Flying Steps

Amazon Customer for Amazon.co.jp

Amazon カスタマー
5.0 out of 5 stars

Title: The jacket and the performance are great.

Reviewed in Japan on August 28, 2019Verified Purchase

I didn’t know this pianist, but I bought six copies since then when I happened to hear this play in a CD store. I was attracted to the beauty of the jacket, and I was also interested in female pianists. Classical with jazz scent, it’s great. The first CD I heard was GLASS SONG.

Original Japanese:

Amazon カスタマー
5.0 out of 5 stars 

ジャケットも演奏内容もすばらしいです。

Reviewed in Japan on August 28, 2019Verified Purchase

このピアニストは知らなかったが、たまたまCD店で演奏しているのを聴いて、以後6枚購入しました。ジャケットのうつくしさ,女性ピアニストにも興味があった。クラシカルな中にjazzの香りが出ていて、素晴らしいです。最初に聞いたCDはGLASS SONGです。

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Vittorio Lo Conte for Music Zoom

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This time Yelena Eckemoff collaborates with the rhythm section with which even the Milan pianist Massimo Colombo has already recorded: Darek Oleszkiewicz at the double bass and Peter Erskine on drums. The two sideman are leading her to wider jazz territories, where they find a point of encounter and fruitful dialogue with Eckemoff’s compositions. They are musicians with extensive experience behind both jazz and fusion and at ease working with classical pianists. 

There are some themes that swing gently, like Good Morning, devoted to her son Anthony, a delicate, feminine jazz sounding deeply inspired and communicative. It is not lacking space for a double bass solo accompanied by the other two. For Harry is dedicated to her husband Harry; she starts alone and slowly develops the groove with ballad tones, very intense, evocative, rich in facets, like every relationship involving important feelings. In the performance also comes an explicit swing, a moment you would expect from a colleague like Brad Mehldau. The most romantic aspect is Where is Maxim, but here you can put together the classic and jazz part with seductive subtlety, tiptoe. Tears Will Come leaves ample room for the melancholy intervention of the double bass. Insomnia still swings, and how could it be otherwise, since such music often finds space in clubs that are crowded, especially at night? The ballad Mama is wonderful, emotionally engaging. The last two tracks are dedicated respectively to Erskine and Oleszkiewicz and close a big album where the Russian pianist lets himself go to a close encounter with jazz forms, intense and full of emotions.

Original Italian:

Yelena Eckemoff è insieme ad una ritmica con cui anche il pianista milanese Massimo Colombo ha già inciso, Darek Oleszkiewicz al contrabbasso e Peter Erskine alla batteria. I due sideman la portano verso territori più jazzistici e trovano un punto di incontro e dialogo proficuo con le composizioni della Eckemoff. Sono entrambi musicisti con una vasta esperienza alle spalle, sia nel jazz che nella fusion e si trovano a loro agio con l’esperienza di musicista classica della pianista.

Ci sono temi che swingano delicatamente, Good Morning, dedicato al figlio Anthony, un jazz dai toni delicati, femminili, verrebbe quasi da dire, che suonano profondamente ispirati e comunicativi. Non manca lo spazio per un assolo del contrabbasso accompagnato dagli altri due. For Harry è dedicto al marito Harry, comincia in solo e lentamente arriva la ritmica con dei toni da ballad molto intensa, suggestiva, ricca di sfaccettature, come ogni relazione in cui sono coinvolti sentimenti importanti. Nell’esecuzione arriva anche uno swing esplicito, un momento che ci si aspetterebbe da un collega come Brad Mehldau. Dall’aspetto più romantico è Where is Maxim, ma qui lei riesce a mettere insieme la parte classica e quella jazz con seducente sottigliezza, in punta di piedi. Tears Will Come lascia ampio spazio al malinconico intervento del contrabbasso. Su Insomnia ritorna ancora lo swing, e come potrebbe essere altrimenti, visto che questa musica trova spesso spazio nei club che sono affollati soprattutto la notte? Splendida la ballad Mama, emozionalmente coinvolgente. Gli ultimi due brani sono dedicati rispettivamente a Erskine e Oleszkiewicz e chiudono alla grande un album in cui la pianista russa si lascia andare ad un incontro ravvicinato con le forme del jazz, intenso e ricco di emozioni.

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Esther Callens for The Birmingham Times

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What more need to be said about Yelena Eckemoff? Besides the fact that she is an exceptional pianist/composer who has released numerous recordings that attests to it. In keeping step with her progression, her latest collection, Flying Steps, is merely a catapult boasting all and more that Eckemoff is capable of. With Flying Steps, Eckemoff dived within herself to compose such personal tracks such as “For Harry” and “Tomorrow” – which were birthed from her personal relationships.  With offering such as these, Eckemoff has produced a defining recording that shouts she has the stuff what jazz enthusiasts crave.

