INNER EAR. The Quiet Shout

(live at Paron To Tu)

Mikołaj Trzaska – alto saxophon & bass clarinet

Steve Swell – trombone

Per- Åke Holmlander – tuba  

Tim Daisy – drums

1. Summer of war

2. Vege hunter

3. Nothing New In The East

4. Flies in the tar

5. Welcome to the sea

All compositions by Mikołaj Trzaska (ZAiKS), Steve Swell (Steve Swell Music BMI), Per-Åke Holmlander (STIM) and Tim Daisy (Spilt Music/ASCAP)

Recording during concert in Pardon To Tu Warszawa – 23.10.2023 by Bartosz Szkiełkowski

Mixing by Mikołaj Trzaska. 

Mastered by Dave Zuchowski At One Room Studio

The person responsible for creating this quartet is Ken Vandermark –  American saxophonist and composer. Although he doesn’t participate in the project personally, it was because of him that the musicians met for the first time in 2008 during the tour of the Resonance Ensemble that they are members of. That’s when they decided to form a group called Inner Ear. Together with Chicago drummer Tim Daisy, Mikołaj Trzaska played concerts in Germany, Poland, and the USA. The other two musicians are New York trombonist Steve Swell and Swedish tubaist Per-Ake Holmlander. The music of this peculiar quartet is nothing less but the continuation of the tradition of improvised jazz broadened with a fresh view of contemporary musicians from different countries around the world. The quartet combines various traditions: jazz, sonority, and contemporary music. When these traditions meet a new intimate music world is generated. The main idea of the group is a new form of acoustic instrumental dialogue. During the improvisation, the musicians use different types of musical narration, from the role of accompanists who build complicated compositional structures out of individual phrases to the role of soloists. Due to the search for a multiplicity of sound combinations, the borders between the instruments disappear. It often seems as if the group processed the music digitally but in reality, the musicians use only acoustic sounds. The expression of the group is also surprising. The dynamics vary from very delicate details to very strong, almost rock accents. All musicians of the trio have something in common – each of them created his own language of expression used in improvisation. And although the instrumental lineup is acoustic, the musician’s use of unique techniques gives the quartet a very modern sound.