The highroad of jazz energy

Vadims Dmitrijev’s album «Integration!» review

Trombonist Vadims Dmitrijevs is a shining example of how style, confidence, and a naturally effortless presence can lead one into the constellation of Latvia’s new jazz stars. His second album, Integration!, is a perfect example of such integration — easy for any lover of quality jazz music to embrace, whether at home or abroad.

The path to Integration! has also been transparent and unforced. Active participation in big bands, orchestras, and various projects, along with appearances at music competitions, collaborations with both peers and seasoned international masters, and an eclectic debut album — created with the appropriate level of youthful naivety yet full of conviction — all led up to this. Even its title, Chapter I, clearly signaled that it was only the beginning. His new album, the first to be released under the Jersika Records label, marks his arrival on the true jazz highway, joined by equally jazz-hungry friends from his student days in Hamburg.

The fact that this is a live recording — captured during a concert at M/Darbnīca a few years ago — places it right in line with the post-pandemic global jazz trend. Artists longed for that concert energy and real audience presence, reminding everyone that jazz is living music, best experienced live. Perfectly produced studio recordings have become secondary, meant more for cozy evenings at home with a cup of tea or a glass of wine.

Listening to the compilation Live at the M/Darbnīca, Vol. 1, it was especially the title track and opener, «Integration!», that stirred a deep craving for a broader release of Vadims’ quintet. The groove, drive, and qualities that define excellent modern jazz are instantly evident. From the very first bars, the piano riff by the charming German pianist and singer Sofia Oester pulls the listener into the rhythm of Dmitrijevs’ original composition, gently joined by Vadims’ freely flowing trombone and the tenor saxophone of Kamil Huseinov, a Russian of Tatar descent based in Hamburg.

As befits a live jazz album, the tracks are not rushed, and the vinyl debut contains just five pieces — but that’s more than enough to fully enjoy the interplay between Vadims and his studio friends, as well as the scope of his musical vision. Not all the compositions are Dmitrijevs’ originals: The Hunt is a lyrical piece by the quintet’s German double bassist, Timon Krämer, where Sofia’s piano dances a romantically unhurried waltz with Vadims’ trombone.
The album closes with the telling of « How Little I Knew, a heartfelt piece by German jazz professor Buggy Braune. This track perhaps most clearly showcases Vadim’s ability to be present with his trombone while skillfully giving space to the rest of the ensemble. It’s no coincidence that he’s a successful leader of various lineups and jazz jam sessions, as regularly seen at M/Darbnīca and events like the Rīgas Ritmi festival.

The overall groove of the album is held together with equal skill by German drummer Bastian Menz, who shines especially in Vadims’ tribute to the bassist — Tea for Timon — maintaining a light swing with cat-like ease. It evokes visions of the early days of bebop, when legendary artists, now considered jazz classics, effortlessly carried audiences along with their flights of musical brilliance.

It’s already clear that Dmitrijevs’ album Integration! will earn its place in the annals of our jazz canon, serving as inspiration for future generations of jazz musicians. The bar has been set high, and it will surely be raised even higher, as nothing suggests that Vadims plans to slow down anytime soon. This is still only the beginning, and he’s already caught the attention of the major British jazz magazine Jazzwise.

It’s highly anticipated that Dmitrijevs’ style will continue to evolve in the direction of another one of his original works, Looking Back, where passionate modal swing blends with boldly free trombone improvisation. Despite his apparent perfectionism, he’s unafraid to stray from the highway. As Miles Davis once said, in jazz, there are no mistakes — only new opportunities and challenges. And it’s precisely this that keeps the genre alive and moving forward — something that will become increasingly vital as new musical AI systems continue to emerge.
We are integrated — now we await the acclimatization to new heights.