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Bergesseelengesang zwischen drei Flüssen
Bester internationaler Jazz ...
Musik ist Gefühl
Bester internationaler Jazz: Das AMC-Trio im Passauer Scharfrichterhaus
Das wird kein Folkloreabend, so viel ist schon nach den ersten Takten klar. Für das AMC-Trio, das am Dienstagabend mit dem schwedischen Gitarristen Ulf Wakenius im Passauer Scharfrichterhaus spielte, ist die Herkunft aus dem ostslowakischen Prešov noch inspirierender Humus, sie machen ihn aber fruchtbar für Jazz von internationalem Rang. Es bleiben davon vor allem die Geschichten hinter den Liedern, ihr Gefühlsgehalt und die eine oder andere Melodielinie. Das ist für das Trio eine wesentliche Komponente - Kontrabassist Martin Marincák nimmt sich beinahe vor jedem Lied Zeit, dem Publikum die übersetzte Botschaft zu beschreiben - und vertieft die reibungslose Zusammenarbeit mit ihrem „Gast“-Solisten Wakenius. „Der spielt besser als John Scofield“, heißt es aus dem Publikum, aber auf Wakenius’ technischem Niveau kann es wohl kein besser oder schlechter mehr geben. Sein klarer, runder Klang erinnert tatsächlich entfernt an Scofield, doch auf seiner E-Gitarre spielt er den Jazz ungleich intensiver, zwingender. Keine Spielerei scheint ihm fremd: hochmotiviert und konzentriert stürzt er sich in die Stücke und schüttelt dabei ruhig seine Griffbrett-Wiesler und Modulationen aus dem Handgelenk. Während er sich in einem gewissen sportlichen Gestus manchmal fast selbst überholt, ist Musizieren für AMC vor allem eine gefühlsintensive Angelegenheit. Das pulsierende Schlagzeug von Stanislav Cvanciger, die leicht romantisierte Klanggebung von Pianist Peter Adamkovic geben etwa dem emanzipatorischen Basisgroove der „Komposition gegen die Unfreiheit und Unterjochung: Last Time Heros“ eine Kraft, der Wakenius noch durch das Doppeln des Leitmotivs den letzten Kick verleiht. Unter solchen Vorzeichen wird es für diese Kooperation sicher nicht bei diesem ersten Auftritt in Deutschland bleiben. Frank Müller pnp.de
Wiosenny Gorzów Jazz Celebrations 2009
Następnego wieczora ostatni koncert tej edycji GJC zagrali: szwedzki gitarzysta Ulf Wakenius w towarzystwie słowackiego AMC Trio (Ulf Vakenius - guitars, Peter Adamkovič - piano, Martin Marinčak - double bass, Stanislav Cvanciger - drums) w programie z ich wspólnej płyty "Soul Of The Mountain". Ulf Wakenius to jedna z nowych gwiazd jazzowej gitary, współpracownik Oscara Petersona i Raya Browna. Ostatnią, doskonale recenzowaną produkcją gitarzysty jest nominowana do nagrody Grammy płyta "Love Is Real" poświęcona tragicznie zmarłemu, szwedzkiemu pianiście Esbjörnowi Svenssonowi. AMC Trio to z kolei znakomite, znane w Europie, słowackie trio fortepianowe silnie inspirowane słowacką muzyką ludową. Taka też muzyka popłynęła tego dnia ze sceny "Jazz Clubu Pod Filarami" - dobrze skrojona harmonia i wyeksponowane, wyraziste tematy. Zadziwiająco dobrze w tym słowiańskim klimacie odnalazł się skandynawski gitarzysta, który dla urozmaicenia dorzucił w solowym popisie inny jeszcze melanż kulturowy w postaci japanese calypso. Żywiołowy występ naszych północnych i południowych sąsiadów został bardzo ciepło przyjęty przez klubową publiczność, także dzięki przesympatycznym monologom Martina Marinčaka, wprowadzającym słuchaczy w przesłanie poszczególnych kompozycji.
