Recording of the Week, Alice Zawadzki, Fred Thomas & Misha Mullov-Abbado - Za Górami

Za Górami, Alice Zawadzki’s newest album, traverses through world music, interpreting songs from Argentina, France, Venezuela, Poland and Sephardic culture for an album that amalgamates the jazz idiom with chamber music, improvisation and folk songs. Joined by Fred Thomas (piano, vielle & drums) and Misha Mullov-Abbado (double bass), Alice Zawadzki (vocals & violin) announces the trio’s first foray together. An effortless connection and appreciation for one another are evident.

Sephardic music stems from the Jewish communities that inhabited the Iberian Peninsula. Performed in the Judeo-Spanish dialect traditionally, it can use languages including Hebrew, Turkish and Greek. The roots of the music can be traced back to fifteenth-century Spain and Portugal. After the Jewish diaspora, it gained elements from countries to which people had fled, including Greece, Bulgaria and Morocco.

A soft opening to the album with ‘Dezile A Mi Amor’, a single drone basks in the ethereal voice, interjected by a scattering of percussion. The mood shifts to a sombre segment, manipulated by Zawadzki’s voice, before pushing into a double bass solo that contorts against the dance-like drum pattern. Much of the repertoire that follows can appear to be mellow and melancholic; however, the thoughtful orchestration and delivery from each musician encapsulates the hidden beauty in the lyrics and music. 

‘Los Bilbilikos’ personifies the traditional songs of Sephardi Jews. The juxtaposition of the flowing, lyrical Ladino language and the quartal-sounding string instrument develops into a layered texture. Harmonically, this traditional folk song utilises the Phrygian dominant mode (Spanish Phrygian) to create an effervescent atmosphere, with interpositions from the instruments being tastefully worked beneath the vocals. The wistful melody on ‘Nani Nani’, a lullaby from the Sephardim culture, and the soft, warm approach to ‘Arvoles Lloran por Lluvias’ evoke an air of tranquility. 

Fred Thomas delivers an elegiac ode with his baroque-inspired composition ‘Gentle Lady’, set to the words of James Joyce. A left-hand piano ostinato lays the groundwork, rhythmically interplaying with the bass in a ‘give and go’ scenario before flourishing into a lyrical improvisation. An open book, free for interpretation, the harmony is placed out of centre stage, leaving the ear guessing where the song may turn. It is important to note that Alice Zawadzki’s command of her voice allows her to perform these songs with ease, while still retaining a distinctive and emotive timbre, effortlessly ascending and descending throughout her range. 

A re-interpretation of a traditional Polish song, ‘Za Górami’ journeys through fairy tales, stories and imaginary works. The track opens with the lone whisper from Zawadkzi, pursued by ominous descending patterns of the piano and double bass. A climactic title track that twists and turns, narrated by the delicate and measured playing of Fred Thomas, compliments Mullov-Abbado’s thick resonant double bass. 

The collective approach of the trio reflects their deep understanding and rumination over the compositions; understated interactions, tenderness and respect for the music is a constant throughout. The combination of Zawadzki, Thomas and Mullov-Abbado is well-balanced, each musician shines through in select periods and then plays a supporting role when required, which is backed up by the performer's notes accompanying this release - “Our trio relies on the intimacy of deep listening and a trust in our long-standing friendship”.

From start to finish the album is expansive, acting as a vessel enabling the listener to dream and contemplate. Throughout Za Górami the trio unearth fresh listening avenues for the ear, pioneering and reviving unexplored music from different pockets of the world.