Maciej Obara Quartet

Passion runs deep in the Polish jazz scene, and iconic artists like Krzysztof Komeda and Tomasz Stanko have been the soundtrack to the tumultuous changes modern Poland has experienced. It was through the latter that saxophonist Maciej Obara first came to prominence, recording with the celebrated trumpeter’s ECM project New Balladyna Quartet. Today he’s the leader, providing continuity from the old masters to a new generation that includes pianist Dominik Wania, bassist Maciej Garbowski and drummer Krzysztof Gradziuk. The Polish signature is unmistakable, full of beautifully rendered introspection, and Noirish themes that tentatively give way to swinging forms, swelling and receding through organic group understanding. For his part, Obara is a formidable saxophonist, dark and chromatic, with an ear for great lines that mesh particularly well with the inquisitive piano of Dominik Wania.