Stephan Micus is one of a kind. He fearlessly and boldly travels his own path around the world of music and musical instruments and creates sounds that are worldly, folky, new-agey, but uniquely his...

Both leaders have played extensively with the late Paul Motian and assembled a band of other Motian veterans to pay tribute to one of the best drummer/composers there ever was in jazz.

Here we have a duo record of a longtime ECM veteran and a newbie to ECM, albeit not a newbie in any other sense. Fred Hersch has been appearing on records since the late 70s and released his first as a leader, I think, in 1985 as another duo album with Jane Ira Blume, which also contained Child's...

...there isn't more.

I don't want to break down this album by song or talk about the playing. It's all stellar and speaks for itself.

...Marcin Wasilewski Trio here in Tokyo last year, which was amazing.

The output of this quartet is very, very good and also varied. There are two albums of 'Variations,' "Soul Of Things" and "Suspended Night." There there is "Lontano," an album of songs by Krzysztof Komeda. And this. Too bad...

...More than how good this album is, I really wish I could have been there. I have seen Stanko perform a few times in NYC (Birdland and the Jazz Standard) and it's always been great. However, I don't think I've ever seen him perform with this quartet. On the other hand, I was able to catch the...

...gives us some fun percussive guitar playing.

I didn't expect this, but I really like this record. I am glad I fond this older record in the catalog that I missed. (I listened to 2616 and 2618 back in January 2023.)

Have a listen, yourself, and let me know what you think!

...accordion. Low rumbling beds of ambiance are not what I am used to hearing from one. Then the guitar brings in chord voicings that reming me of Radiohead, or was it Brad Mehldau playing Radiohead? Also, it took me a minute to recognize the tine given it's arrangement. Lovely. "Feux Follets"...

...human breath coming from the accordion. The arpeggiated chords from the guitar drive underneath the long, soft tones. "Rêverie" hands the arpeggio role to the accordion and the guitar takes on the melodic duties. "Greensleeves" is another where I am surprised at what I am hearing from the...

...that I like.

There is a common language between these two, Matinier and Kevin Seddiki that I really love. The ebbs and flows of the music feel telepathic, the stretched notes are patiently waited for, and the understated repetition is mirrored.

"Après La Pluie" begins with what sounds like...

...Shame on me for not remembering this man's name: Jean-Louis Matinier. I had to look at the discography to "remind" myself that I enjoyed his playing on several records already. He appears on albums by Anouar Brahem, Louis Sclavis, and François Couturier's Tarkovsky Quartet, all great artists...