Search - Tomasz Stanko :: Balladyna

An Important Reissue

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 03/24/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Those who prefer the music of Tomasz Stanko when he is in his Miles Davis mode will be delighted with this second reissue of Balladyna. Personally, I prefer him in a more melodic mood, but still find a lot to like here.

My favorites are: First Song, a stirring, relentless and provocative cut that shows just how good Stanko can be when he is in top form; Last Song, a meandering epic that is pulled along by some snazzy percussion, and Nenaliina, which features an interesting interlude. The only one I don't really like at all is Num, which is just a discordant cacophony of noise.

Although I mostly enjoy Stanko's music, I find one of the problems with it is that he will often get you started on an adventurous musical journey only to drop you abruptly off. You'll hear that many times over the course of his career and several times here.

Balladyna is a short but important part of the Stanko oeuvre, clocking in at around just forty minutes. If you haven't yet picked this one up but are familiar with a lot of other Stanko albums, then you should find this a worthwhile acquisition for occasional enjoyment."