantime it's still of very high artistic value. It is a very balanced recording. It's at the same time deep and fresh music. You can listen to it accurately or you can loop it in the background and be really happy with it. Stanko and Garbarek form a very interesting horn duo. Katché is a light drummer, his playing is modern, very sensitive and accurate. He has a really nice touch on the drum set. As I keep listening to this album again and again I still find it quite different from the common ECM catalogue (I mean the cameristic music they often publish). It is light and intriguing, a little more bouncing, rhytmic music. Of course it depends from the fact that it has a drummer as the leader, I don't know. Anyway it is a very nice record for the connossoir but for the novice too. I mean that I feel to suggest it even to those unfamiliar with Jazz because it's a very easy listening in my opinion. So if you jazz novices want to buy a nice jazz cd to appear sophisticated when friends come to visit you this could be the one. Stanko does some exceptional trumpet playing over some quite urban, sophisticated, light tunes. I appreciated Katcheé's playing very much and Wasilewski piano playing too. The ensembe is very unique, coherent and they complement each other perfectly."
Listenable jazz and great piano (FJB/O!-music 2006)
A.J.H. Woodcount | 02/07/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Very listenable jazz. Beautifull piano of Marcin Wasilewski!! Great combination of Stanko on trumpet and Garbarek on tenor saxophone, blending very good. Easy drumming by Manu Katche, never getting in the way of the music. The rhythm-duo (Slawomir Kurkiewicz on bass) does what it must do: create the base of the songs, but with a great sense of timing and subtlety. The sound of the album depents very much on the sound of Wasilewski's piano. The second song sounds a little like EST, but it doesn't get the same intensity of some EST-material. But that's no problem here.
Full and warm recording, with enough aspects for both the romantic and the cool intelectual.
(Further more I recomend the good review of Jazzcat.)"
Excellent, Just Excellent
J. M. Flack | Detroit, MI USA | 04/16/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am a Tomasz Stanko fan. I tried this CD on a whim since Tomasz was playing on it. I absolutley love it. A very beautiful CD that is very pleasing to my ear. Wonderful, slow, rhythmic melodies. One of my all time favorite Jazz CD's and I have ~ 1500 of them."
Laid Back Jazz
mp3support@wi.rr.com | WI, United States | 06/07/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
""Neighbourhood" by Manu Katche, with Jan Garbareck, Tomasz Stanko, Marcin Wasilewski and Slawomir Kurkiewicz - 2005, ECM Label.
Drummer, Manu Katche, has been making a name for himself as one of the world's better drummers. That may be a matter of opinion but I confess I do like him pretty much. I would describe his style as `soft-spoken'. I first heard the cut "February Sun" from this CD on Cable Radio before I ordered it. I love the Scandinavian Jazz genre from the ECM label so when I saw the incredible artists accompanying Katche, ordering this CD was a no-brainer for me.
This CD is a bit of a departure from the typical ECM album. This is an easy album to listen to, maybe a little too easy for some. The music is quiet, moody, melodic and perhaps not-very-challenging for some of you. When my wife first heard a few cuts, she said "that's nice music". She hates avant guard jazz so that should give you an idea just how smooth this CD is.
Some negative reviewers complained that this CD was nothing more than smooth jazz but that misses the mark. There's more here than just smooth jazz. Jan Garbareck, Tomasz Stanko and Marcin Wasilewski on piano keep it interesting enough. Manu Katche's drumming is quite good and he manages to stay out of the way of the other musicians. I like bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz playing on this CD as well. The group as a whole reminds me a bit of the Swedish group E.S.T.
If you can imagine, Jan Garbareck, and Tomasz Stanko, playing with E.S.T. then you can imagine what the group sounds like. Those two horn players do some really nice work together and are worth the price of the CD alone.
My modest system (hybrid tube-integrated and MMG speakers) gives a very nice sweet presentation of this type of music. It's detailed enough to bring Katche's percussion forward and give the horns a biting presence. Plus it does a fantastic job of realistically imaging small jazz groups like this.
I recommend the CD for those that want a laid back change of pace, especially if you're a Jan Garbareck, and/or Tomasz Stanko fan.
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1