TOMASZ STAŃKO — December Avenue (review)

TOMASZ STAŃKO — December Avenue album cover Album · 2017 · Post-Fusion Contemporary Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Steve Wyzard
LAST CALL

By the time December Avenue was released in 2017, trumpeter Tomasz Stanko had only a little over a year left to live. After helping to revitalize the ECM label in the early 2000's, this album proved to be his final release. While the classic Stanko trademarks can be found throughout in abundance, do not expect this to be a "last-will-and-testament" album. If anything, Stanko's passing places a poignant shadow of unfulfilled promise over this music, as the ensemble exceedingly demonstrates they were far from done.

Bassist Reuben Rogers has replaced Thomas Morgan, but otherwise both David Virelles (keyboards) and Gerald Cleaver (drums) return from 2013's Wislawa album. All 12 tracks include copious space for both soloing and improvising. Three of the 12 ("Burning Hot", "December Avenue", and "Yankiels Lid") are driven by vigorous Rogers basslines, with Stanko and Virelles playing brightly and clangorously together. The other nine are impressionistic, incantatory, melancholy Stanko compositions that never cease to surprise. On "Bright Moon", a fluttering trumpet resounds above haunted drum rolls, while "Young Girl in Flower" is a little too busy to be a peaceful closer. Don't miss the sudden piano explosion in "Sound Space" or Rogers's arco performance in "The Street of Crocodiles".

You may not be blown away when you first hear December Avenue, but don't give up: it has much to offer over repeated listens. And while it will naturally be compared to 21st century masterpieces like Suspended Night (2004) or Soul of Things (2002), this is very much a different work that stands completely on its own. At 64:23, it's shorter than previous Stanko ECM albums, but loses nothing by being so. Those looking for a "crowning achievement" album may be disappointed, for it's nothing more or less than Stanko doing what he does best. That this is regretfully the last album makes December Avenue all that much more memorable and cherished.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Sonic Creed Volume II : Life Signs World Fusion
STEFON HARRIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
My Ship Hard Bop
WILLIE JONES III
Buy this album from MMA partners
Ice Breaking Post-Fusion Contemporary
DAG ARNESEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin : Brasil Latin Jazz
LEE RITENOUR
Buy this album from MMA partners
From The North - Gogo Penguin Live In Manchester Nu Jazz
GOGO PENGUIN
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

GoGo Penguin - From the North - GoGo Penguin Live in Manchester
GOGO PENGUIN
js· 6 hours ago
03 Willie Jones III My Ship #NightIsAlive
WILLIE JONES III
snobb· 1 day ago
Fall
SUNNY KIM
js· 1 day ago
Twilight
RANDY SCOTT
js· 2 days ago
Trifecta - Beck and Call - official video (taken from The New Normal)
TRIFECTA
js· 3 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed