Tomasz Dąbrowski and the Individual Beings, 'Troll,' April Records ****

First impressions can be wrong and rather than as ultimately realising that this is spectacular the track seemed a little too comfortable. Considering it is a very thoughtful tribute to Tomasz Stańko – Tomasz Dąbrowski even playing a horn that …

Published: 7 Jan 2022. Updated: 2 years.

First impressions can be wrong and rather than as ultimately realising that this is spectacular the track seemed a little too comfortable. Considering it is a very thoughtful tribute to Tomasz Stańko – Tomasz Dąbrowski even playing a horn that Stańko had played and even more a link the ''individual beings'' a Stańko-ism to boot – perhaps however heretical a thought the trumpeter might just have bitten off more than he could chew.

But then a little while further in listening to a pivotal point when the bassist Max Mucha in the Dąbrowski band transforms the mood the whole thing made sense. Suddenly thoughts turned to hearing Mucha six years ago in Logan Richardson's band – the idiom that April night in Soho highly altered and which involved Mucha hard-grooving all the time.

Dąbrowski, a Pole who has lived in Denmark, has worked with top local musicians and international stars such as Tyshawn Sorey and Kris Davis alike. Recorded in a Polish Radio studio in Warsaw last year 'Troll' is Dąbrowski's own composition and he fashions considerable rapport with his saxophonist front line sparring partner and the lead line captures that ache and melancholia and soul of things that are at the heart of Stanko's sound.

Tomasz Dąbrowski and The Individual Beings (April Records) is out on 11 February

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Playlist: 25 UK jazz pianists you need to really know

Our playlist includes established icons and new names breaking through in the last few years Kit Downes Django Bates Robert Mitchell Zoe Rahman Alexander Hawkins David Mrakpor Andrew McCormack Matthew Bourne Pat Thomas Gwilym Simcock …

Published: 7 Jan 2022. Updated: 2 years.

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Our playlist includes established icons and new names breaking through in the last few years

Kit Downes

Django Bates

Robert Mitchell

Zoe Rahman

Alexander Hawkins

David Mrakpor

Andrew McCormack

Matthew Bourne

Pat Thomas

Gwilym Simcock

Julian Joseph

Jason Rebello

Liam Noble

Joe Armon-Jones

Deschanel Gordon

Brian Kellock

Ivo Neame

Sarah Tandy

Chris Illingworth of GoGo Penguin

James Pearson

Huw Warren

Nikki Iles

Neil Cowley

Fergus McCreadie

Alfa Mist

Kit Downes trio album Vermillion is released in February. Photo: Paula Rae Gibson