Manu Katché
Neighbourhood

Manu Katché is a professional drummer.

He brushes, strikes with great creativity but always keeps in mind the primary goal of any respectable percussionist: to color the music, accompany it, and characterize it by putting himself at its exclusive service.

In this album where he leads, he ends up being, as usual, the… sidekick? No: the "Drummer," which is his noble profession. We find the best of Central-Northern European jazz: Tomasz Stanko, Marcin Wasilewski, and Slawomir Kurkiewicz, a Polish trio of trumpet, piano, and double bass; joined by Jan Garbarek on soprano. The songs on this album, called "Neighborhood," are by Katché and are all very much about a continuous search for timbre by all instruments, exclusively acoustic.

There definitely exists a personal and innovative European path to jazz, as an autonomous contribution to this music. But we've suspected it for years. The album is dedicated to Petrucciani, with whom Manu often collaborated. They are indeed simple songs, intensely lived during the interpretation by group members. There are no moments of waning tension and the performance level of the pieces is very uniform. A masterpiece? No. Excellent jazz, however.
The kind that remains a little to the side: support and mass of sounds to consume and use as a backdrop to our days. It will stay in the player for a long time. A point of return in uncertain moments of your evenings in the years to come. Like a good wine. Executed with class and restraint. Not a flaw.

1) "November 99." Piano intro for a trio piece that unfolds along classic sound lines; halfway between Evans' school, leaving ample space for the double bass, and more relaxed pianism, suitable also for FM stations. Calm: no acrobatics.
2) "Number one" features a horizontal, Latin-inspired movement; thanks to the entry of the winds, coordinated but sufficiently whimsical, a gear change from the first piece.
3) "Lullaby" is, indeed, an intimate story told with simplicity. Beautiful theme.
4) "Good influence" recalls the immortal performances of the "biblical" quintets of the early sixties. For some reason, however, there is still a noticeable stylistic and timbral difference that characterizes the album as absolutely different from any classic remake. Wasilewski, naturally, should be watched. As should the trumpet player, the double bassist, and the… young saxophonist!
5) "February sun." Again, clichés are avoided, interpreting a beautiful ballad that stands out for its relaxation and mastery of color. Few chords. Much interpretation and concentration. Utmost attention to the quality of the notes to be played. Much economy. Intimacy.
6) "No rush." "Rocking with groove" tempo for a piece that serves as a backdrop for the soloists' musings but almost played in modal: here too, very few chords serve as a framework. Sobriety seems to be the key word of the album.
7) "Lovely walk." A time that's once again Latin-inspired accompanies the serene execution of this piece. The themes exposed in unison in this album denote how musicians of different generations and backgrounds but of high class can always achieve a perfect fusion. The jazz language, in this sense, is miraculous. Garbarek scratches; as usual.
8) "Take off and land" unfolds on a syncopated and circular time, allowing an exchange of solos between the winds and piano, making the atmosphere restless yet danceable, thanks to the powerful and precise drumming.
9) "Miles away" presents an obvious tribute to the master Davis and is the first and only piece in ¾ on the album; very beautiful. Impressions of Water Babies and the shadow of Freddie Hubbard pervade the air. Lots of swing, majestic and suspended piano progression. Wasilewski is unrelatable to anyone, gradually emerging as you savor him. He doesn't waste a note, yet you can sense he has uncommon technical mastery. For intelligence and sobriety, I'd liken him to Monk. But much more fluid.
10) "Rose" is another beautiful ballad that closely resembles (as does the entire album) the music of the Ambrosetti brothers (Franco in particular), who are unjustly neglected foremost interpreters of European jazz.

A beautiful album that will surely repay the trust placed in it.

Personal note: my copy, bought on E-bay for 8.50 dollars, came from Riga, Latvia with REGISTERED RETURN RECEIPT! A testament to how quickly things are changing around us. Entire peoples regain immediate dignity and rise proudly and actively to stand by our side in full right. A major growth opportunity for humanity. If we play it right. Europe: what a fascinating period for all of us. After all, Mint Jams, a double album by the Yellow Jackets, which cost a fortune everywhere, I bought a year ago for 10 dollars on a site (CDJungle.com) in English and it arrived… from Oman!!!

Let's just hope the Chinese soon become massively interested in jazz!!!
"Neighborhood": good neighborliness among us, on this third, small rock from the sun.