Polish pianist and composer Artur Tuźnik (born 1989) has been based in Copenhagen, Denmark since 2008 and is one of only a few musicians to have studied at both the “classical” (Royal Danish Academy of Music) and “jazz” (Rhythmic Music Conservatory) schools in the Danish capital. His fascination with both sprawling genres is evident in his virtuosic playing, but also in his compositions. As a pianist, Tuźnik is known for his work with drummer Thomas Blachman, Thomas Agergaard, Tomasz Stanko, Chris Cheek, and Tony Malaby among many others. He’s written commissioned pieces for the Classical Days festival in Holstebro and his work as a composer has been celebrated by international audiences and reviewers alike.
The lineup of musicians he’s selected for his sextet reads like a modern all-star band of Scandinavian-based players: American tenor saxophonist Ned Ferm, who has called Copenhagen home since 2001 (known for his work with Roswell Rudd and Kurt Rosenwinkel); Norwegians Erik Kimestad on trumpet (a member of Kresten Osgood’s Quintet), Simon Albertsen on drums (Espen Berg Trio, WAKO); Swedish trombonist Petter Hängsel (Danish Radio Big Band, Horse Orchestra); the legendary Danish bassist Anders “AC” Christensen (Paul Motian’s Electric Bebop Band, Tomasz Stanko). Each of the soloists shines on this album that is thick with highlights.
The songs were recorded in The Village Recording Studio in Copenhagen in early 2020 (just pre-pandemic) by Thomas Vang, and later mixed and mastered by Brian Massaka. The band set up and played together in the same room - a decision made by Tuźnik in order to create a musical intimacy among the players and bring that sound to listeners. That incredible closeness is present throughout this album that absolutely sparkles with creative joy while it inspires nuanced nostalgia.
The first four songs (Road to Nowhere, January, Spring, Tales From The Road) are all interconnected and are based on unique harmonies and forms. Material from Road to Nowhere and Spring are referenced in Tales From The Road - a solo piano piece that functions as an overview for the first part of the musical journey. The next part of the journey kicks off with the enchanting Lazy Song - a tenor saxophone feature that allows both Fermand Tuźnik to soar on the moving minor mood. Christensen plays the band into the energetic, tidal rubato flow of Monday with a meditative bass solo and the album goes to another new place on Water - a tune that follows the theme down a stream that develops into a babbling brook and later becomes roaring rapids. The album’s final selection, Monstera Deliciosa, is a return to the group’s “swing” mode.
The Artur Tuźnik Sextet has officially arrived in 2022 with an album that reminds us of the interconnectedness of the composer’s influences and tunes that put his clear appreciation for nature, spiritualism, and musical beauty front and center. The melodic, harmonic, and structural flow of the music whisks listeners away on a journey that’s engaging, entertaining, and peppered with provocative, natural tension and resolution. SPRING deserves to be heard multiple times to fully grasp its depth, and as the detailed layers of meaning unfold with each listening experience, audiences can look forward to understanding more about the Artur Tuźnik Sextet and its musical mission.
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