Marcin Wasilewski Trio
at the Morse Theatre

On this evening, the talented Marcin Wasilewski Trio entertained with selections from their latest well-received album "January" (ECM, see our review here). As good as that recording is, the band seemed to surpass it in a live setting, bringing extra energy to bear. The wondrous acoustics and sound system of the Morse brought all the intricacies of the band interplay to the audience's ears, with even small chimes and finger noises on Slawomir Kurkiewicz's acoustic bass highly audible. Drummer Michal Miskiewicz pulled out an assortment of sounds from his kit in a performance owing much to Paul Motian's trailblazing. Wasilewski, meanwhile, was in constant motion - one moment a zephyr, the next a hurricane - coaxing, caressing and stroking the keys of the grand piano to produce torrents of pleasing sound.

With songs from former boss Tomas Stanko, Gary Peacock, Carla Bley and (?!) Prince, along with several tasty originals, it is tough to choose highlights. But if one must, the powerful album opener "The First Touch" was a great way to start a concert, while Ennio Morricone's "Cinema Pardiso" nearly melted in your mouth like cotton candy. Bley's "King Korn" was a crowd pleaser, and I found new respect for albums tracks like "The Young and Cinema," "The Cat" and Peacock's "Vignette." Throughout, the group played brilliantly together, showcasing their empathy from having played together for so many years. Wasilewski's compositions have a haunting way of injecting a sudden and unexpected sense of bittersweetness or foreboding just as a melody is ready to break into the expected and this gives the music a sense of jittery excitement that makes the melodic junctures that much sweeter. Kudos to the Trio for such a wonderful presentation of intelligent and rewarding music, and kudos to The Morse for booking this great band; may there be many more to come.