GANELIN TRIO/SLAVA GANELIN — Poi Segue... Далее Следует... (review)

GANELIN TRIO/SLAVA GANELIN — Poi Segue... Далее Следует... album cover

Album · 1982 · Avant-Garde Jazz

4/5 · 2011-05-30
snobb

Former Soviet Union was hardly a jazz Mecca. And it's nothing strange - for decades empire's official ideology was "jazz is bourgeois art" (or adapted for masses it sounded as popular song's lyrics - "who is listening to jazz today tomorrow will sell his fatherland").

But even there,under the Iron Curtain existed at least few excellent jazz artists (yes, few is not much for the country with population of 350 millions). To be honest, there even existed official jazz orchestra in Moscow (Garanyan's Melodija)for playing authorities approved optimistic tunes (again - mostly not for domestic use, but just to show all the outside world how democratic the regime is).

But in a country where almost no-one even had idea to speak what he is really feel or think in public, jazz was a rare possibility of fresh air (or escape from totalitarian control of people lives and even minds). So in occupied by Russia territories of former independent Baltic states with centuries of European cultural history and far from Moscow's eyes few great jazz musicians found their place to survive and even play their music.

Absolutely the best free jazz band from all Soviet Union existing period was Ganelin's Trio, founded in Vilnius,Lithuania in 1970.Vyacheslav "Slava" Ganelin was born in Russia (in small town near Moscow) in 1944 and being just 4 with his family moved to heavily destroyed after WWII and occupied by Red Army Vilnius. Graduated as jazz (!) musician and composer by Vilnius Music Academy (the only place on the all territory of SU where student could be graduated as jazz musician/composer)in 1968, together with percussionist and drummer Vladimir Tarasov and saxophonist Vladimir Chekasin he formed the Ganelin Trio.It's interesting that Chekasin (born in Sverdlovsk,Ural,Russia,1947) and Tarasov (born in Archangelsk,Northern Russia)both were Russian emigrants as well,they came to Lithuania because it was only place in all SU where they could play their jazz!

Ganelin Trio working as official band of Vilnius Philharmonic represented Soviet Union's modern music in world jazz fests and were the first Soviet band ever played in States.They had more difficulties playing inside of SU, but still had some underground concerts in Moscow and Leningrad and were quite regular act on Lithuanian (and in part Estonian) stage.

Fortunately, I was born and grow up in Vilnius and Chekasin playing free improvs using two saxes at the same time was my very first jazz impression ever.During 70s and 80s Trio released a lot of albums (some on local Lithuanian label with sales in Lithuania only and other on W.European labels,usually on London-based Leo Records,absolutely unavailable for Soviet listeners),so they were better known in Lithuania and abroad than in rest of SU.

Poi Segue is one of their best known around SU album, released on leading Soviet State label "Melodyja". Just one long composition (divided on two vinyl album's sides), very complex composition with lot of free,but well organised improves. Mostly Ganelin piano based,but with enough space for sax and drums soloing.Not the best trio's album, but one between their really good releases. Sounds modern enough even now - it's pity they were so under-evaluated in their time!