 

Bill Meredith for Jazziz

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Pianist Yelena Eckemoff’s classical training in Russia certainly stands out on her “Flying Steps” CD, but so do the improvisational and interplay capabilities of her trio with bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz and drummer Peter Erskine. Any musician’s playing is, by definition, an extension of their personality. Russian pianist Yelena Eckemoff’s use of space, texture and harmony on her latest CD, “Flying Steps”, hints at a classical prodigy who earned her Master’s degree from the Moscow State Conservatory. Yet other elements, including her interaction with bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz and drummer Peter Erskine, lead the listener to the deeper parts of Eckemoff’s story. One gets the impression that the title of every composition has special meaning for the pianist. The disc’s opening “Promise” breaks from a relaxed swing feel into a tango accented by Erskine’s brush strokes on the snare drum; “A Smile” opens with the versatile drummer’s lonely taps on a cymbal before expanding through Oleszkiewicz’s perfectly-placed punctuations and Eckemoff’s lyrical lines. The temptation is to classify this as chamber jazz, yet the disc takes a detour every time it approaches such a classical-meets-swing hybrid. “Good Morning,” dedicated to Eckemoff’s son Anthony, veers from the precipice through high-pitched piano accents that hint more at gospel, or even electronica. On “For Harry,” her dedication to her husband, the rhythm section sounds like it’s eavesdropping for the first three minutes, but Erskine and Oleszkiewicz then kick into an assertive midsection that prefaces a stellar solo by the drummer — who’s been the rudder for some of the top fusion (Weather Report) and pop (Steely Dan) acts in the world. Eckemoff dedicates the waltzing title track to Erskine, and the poignant ode “Tomorrow” to Oleszkiewicz, to close the disc in true team fashion. “Flying Steps” is a democratic, ECM-inspired statement by a true jazz original, on which even the pianist’s sacred musical inspirations (she and her husband converted to Christianity and fled the former Soviet Union 20 years ago) and MIDI-enhanced virtual orchestra nuances occasionally fly by.

Bill Milkowski for Jazz Times

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There’s a rare delicacy to this luminous, ECM-ish piano-trio outing that features the remarkably sensitive rhythm duo of bassist Darek Oles and drummer Peter Erskine. All the material here was composed by the prolific, classically trained Moscow native Yelena Eckemoff, who characteristically prefers tinkling arpeggios to all-out swing and tends toward the new-agey end of the spectrum. Among the real gems are “Promise,” “A Smile,” the sparse “Isolated” and poignant “Mama,” all underscored by Oles’ graceful, woody tones and Erskine’s painterly approach to the kit. Drum fans will revel in Erskine’s choices throughout this keenly interactive offering.

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Susan Frances for Jazzreview

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The scrolling notes of pianist of Yelena Echemoff embroider imagery soundscapes that soothe, excite and entrap the listener in an experience beyond earthly dimensions. Her latest album Flying Steps features Peter Erskine on drums and Darek Oleszkiewicz on double bass, and establishes Echemoff as an engaging pianist and composer of ambient bliss. Tracks like “Promise” and “A Smile” have a sensual gait that incites the listener to drift off into a luxuriating oasis of melodic improvisations. The soft curls and relaxing lunges of Echemoff’s keys in “Good Morning” produced a soothing ambiance, and shift to somber etudes along “For Harry.” The dulcet doodling of her keys through “Isolated” imbues a contemplative lilt changing to an upbeat wandering in “Where Is Maxim?” The pensive waddling of her keys in “Tears Will Come” are supported by light drum taps and deep toned bass notes, which manifest into a hypnotic swagger in “Insomnia” with broad sweeps in Echemoff’s keys. Her music is rooted in classical chamber music concepts and orchestral structures coalesced with pop music-inspired rhythms and influenced by jazz improvisations. Born and raised in Moscow, Russia, Yelena Echemoff began playing the piano at four years old. Her mother, Olga was her first piano teacher. Yelena was further educated at the Piano School of the Moscow State Conservatory where she earned a Master’s Degree in piano performance and pedagogy. She worked as a piano teacher for the Moscow Music Schools. She and husband left the Soviet Union and have been living the USA since 1991, where she developed a discography as an independent recording artist adding Flying Steps to her lengthy catalog in 2011.

Rating: Five Stars

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Eric W. Saeger for Scope

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Conducive to lazy occasions: Chapters of an inner journey.

Russia-born jazz pianist Eckemoff has plenty of room to allow her instrument to roam in this trio setup, so much so that the ancillary double-bassist and drummer often seem to disappear in these romantic, reflective doodles. There are ups and downs in these wanderings, but mostly ups; it’s probably more steeped in the chapters of an inner journey than it seems at first listen, which is all there’s time for by this reporter. But I do plan to get to know this genial record better when there’s nothing pressing, during lazy occasions toward which this is more conducive. Most of the passages are quiet, mercurial and slow; there’s no Chopin-esque fractalism until the 10th track (“Steps”), but even that is handled with kids gloves.

