Nostalgia for a new drive
Kristaps Vanadzinsh trio’s album «Latviskā elegance» review
Kristaps Vanadziņš, the pianist, is a vanguard in the world of jazz. His unique style, developed without the influence of top-level music schools, is a testament to his immense love for the genre and his distinct, ever-present energy. This energy is also palpable in the tribute he has crafted alongside double bassist Jānis Rubiks and drummer Kaspars Kurdeko, dedicated to well-known and diverse Latvian composers – the album «Latviskā elegance» (Latvian Elegance).
To best describe Kristaps Vanadziņš’s style of jazz performance, the word «drive” seems most fitting. This drive is present in his music even in ballads, but it is especially prominent in faster and more intense pieces. Hand in hand with unexpected harmonic shifts, where Vanadziņš skillfully navigates complex chord progressions, and delivers audibly high-quality, playful piano expressions, it sweeps every jazz lover – and not just jazz enthusiasts – into this musical adventure.
The best way to experience this is live at a concert when it becomes absolutely clear – the piece being played at that moment is something you and the audience are hearing for the first and last time, a unique and ephemeral experience that adds a layer of excitement and anticipation. Unless, of course, the performance is later released as an album, as was the case with Vanadziņš’s solo project «Portreti», where improvisations created on the spot painted a musical portrait of an invited audience member.
Even in studio recordings, the spark of drive does not fade. This was vividly felt in the trio album «The Love Garden Has Overgrown», which won the Jazz Zelta Mikrofons award three years ago, and it shines just as brightly in «Latviskā elegance». This time, Kristaps has chosen to tell a personal story of nostalgia, crafting new arrangements of compositions by beloved Latvian composers such as Uldis Stabulnieks, Mārtiņš Brauns, Juris Kulakovs, Raimonds Pauls, Jānis Ivanovs, and even Eduards Rozenštrauhs. This personal touch in his music invites the listener to a journey of emotions and memories.
Vanadziņš never hesitates when it comes to the diversity of his chosen repertoire. Without doubt, he filters it through the soul of a romantic music lover, allowing both his mind and hands to roam freely. The two guest jazz musicians eagerly dive in with genuine curiosity, and the result turns out to be perhaps the most intriguing album to date, reflecting the Latvian mentality through jazz. Kristaps, however, has given it a more refined label – «elegance» — emphasizing that Latvians are not just a nation of peasants but can speak about their musical heritage with their heads held high, even with a touch of sophisticated bravado.
Tackling the works of such well-known composers and arranging them in a jazz style always carries the risk of producing something predictable. But with Vanadziņš, nothing is predictable. The album’s single, «Pie baltas lapas», already signaled that this was not just a simple jazz reinterpretation of a beloved popular ballad. Instead, it is a brand-new seven-and-a-half-minute opus, where the main theme elusively slips through the listener’s grasp. There is no doubt that the song’s original composer, Juris Dūrītis, would have been thrilled with such a bold and adventurous reinterpretation of his work.
For the untrained ear, the unofficial Latvian autumn anthem «Tik un tā» may be more accessible—but no less masterfully reimagined. Stabulnieks’ melodic core remains at the heart of the piece. Yet, Vanadziņš, through his delicate and deeply respectful improvisation, has managed to infuse it with an even greater sense of wistful joy.
That joy becomes even more exuberant upon hearing the motif of the folk song «Kur Tu skriesi, Vanadziņi?» included in the album. Here, all reverence is cast far into the countryside meadows, and the childhood choral singer’s ingrained dislike of this song (thanks to his surname!) is transformed into a true whirlwind of reconciliation—a dance with the very melody he once resisted. The previously mentioned drive is now unleashed at full throttle, and the pianist has no intention of hitting the brakes.
A heartfelt tribute is also given to Raimonds Pauls’ dedication to his father, «Pāri dzelmei», whose fresh interpretation was met with an enthusiastic «Bravo!» from the Maestro himself at the album’s release concert at Ola Foundation. A similar round of applause would likely have come from Mr. Brauns for Vanadziņš’s new take on «Es nesatiku tevi», a hit from Sīpoli.
Vēl dziļākos ūdeņos Vanadziņš dodas gan ar Jāņa Ivanova tēmu no koncerta čellam ar orķestri si minorā, gan pats ar savu albuma titulskaņdarbu. Viņam tik tiešām nav bail no nekā. Nedz no klausītāju portretēšanas koncertos, nedz atļaušanās līdzās vecmeistariem piedāvāt arī savu autordarbu, nedz no totālas daudzveidības materiāla izvēlē. Iedomāsimies kāda mūzikas straumēšanas servisa kompozīciju sarakstu, kurā Stabulniekam seko Ivanovs, Ivanovam tautasdziesma, bet drīz pēc tam mēs izdzirdam arī Rozenštrauhu…
«Zilais lakatiņš» albumā gan vairāk domāts kā bonustreks, turklāt arī izpildīts solo bez pārējo divu trio dalībnieku iesaistes. Taču arī šeit doma ir dziļāka – tas ir veltījums izsūtītajiem un apspiestajiem latviešiem, sajūtu līmenī centrējoties uz Valdas Mooras dzejoli, bet loģiski izmantojot Eduarda Rozenštrauha populārās ziņģes melodiju.
Interesanti, ka albuma ieraksts tapis vien ar nedaudziem elpas vilcieniem Saldus Mūzikas skolā, tādēļ arī šo var uzskatīt ne gluži par izteiktu studijas ierakstu. Un šāds piegājiens, acīmredzami ir tuvs ne tikai pašam Kristapam, bet arī pieaugošajam viņa klausītāju lokam. Ar skaisto Gaujas senlejas skatu ilustrētā un zināmām latviskajām melodijām veltītā plate visticamāk vēl paātrinās šā pieauguma ģeometrisko progresiju. Atsaucoties uz Paula kungu – bravo!