The slender one has been sitting on a great Christmas present for nigh on a year, waiting for the right time to tell the world. Not through selfishness - it was because this is a seasonal review.
Ukrainian Christmas last year proved to be a good one - a disc arrived from Estonia too late to be an esto Xmas present, but fittingly in time for the Orthodox celebrations. (Indicative of some of the small coincidences that the world teems with, things Ukrainian were more visible at that time. Think Orange for Christmas. How appropriate.)
The present in question was the first recording of guitarist Oleg Pissarenko, a young Estonian of Ukrainian background. His presence on the Estonian acoustic jazz scene is to be recognized with pleasure. At a time when most musicians take advantage of - or far more often, hide behind - technology, using computers and digital enhancement to sterile perfection a talented, confident natural artist like Pissarenko is very welcome. He prefers to have things happen rather than force the issue. With this disc we are introduced to a sensitive soul of religious depth, a value and asset in and of itself. The compositions found here affirm provide musical expression of belief in love, purity, and growth as well as passionate heat and romance
Music is a religion for many. When allowed to speak through Pissarenko's talented fingers on the guitar frets and strings the listener is fast converted to his brand of orthodoxy. Pissarenko has composed every selection on the recording. He writes in the liner notes that when he wrote his first piece in 1998 it "was like my right hand did not know what the left was doing and so it started." He gathered together some friends to get their reaction, and Taavo Remmel suggested a recording. This is the result, with Remmel playing double bass, the incomparable Meelis Unt providing soprano sax on selections. (The mere presence of Unt's name on a recording is usually cause to purchase it - forget Dave Koz or Kenny G, Unt is the real thing.) Tanel Ruben supplies drum work when required. Throughout Pissarenko stands out, his acoustic guitar playing pure and unaffected.
Oleg Pissarenko thanks God for making this CD possible, and the religious undertone is almost blazing with purity. The choice of the name for the CD - Greek for fish (Ihtys) reminds how early Christians used the fish symbol to allow other believers to identify them. The second selection Agape - Greek for religious love, also describing the early Christian feast that accompanied the Eucharist - has a dreaminess reminiscent of the best acoustic work of Pat Metheny. Winterwhite is a seamless composition, the Unt/Pissarenko duet simply sparkles. The introspective Romanss for T is rich with yearning, Reggae Blue allows the guitarist to show his more mischievous, exuberant side.
Pissarenko has a Zen side as well. He writes "a butterfly chanced into the room … it beat against the windowpane … I wanted to take it into my hands". This butterfly did indeed make it to his fingers as they beat and slide across the guitar strings, most noticeably in the cryptically named opening and closing cuts, A.I. pre and A.I. pos. The listener is gently ensnared into Pissarenko's musical world, one of beauty, peace and almost childlike innocence.
A musical gift that keeps on giving. The CD provides a welcome respite at this time of the year from the commercialness of western Christmas, while reminding the listener that peace and winterwhiteness begin from within.
Thanks, onu Nikolai, great CD, wonderful present. And by the way, Unk, just a friendly reminder - there is still time to track down Pissarenko's 2004 follow-up CD "The Little One's", (dare I voice hope for 2005’s “The Book’s Burning”?) and pop it in the mails, it'll make it here for Ukrainian Christmas…