Marek Demidowicz, DIAPAZON.PL
HUSA NA PROVÁZKU, 26/4/2009 JazzFestBrno BRNO
V neděli večer zalidněné divadlo Husa na provázku přivítalo skvělé hudebníky sdružené do jedinečného mezinárodního projektu. Slovenské AMC Trio představuje nezvyklou stálici v jazzovém světě. Peter Adamkovič, Martin Martinčák a Stanislav Cvancinger už spolu hrají celých dvanáct let a postupně si získali respekt nejen u nás, ale i ve světě. Snad i díky tomu se jim podařilo nalákat ke spolupráci špičkového švédského kytaristu Ulfa Wakeniuse, bývalého člena slavného Oscar Peterson Quartet. Hudebníci během koncertu prakticky přehráli nové album Soul of the Mountain, ale jak už bývá u jazzu zvykem, ke každé skladbě přidali něco navíc. Večerem publikum vtipně provázel kontrabasista Martin Martinčák. U několika kusů zmínil, z jakých východoslovenských lidových písní vycházejí, ovšem i ti, jež originál znali, byli často nakonec ztraceni v proudu jazzu. Asi nejpůsobivěji se do paměti posluchačů zapsal Ulf Wakenius. V rukou skandinávského obra vypadala kytara až směšně malá, jakmile však dostala prostor, změnila se v šestihlavňový kulomet chrlící dokonale uspořádanou změť tónů. Pianista Peter Adamkovič se však nenechal zahanbit, při jeho sólech stačilo jen zavřít oči a unášet se. I bubeník Stanislav Cvancinger měl svůj moment. Během vystoupení mu vypadla z ruky palička – trapné zaváhání pak bohatě odčinil šílenou řeží během přídavku.
JazzFestBrno opět výběrem interpretů nezklamal a publikum to náležitě ocenilo velmi dlouhým potleskem. Kdo Ulf Wakeniuse a AMC Trio promeškal, nemusí zoufat. V ČR v říjnu tohoto roku se hudebníci ve stejném složení představí na jazzových festivalech v Ústí nad Labem a v Hradci Králové
Interview, Jazz Forum 9/2009 ( jazz magazine polonaise )
The pianist
Brad Mehldau has entitled several of his albums Art of Trio. What does
the art of trio mean for You?
Martin: A trio in comparison with bigger formations is much more transparent and cleaner. It is like a small brook with crystal clear water, so that you can see the stones on the bottom. But despite that such a small brook can sometimes transform to a wild element which can be very dangerous.
You can feel
when the players in a trio understand and trust each other. Everybody
bears his own part of responsibility, means nobody can hide, but on
the other hand, everyone has two more musicians behind, which will always
support him. It is much worse in a duo or solo.J
Peter: On the
other hand the trio gives you bigger space for your musical expression.
And besides that, it is a line-up where every member is still a part
of the game. It is a mutual interaction from the beginning to the end.
It cannot happen that someone is waiting for his space as it is with
the solo instruments or singing.
Stano: In the
beginning I used to play in different bigger ensembles. But I didn't
always wanted to play as a sideman in a band of somebody else. A playing
in the trio is for me the most interesting. As the rhythm in the jazz
has been always considered the most important part, I want to use it
fully in the trio, which offers me the biggest space for
it and I don't want - as Martin said- to stand clear of
this art of trio playing.
When did
you decide on playing only author material? Do you sometimes play standards
as well?
Martin: That
decision was coming slowly. First we tested the audience reaction
by adding some own pieces to our repertoire. In the beginning
we were a bit self-conscious. We were playing our own music that sounded
totally different than the standards. We even used different harmonic
sequences than those in the jazz standards. And that called for a totally
different approach than we and the most of jazz musicians were used
to. That is the reason why we sometimes had a feeling that our compositions
are probably not as good as the standards. Many times we made up our
own piece which sounded like a standard. But it didn't sound well.
We understood that it wasn`t our way. Finally, after several years
experience of playing own music we have no hesitation anymore that we
have to play exactly what we are playing. It is natural for us
and we feel comfortable with that.
What is the
most fascinating about the East Slovak folklore that influenced your
compositions?
Martin: We
surely don`t draw only from the East Slovak folklore, and if so,
we don`t know about it and thus it is a subconscious process. But when
we are talking about the East Slovak folklore, we find it one of the
most beautiful. The Eastern Slovakia isn't a large area and that is
a reason why our folklore has been very much influenced by Hungarian,
Ruthenian, or Ukrainian and Polish folklore. Recently in Poland we have
heard a folk song that sounded exactly like the East Slovak 'A Okolo
Levoci'...and we could find many other examples. We are fascinated
by some folk songs lyrics. At first sight it is nothing interesting,
but after a substantial reading out we can find there very deep things.
But we have to realize that folk music in the past used to be something
as pop music or dance music today, just individual songs were popular
among smaller amount of people, so many songs are quite simple or they
are under certain cliché.
Stano: In my
opinion the East Slovak folklore has become a propagator of folk songs,
which have been a part of the oldest way of musical expression ( as
it has been with the songs of black people in America where jazz was
born). Many classical and popular composers were influenced by
folk songs and, as it was already said, we are fascinated by
folk songs lyrics and these composers must have been fascinated
by its depth as well, and thanks to them the songs become known and
remained written in our hearts. I am also glad that Ulf perceives our
music as the 'Slovak” music.
