Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ron Stabinsky: Free for One

Ron Stabinsky: Free for One

By Budd Kopman
August 15, 2016
View read count

The first thing to note about pianist

Ron Stabinsky

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Ron Stabinsky's debut recording Free For One is the quality of sound. The piano's lows are solid and centered, the mid-range clear and very fast while the highs sing. This is how piano should be recorded—not only is it a good test for the output end (speakers) of the recording/reproduction chain, but the input end (microphones and recording medium), as well as, of course, the production side (mixing and mastering). The Hamburg Steinway D Stabinsky used is an excellent instrument and the bottom line is that all of the nuances and detail which make up Stabinsky's playing have been captured.

Music is emotional sound and is extremely hard to adequately describe except in the most broad manner. Unpremeditated improvisation is especially difficult to put into words, all the more so when the improvisation is not on something (see

Jean-Michel Pilc

piano
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Jean-Michel Pilc's What Is This Thing Called?), and when the player is comfortable in that place between jazz and modern classical music.

In

Charles Evans

saxophone, baritone

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Evans's wonderful On Beauty Stabinsky turned out to be the glue holding together and enhancing Evans' music. Stabinsky's path to reach this point has taken over a decade of hard work, relentless introspection and self-honesty. Perhaps the most important question is whether the player himself disappears; the bottom line for all music is whether it communicates to and involves the listener. Is he or she moved to tears, to dance, to stop everything and just listen?

Although Free For One is less "romantic" (overall) than

Paul Bley

piano
1932 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Bley's Solo In Mondsee, it is comparable in the cohesiveness of the set, the audible logic of the improvisational development and most importantly in the emotional communication of the performance.

While this music was recorded in one day, most probably the pieces were not recorded in the order presented, especially since (Charles) Evans is given credit for "layout and track selection." Opening with ..."After It's Over" is interesting in that this listener kept hearing very oblique references to

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus's "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat". That "Once, But Again," with its much "jazzier" feel harmonically and rhythmically (but never actually "swinging") ends the set is also telling.

In between are improvisations of varying character that explore different ideas in ways that can be followed, at least after multiple listens. It is not that Stabinsky can be heard thinking, but rather that the manner in which the music evolves becomes understandable; of course, it is Stabinsky, and not someone else, that is playing, but also in a very real sense the music is simply unfolding and flowing out of him.

Stabinsky's music has enormous emotional depth which, however, might take some time to be appreciated by those who have not come to creative improvised music from the classical side. That said, it is quite worth the time to listen repeatedly to Free For One and be won over by Stabinsky's mind and his music.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

...After It's Over; 31; Viral Infection; Gone Song; For Reel; Not Long Now/Long Now; Rapture; Once, But Again.

Personnel

Ron Stabinsky

piano

Ron Stabinsky: piano.

Album information

Title: Free for One | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Hot Cup Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Reciprocity
< Previous

Steam In The Casa
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.