Featuring: Martin Küchen | Rafal Mazur
Martin Küchen - sopranino and alto saxophones
Rafał Mazur - acoustic bass guitar
Maciej Lewenstein -
On a cold day of January 2019 a packet from NoBusiness Records arrived with several LPs, and "Baza" among them. Wow!!! This is one the best free improvised duo albums I have ever heard. It is trivially the best in its own category: while there are many double bass-saxophones duo, there is only one fretless acoustic bass guitar and there is only one Rafal Mazur! But, his playing is frequently more profound than that of double bass improvisers. The album was recorded live in the BAZA club in Kraków by the ingenious Rafal Rafał Drewniany, who also mixed the material. Arunas Zujus mastered it, and Danas Mikailionis produced it. Already the cover announces a masterpiece: it is a 1930s glass plate photography of "Worker's Bath-House as Wegierska Górka" by Karol Suchanek. Martin Küchen, born 1966, is one of the leading contemporary improvisers, of course belonging to the Scandinaviuan "school", but very different, say, from Mats Mats-olof Gustafsson. Martin is a master of changing moods: from lyrical and peaceful, to energetic and explosive, from expressive and extravertic to implosive and introvertic. But, at the same time he is the master of meditation. In this sense he is more than perfect partner for Rafal, who is also a master of the meditation and moods trading. The combinations of this two musicians brings up such synergy and mutual cooperation, that really... one cannot ask for more. The LP starts with "Baza 1", which begins relatively powerfully on alto, and continues in the second part more tranquil on sopranino, with fantastic bowing of Rafaª. "Baza 2" is an incredible alto-bass guitar dialogue, which becomes very abstract at the end with various effects created by both instruments. There is nothing else like this music. I am looking already forward for the Nobject trio recording, in which Rafal and Martin are joined by Vasco Trilla. This will sure deserve six stars!
