snobb
"New Wine..." is an album in voluminous series of Lithuanian Ganelin Trio albums, released by UK-based Leo records in early 80s. Actually, Leo label has been founded by Russian Jew Leo Feigin,who left Soviet Union for Israel in 1974 and soon find himself working in London for BBC Russian Services, mostly to promote unknown in the Western world free jazz from Soviet Union.
Ganelin Trio were main artists pushing Leo Records ahead at label's early stage. Since there were no legal possibility for artists (at least - jazz and rock musicians)from Soviet Union to release their recordings outside of Soviet Block, almost all Leo releases of that time are actually an authorized bootlegs, mostly semi-pro live recordings from different,often underground gigs. Recorded tapes crossed the border usually in an illegal way to become later vinyl albums which were not available for purchase in Soviet Union.
"New Wine..." contains one long composition (divided on two parts because of vinyl album's limitations) recorded in Latvian capitol Riga (part of Soviet Union at the time of recording) in summer 1982. Even usually tagged as "free jazz" band, Ganelin Trio always played well organized music, their own mix of classic composition, complex virtuosic improvisation and almost childish Art Ensemble of Chicago-like playfulness. Trio sounds as bigger combo here, it's almost unbelievable that this complex high intensity music is played by three musicians. In addition to Tarasov's drumming machinery, Ganelin besides of his usual piano plays electric guitar,horn and percussion when Chekasin demonstrates unique abilities combining two saxophones (simultaneously),trombone,horn and clarinet.The very same year I (still a student) saw Chekasin playing live solo concert in my University (I have been lucky to live and study in the same town where Ganelin Trio has been founded and based), he played simultaneously two saxophones and electronic device-based highly improvised night which made me,originally AC/DC and Deep Purple fan, an jazz adept for life!
"New Wine..." isn't trio's best gig (they sound a bit too formal here and sound quality could be better as well)and one can find them playing same material on some other releases. But at the same time this album is another great evidence of excellent musical occurrence, unexpected and unique in their own way,when repressive regime can initiate a birth of extremely free and impossible to control music which than becomes a part of the all world's cultural legacy.