From time to time I've mused about reviewing one of John Abercrombie's best latter ECM recordings called November from 1992. I may still tackle that one, but I need to out that write-up aside for now to muse about another, brand-new, ECM release titled after the name of a month. In this case, it's January by Polish pianist Marcin Wasilewski, supported by double-bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz.

Wasilewski and Kurkiewicz formed a formidable foundation with the drummer Manu Katché for Katché's outstanding last two releases, Neighbourhood and one of my favorites from last year, Playground.

The story begins much earlier, though. The twosomes' stint with Katché was preceded by the threesome's long gig with Tomasz Stanko.

Tomasz Stanko, that premier jazzman of Poland, picked Wasilewski, Kurkiewicz and Miskiewicz out of total obscurity in 1996 when Wasilewski was just 16 to learn under this great trumpet player and become part of his domestic touring band. The trio, then called the Simple Acoustic Trio, had been formed a few years earlier at the high school these kids attended together. Under Stanko, their craft grew to the point where Stanko was ready to record with them, and his 2001 record The Soul of Things, which features the leader backed exclusively by The Simple Acoustic Trio. The Soul Of Things turned out to be one of Stanko's finer recordings, and one he's rather proud of.

Stanko's tutorship led to an ECM contract for this young unit and in 2005, these guys put forth their first one for the label, simply called Trio. They're back three years later with January, but recognizing the leadership and songwriting skills of Wasilewski, this album is credited to the "Marcin Wesilewski Trio" instead.

His piano playing style is open and unforced. Oftentimes nearly every note in a chord played separately. Wasilewski prefers not to knock you out with power piano playing; the beauty in his approach is in his attention to the song's melodic structure, the well-placed notes and the intricate interplay with his two longtime cohorts.

Wasilewski's composing clearly shows the influence of Stanko, but also of Keith Jarrett. He likes to reveal the songs structure in a free-flowing, unhurried pace and put in a short, memorable theme that ties all the loose ends together neatly, as in "January" and "The First Touch."