I wrote this for jazzreview.com. Click here to read it on that site. You will have to scroll down some.

The Ganelin Trio Poco-A-Poco (Leo Records, 2000)
review by Micah Holmquist
October 15, 2000

Vyacheslav Ganelin (piano, bass, dulcimer, electric guitar),
Vladimir Tarasov (drums, percussion),
Vladimir Chekasin (reeds, wooden flutes, okarina, voice)

The Ganelin Trio was one of the most acclaimed and accomplished musical groups to ever originate in the Soviet Union. From the group’s formation in the 1970s till its end in the 1980s, the Ganelin Trio was the highlight of numerous jazz festivals in the Soviet Union but the Cold War denied them the ability to play or be heard much outside of the Soviet bloc. And that is a real shame because, if Poco-A-Poco is any indication, the group produced some spectacular music.

Steve Kulak points out in his linear notes that the music found on this disc is highly structured and does not rely on improvisation. It is a useful bit of information since a fair amount of the material —all of which is easily classifiable as "new music"- has a chaotic feel to it that suggests randomness and chance, not planning.

Still other parts of this 1978 live recording all but scream planning and composition. The group seamlessly moves from experimental sounds and disjointed music with little sense of rhythm to music that could serve as the soundtrack for many a fairly tale. A dark piano solo by Vyacheslav Ganelin is followed by an energetic yet restrained drum solo from Vladimir Tarasov. Tarasov’s playing is particularly interesting because you can hear a lot of Susie Ibarra —one of the most exiciting drummers playing today, if not the most exciting- in it. I don’t know if Ibarra has ever listened to Tarasov or not but the similarities are striking. Like Ibarra, Tarasov uses ride and crash cymbals and the toms in a nearly melodic fashion while the bass, snare, and hi-hat serve a more rhythmic purpose.

That said, if this disc can have only one star then it would have to be Vladimir Chekasin. His saxophones and flute work is more often than not the centerpiece of this recording and he shows a great deal of creativity. And when Chekasin adds his voice, he creates sounds that approximate what the howls of dogs would sound like if man’s best friends had developed their voices as humans have done with their music. Chekasin, like his band mates, never gets abrasive or too abstract for the casual listener. For this reason the disc could serve as background music although giving it this role a role exclusively would be a mistake.

Leo Records first released Poco-A-Poco in 1988 but has come out with a limited edition copy that has the previously mentioned footnotes. There are only 500 copies of this new edition and if there is any chance of this release going out of print, you will want to pick up a copy as copy as soon as possible. Actually you should pick up copy if you have any interest in creative music. Poco-A-Poco is that good.

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