How would
You comment your first album Thor-Iza when You look back?
Martin: Thor-Iza
was that first definite step which we made on our way to the author
repertoire, even though the album contained also one piece which
wasn`t ours, it is a harmonically rearranged American folk song Amazing
Grace. We were curious if it had not been a wrong step, a direction
to the trappy swamps and marshes where we would mire and it would slowly
absorb us so there would not remain a trace of us K.
Fortunately it did not happen, at least not until now. We believe that
the way we have chosen is right.
Peter: I find
it the first attempt whose result was shaped in very
misty contours. But at concerts it was selling well and the reactions
were positive. Its most important meaning was that it encouraged us
in our direction.
The artistic
expression of AMC Trio is very consistent. Despite that, how would you
describe the individual contribution of particular trio members ?
Martin: I would
better talk about my colleagues. I think, if there was another guy sitting
on the place of drummer and piano player, however good he was, any big
world star and if we played the same music, it would sound totally
different and I dare to say that not better. What I want to say
is that the artistic contribution of my colleagues is irreplaceable.
Everyone in the trio is different but despite that we have a lot of
common. They want to serve to our music and to approach it with
the enormous meekness, that everybody who talks to them
must feel. We all come from the same background, we understand each
other and predominantly, we know what we want to say with our music.
Peter: By the
fact, that our artistic feeling is different, we can together
construct a mosaic of our typical musical sound. It is true that the
change of musician would on principle change the music and it
wouldn`t be the genuine AMC Trio anymore.
Your music
is notable for its impressive melodic lines and transparent harmonies.
Could you describe the process of creation of your compositions?
Martin: The
individual ideas are not a group work. It means that someone of us usually
brings the idea. Then we work on it together. We analyse, we work with
the motif and harmony, form, rhythm, etc. There are so many things that
can be done with the new idea and we want to try all possible in order
to achieve the best result. Sometimes it takes a long time until we
are so satisfied with the result that we take it out and play at the
concert. But even after that it isn`t sure that we will keep this new
piece in our repertoire. It sometimes happens that we reject the piece,
that we had already played at the concert if we feel it wasn't
right. We have an agreement that if someone of us has any doubt about
the new piece, we don't play it. Many times it was worth it. It is
often matter of a detail. And when we find it, then the result is often
unexpected.
Peter: The
final shape of the composition is often totally different than the
author intended. And that is why our compositions have a joint
authorship.
Which jazz
trios have influenced you the most?
Martin: It
is quite difficult to mention a particular trio. I can name for example
Keith Jarrett Trio, McCoy Tyner Trio, Jacky Terrason Trio, John Taylor
Trio...
Peter: I can
certainly say for all of us that we like very much the music of EST
Trio. We also like such an untiring stubborness with which
they promoted the author repertoire, which is the most exceptional of
conventional jazz conceptions of all trios.
Stano: I can't
say if any specific trio has influenced me the most, but I like Brad
Mehldau Trio and other trios sounding similarly. But I don't want to
prefer any of them. Recently I was listening to The Bad Plus Trio
that I didn't know before and I found them interesting.
What music
do like listening?
Martin: I prefer
listening to good music. In different genres we can find many
good things. Now I maybe listen more to classical music than I
used before, especially Bach but also other composers.
Peter: I am
very fastidious in jazz now. But I have been attracted to the European
sounding jazz where the feeling of European music tradition can be found.
I also listen to a lot of classical music but also older rock music.
And I love tango of Astor Piazzolla. And many other things, I am just
afraid we have no space to talk about it here.
Stano: I listen
to the masters of music.
Which of
your concerts do you consider exceptional?
Peter: We have experienced many great gigs where we got really unbelievable reactions to our music. It is hard to choose only one the best from that amount. Sometimes we have a feeling that we played well but the reaction of the audience wasn't adequate and vice versa. Sometimes we are not satisfied with our performance but the audience is delighted.
But we will
never forget our concert in Prešov on 1st of May this year during which
we promoted our new CD. It was exceptional mainly by the fact, that
a lot of our friends which support us and help us got together there.So
we could thank them through our music.
Stano: Our
first concerts abroad in Poland. If you are going to play on the place
where nobody has heard you yet (at that time we even didn't have a
webpage) you will have mixed feelings about and You
will mainly be afraid how Poles, brought up on jazz, will react. But
their first reactions in a form of a big applause and big appreciation
convinced me that to play the concert for them had been something
exceptional for me and for the guys as well.
What is the
real life and possibilities of jazzmen in Slovakia?
Peter: It is
like anywhere else. If you play good music that makes sense, you can
play wherever. We can not complain all the time about few opportunities
to play jazz in Slovakia. If you believe your music is worth it,
you have to do all to deliver it to the right listeners.