Grade: A [Release Date: 11/15/2011]

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Karl Ackermann for All About Jazz

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A good rule of thumb when exploring new or unfamiliar jazz terrain is to look for either bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz or drummer Peter Erskine among the personnel. Finding both together leads to the very satisfying net results of Yelena Eckemoff ‘s Flying Steps, reuniting the Russian-born pianist with Erskine for their third collaboration. The addition of Oleszkiewicz is a windfall of almost indefinable value, the bassist contributing his experience and versatility as a sideman on more than eighty recordings, including work with pianists Brad Mehldau and Steve Kuhn. In truth, it is the presence of Oleszkiewicz and Erskine that more firmly root Flying Steps in the jazz genre. Eckemoff’s natural style leans closer to classical, as may be expected given her Moscow State Conservatory training in form, theory and composing. Yet, at an early age, she began exploring and honing her skills as a jazz composer while incorporating her classical influences. The resulting compositions are jazz of a more pastoral texture and tone with her rhythm section adding embellishments through intricate and complementary patterns. Erskine is a master of the light touch, meshes nicely with Eckemoff’s similar style on “For Harry,” “Tears Will Come” and “Mama”—all brightly illuminated pieces that Oleszkiewicz holds together while adding just the right amount of density. One of the more interesting aspects of listening to these three musicians work together is their interdependence upon each other’s skills and natural proclivities. Oleszkiewicz does not neatly fit into the role of a rhythm section player, his Like a Dream Cryptogramophone, 2004) demonstrating that this virtuoso bassist is equally at home as a leader. Erskine’s experiences with the fusion styles of Steely Dan and Weather Report broaden the base from which this trio can anchor or shift the momentum of the music. In the final analysis, Flying Steps is a part of Eckemoff’s evolution, the pianist playing to her strengths with conviction and great ability. To her credit, she looks forward in choosing musical company that can move her along without discarding the equity she has built over the years. Eckemoff has always incorporated the principles of progression in her compositions and, with Flying Steps, she does so with her thematic presentation.

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Tyran Grillo for ECM Reviews

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Eckemoff’s latest trio album marks the return of Erskine into the fold, and with it the inaugural “Promise,” a languid journey through innocence into resignation and back again, with an isolated rest stop or two along the way. Darek Oleszkiewicz takes the helm at bass this time around, completing a trio of superb insight. His dexterity brings a gentle urge to the foreground and gilds Erskine’s already filigreed approach. Here is an album that works particularly vividly in images. “A Smile” seems to paint itself one tooth at a time, opening the physiognomy of its own emotional distance, while “Good Morning” scintillates like sunlight on a kitchen table, glinting off coffee cups, illuminating a newspaper, shimmering outside the window—and all of it threaded by Erskine’s delicate rolls. “For Harry” is a dance of piano and cymbals, all threaded by Oleszkiewicz’s invisible stitching. A memorable color shift occurs when Erskine lays down rims over Eckemoff’s light-as-a-feather touch. “Isolated” seems to represent the album’s theme. There is something expository in its activity, finding profundity in the everyday. “Isolated” also clues us in on the enigma of the album’s cover. Though isolated insofar as it is elevated above all social and civil signs, as such it is also connected to the vastness of the great beyond. In this luminal space one finds the aptitude of solitude. “Where is Maxim?” forms a trilogy of sorts with “Tears Will Come” and “Insomnia,” for each evokes weighted emotions with equal lightness. There is an unmistakable note of nostalgia in the music that is only intensified with each new listen. For me, more overtly personal tracks like these reach deepest. Take, for example, “Mama,” which is a brilliant and sublime confluence of time, space, and technique that seems to constitute the very heart of what Eckemoff is capable of at her best. Oleszkiewicz shines again in “Steps,” especially in his captivating solo. We end with “Tomorrow,” a soft exercise in humility and the unpredictability of circumstance.

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Japanese Blogger for NMV.co.jp

Moscow’s unknown big talent, Yelena Eckemoff’s four titles of her Piano Trio are now in domestic circulation for the first time! It is a skillful school, as you can tell from gorgeous and luxurious members. Recording is also excellent. 

Piano trio work of 2010. The drums are replaced by Erskine, and the bass has been replaced by Dalek Oles, a master from Poland. This is a collection of pieces that strikingly differ from her previous works of a rigid atmosphere; here it feels as if the kindness and soft sunlight envelop the body. There are differences in compositions and concepts, but when you listen and try comparing, you can feel that this is the player who has various expressions and clearly superior. It is a true reverse style to the type that pulls with increasing the number of sounds, but it does not leak to the example of a Russian player, and the music was backed by an awesome technique. It is similar to the music of Tōkyōgen home village, where melody that is born note by note from the fluctuation of great silence, becomes a flow of several lines. I highly recommend it to everyone of piano trio fans, ECM fans, audiophiles! 

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