Tryptyk Petersburski is a collection of live recordings from SBB leader Jozef Skrzek and his side band East Wind, taken from shows between April-June of 2004 in Poland. Joining the keyboard veteran are drummer Aleksandr Ragazanov, percussionist Michal Giercuszkiewicz, keyboard player Michail Ogorodov, & vocalist Roksana Vikaluk. Much of the music here is spacey prog with touches of jazz-fusion, mostly a vehicle for Skrzek & Ogorodov to launch into sizzling Moog, organ, piano, and digital synth explorations, such as on the wild "Burza nad Newa / The storm over Neva river". As these songs are taken from three separate gigs, the flavor of each show is different from the next. Skrzek's haunting pipe organ is the centerpiece on the songs from the Holy Cross Basilica in Warsaw (used to great effect on "W kolysce dloni twych/Ojcze Nasz... / In the cradle of your hands/Holy Father" and "Bezdroza od Tarnopola / Pathless near Ternopil") while the songs from the Blue Note Jazzclub in Poznan, like "Preludium z wokaliza / Prelude with vocal theme" and "Tysiace planet... / Thousand of planets" mix jazz flavors with ominous space rock. However, it's the rumbling numbers from the Planetarium in Chorzow that represent the closest thing to classic SBB material. Both "Planety horyzontalne / The horizontal planets" and "Luiza / Louise" offer up some tasty synth flights and tight drum work, and the latter has some gorgeous vocals from Roksana. Overall though, the highlight has to be the majestic mix of classical, prog, and World music styles on the epic " ...tam serce Twoje - pamieci Fryderyka Chopina /
...there is Your heart - in memory of Frédéric Chopin", a real ethnic sounding piece layered with symphonic keys and varied vocal styles.
Fans of SBB who are interested in hearing Jozef Skrzek using a wide variety of keyboard sounds in a different context should find Tryptyk Petersburski to be a satisfying listen.
Track Listing
1. Tysiace planet... / Thousand of planets... 4:30
2. Burza nad Newa / The storm over Neva river 8:01
3. W kolysce dloni twych/Ojcze Nasz... /
In the cradle of your hands/Holy Father... 10:34
4. Bezdroza od Tarnopola / Pathless near Ternopil 9:26
5. Preludium z wokaliza / Prelude with vocal theme 4:00
6. Rosa na wzgorzach Soliny / Dew on the Solina heights 11:46
7. Planety horyzontalne / The horizontal planets 8:41
8. Luiza / Louise 4:13
9. ...tam serce Twoje - pamieci Fryderyka Chopina /
...there is Your heart - in memory of Frédéric Chopin 12:06
10. Piesn o sloncu niewyczerpanym / The song about an unexhausted sun 5:56
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