Martin: To
the right listeners at home but also wherever abroad. Jazz music, despite
the fact, it can consist of different ethnic and local influences, is
international enough for export abroad. It is another possibility how
to extend the music market if somebody is good enough and knows how
to do that.
Stano: If this
question is about how to make a living, because I make a living by
playing music, then the real life of a jazzman in Slovakia but also
abroad is quite difficult. It is hard to find somebody who got rich
of jazz.
You incidentally
play with a string quartet. Can you describe this project?
Peter: Recently
we haven't played with a string quartet for a long time, because it
is a big problem to manage such a big ensemble. But before we enjoyed
this fusion because Adrian Harvan has arranged the strings not only
as a sounding background but he has given them an expressive melodic
and solo functions. On some places he even composed out different introductions
and codes. The concerts with the strings were a big success. We are
going to use this fusion on our coming CD in some pieces.
How did you
come to the cooperation with the guitar player Ulf Wakenius?
Peter: Ulf
had a direct contact line on his webpage. We wrote him an e-mail if
he would be willing to play the original compositions with the
Slovak trio. He was first interested in the concert dates and
then he wanted to hear our music. We sent him some Mp3 and his reply
was positive. He always tells us that it is the music that convinced
him to cooperate with us. We can say today that we are a compact band
building its position on the European jazz scene. We are now preparing
several European tours in the next two years.
Your latest
CD Soul Of The Mountain is getting very positive reviews. Is it only
your author album or does it contain also Ulf's compositions?
Peter: All
the compositions on this album are only by AMC Trio. But Ulf also
speculates about adding his pieces to our repertoire as his music feeling
and the taste are very close to ours.
Martin: Of
course we three brought the main music themes but Ulf brings to every
piece so many beautiful themes that sometimes we think about accepting
his authorshipJ.
Can you name
out jazz sources that your music comes from?
Peter: Our
source is music itself. It is not important if it is jazz, classic,
rock, pop, or folklore. We have been influenced by strong and deep melodies
built on interesting harmonic sequences. It is exactly what we want
to put to our music. We never think about if we sound as jazz.
It has to sound as music. Then we of course improvise and this is why
we are filed into the category of jazz bands. But we don't want to
stay in a box with the jazz label. We want to say something with our
music to more extent circle of another listeners and we quite succeed
so far, following the audience reactions.
Martin: Our
source or inspiration is not just music. We are fascinated by
nature, literature, poetry, and certainly also history and spiritual
things and how all these things influence each other.
-It is rather
unique to keep playing in one line-up at present. Has the common playing
become an advantage or does it bring any risk? To what extend do opinions
of individual member of trio differ?
Peter: Playing
long time together is a great avantage. Especially when players understand
each other as musicians and people, as we three do (with Ulf four).
Of course, our opinions about music can differ but they always
flow in a frame of our music conception. And it is this opinion difference
that forms our compositions to the final shape. The stable band can
always build on what it already possesses. It can be still better in
comparison with accidental projects where the result doesn't have to
respond to the music level of individual players.
Stano: We have
been officially playing together for 13 years but actually it is less
as I worked for six years far away from my colleagues so we played
only seldom and there was no time to work on own compositions as it
is now. I believe that this long time playing still hasn`t come.
I noticed
you recorded both of your albums in Poland. Was it a coincidence or
did you decide intentionally?
Peter : There
was always some intention. First time we could not find the appropriate
studio in Slovakia with a good piano and Wisla was acceptable for us
as it is not too far. Second time we were ending our tour with Ulf Wakenius
in Poland and our Swedish friend had an acceptable flight home just
from Warszaw where we were recording. In both cases there were experienced
jazz musicians at the mixing desk who knew how that music should have
sounded.
Stano: The
decision to record both albums in Poland came after abortive previous
attempts to make a recording in Slovakia and it was very acceptable
and also in matter of sound it was very important. After the 'rough”
and quality recording of our music on the CD we could easily
take the recording home and adjust it to such a sound form as we wished.
I also have to say that we were working on that for quite a long time.
What projects
and concerts do you plan in the nearest period?
Peter and Stano: In the nearest period we will have several tours (mostly in Poland and Slovakia). The nearest tour with Ulf we have since 12th of October. During the tour we will play in Germany, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic at the festivals in Ústí nad Labem and in Hradec Králové. In November we have next tour in Poland and Hungary. In February 2010 we are planning the tour in Germany and in April again in Germany and Poland.
The next year
in the autumn we are going to record our new CD with Ulf Wakenius and
with special guests whose names we don`t want to reveal yet .
Interview prepared by Peter Katina
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